Easy Step-by-Step Plan
for Conducting Wills Clinic
on February 9 and 16 (these are sample dates to give you an idea of the timeline)
How helpful do you think it would be to have regular income – above and beyond your church budget – available for missions, building maintenance, children’s programs, education, and special projects? Pastors have said: “Very!” and “You’d be crazy not to want that!”
So how do you find such regular income? The first action you can take is to help your members think about leaving a gift to the church in their wills. Helping members of your congregation effectively plan for the disposition of their assets at their death is a responsibility churches can assume.
The Will-Power Program will provide information and tools to assist in increasing the number of your members who have current wills and who have included a bequest for the church. The Georgia United Methodist Foundation will assist you with prepared materials.
What’s involved?
1) preparing advance and ongoing publicity (with help from the Georgia United Methodist Foundation)
2) recruiting people to make a presentation about three to four minutes long in two consecutive Sunday morning worship services – February 9 and 16;
3) distributing several hand-outs to congregation; and
4) sending letters or emails inviting members to Wills Seminar to be conducted by
Foundation staff and an attorney at ______UMC.
Step 1: Week of January 27 (Two Weeks Before First Wills Sunday)
Church Newsletter and/or Bulletin – Short story announces the Will-Power Program beginning Sunday, February 9. Story emphasizes goals are to increase awareness of the need for an up-to-date will and increase the number of members in your church that have or are working on a will. Story announces the brief anonymous Wills Information Survey to be distributed on February 9. Use Enclosure A as a guide for this story.
Pastor/ _____ prints “The Future is What you Make of it” – Download and print copies of this free brochure available from the Foundation’s website. Print enough copies so all adults and couples attending morning services can receive one. See Enclosure B for this brochure.
Pastor/ ______prints “Planning Your Legacy - A Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust” – Download and print 15-20 copies of this free brochure from the Foundation as a resource to be available in the church office. www.gumf.org > Planned Giving > Wills Planner > Download the link “Request a Wills Guide” at the bottom of the screen. All who attend the Wills Seminar will receive one of these Guides. See Enclosure C for a sample of this brochure.
Step 2: Week of February 3 (One Week Before First Wills Sunday)
Church Newsletter and/or Bulletin – Different story describes why the church is emphasizing wills. The story also mentions the brief anonymous Wills Information Survey to be distributed on February 9. Use Enclosure D as a guide.
Wills Information Survey – Print/duplicate enough Surveys for average number of adults who attend Sunday services on half-sheets of paper (2 will fit on an 8 ½ X 11 sheet). Use Enclosure E for this.
Pastor asks a Trustee or Chair of Finance Committee or Chair of Legacy Committee to give a brief presentation during the February 9 Sunday service(s) based primarily on the question: “Who Needs An Estate Plan?” Use Enclosure F Presentation Notes as a guide.
Step 3: February 9 (First Wills Sunday)
Ushers distribute to each adult a Wills Information Survey (three brief questions only, asking each person to answer anonymously). Use Enclosure E.
A Trustee or Chair of Finance Committee or Chair of Legacy Committee gives brief presentation during service based primarily on the question: “Who Needs An Estate Plan?” This person also mentions the Wills Information Survey and asks people to complete the survey and put it in the collection plate or at the back of the church. Use Enclosure F as a guide.
Step 4: Week of February 10 (Right After First Wills Sunday)
Church Newsletter or next Sunday bulletin – short article gives results of the Wills Information Survey and elaborates on how many Americans have no will. Use Enclosure G.
Pastor asks another trustee or member of finance committee to give brief presentation on Second Wills Sunday (February 16) based on theme of “Who Will Take Care of Your Children.” Use Enclosure H as a guide.
Step 5: February 16 (Second Wills Sunday)
Ushers distribute "The Future is What you Make of it" brochure to each adult or couple.
Another trustee or member of finance committee or Legacy Committee Member gives brief presentation – “Who’ll Take Care of Your Children” – in service on what has happened in real-life situations when people didn’t have a will and the state decided how their estate would be distributed. Presenter also mentions the “The Future is What you Make of it” brochure that has been distributed. Use Enclosure H Presentation Notes as a guide.
Step 6: Week of February 17 (Within One Week After Second Wills Sunday)
Church Newsletter or next Sunday bulletin – Short article promotes the Wills Seminar scheduled for ______(specific date and time). Use Enclosure I as a guide.
Letter mails or email sent to all adults on church mailing list inviting them to a Wills Seminar at which a Foundation person and a local attorney will make a presentation about wills and estate planning. Ask people to register for the Seminar -- this will help insure that enough information packets are available as well as enough cookies and/or pastries and beverages are prepared. Use Enclosure J as a guide.
Consider asking a group within the church to provide refreshments for those planning to attend.
Step 7: Within One Month after Second Wills Sunday
Foundation staff and a local attorney conduct a Wills Seminar on ______(specific date and time) at ______United Methodist Church. The seminar will cover wills, trusts, advance directives for healthcare and financial power of attorney. Ample time is provided for questions and answers. Attendees are given the opportunity to sign up for a free 30-minute “ask any question” phone conversation with an attorney.
Distribute the following materials:
1. Planning Your Legacy - A Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust
2. Personal Estate Planning Organizer
3. Georgia Advance Directive for Healthcare