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• Giving Lessons
• Striking out for the Kingdom
• BudgetBuilder - try our new tool!
• Haiti, the story beyond the story
• What's your story?
• Bowling alone on Plymouth Hoe!
• Transforming Generosity: The Third Way
• Remains of the Day
• Gift Aid tax reclaims - alarm over new restriction
• Happiness is...spending money on other people
• ANNOUNCING LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AT STEWARDSHIP
• Gold or Gravel: it's our choice
• Not so fasta with the pasta!
• What would you do if you found £100?
• Giving for Life
• Try this at home
• Water Rates – new law to ‘rain in’ excessive charges?
• Signs of recovery - an end to the tough times?
• Putting faith in good governance
• The VAT Package and 2010
• Do you have these in blue?
• Millionaires seldom smile
• The big print giveth

• All blog posts

Categories

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• Gift Horse (6)
• Legal Eagle (4)

Remains of the Day

In 1888 the Swedish inventor of dynamite read his own obituary: "The merchant of death is dead". His name was Alfred Nobel, a peace loving man who believed his invention would expose the futility of war. His will established five prizes to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” – the Nobel prizes.

How would it feel to read our own obituary over breakfast? Many English people are uncertain how to celebrate St George’s day as a symbol of national identity. We don’t want the same uncertainty about our own legacy?

Some will celebrate significant personal or professional achievements; for all of us our legacy will hopefully be rich in relationships, prayerfulness, faithfulness, service - and generosity.

Billy Graham said, ‘The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.’

We build up treasure in heaven by the wise use of our wealth here on earth. Or as Paul puts it, “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11)

The Stewardship Legacy account can make leaving a legacy of generosity easier. To find our more and to read our briefing paper Where there's a Will visit our giving legacy page.

Fascinating facts

Shakespeare's legacy quote: Mariana in All's Well that Ends Well, Act 3 scene 5

Half of UK working adults do not have a Will; only 21 per cent of people aged between 21 and 35 have a valid Will.

The typical person who leaves a charitable gift in their Will lives around two years longer than those who don’t.

Just 15% of Wills include a legacy to charity

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