Part of a becoming a “good and faithful steward” is to create a good plan for your estate. A legacy of love and care for your family, friends and others is important and can be another wonderful chapter in the book of your life! A good estate plan will be appreciated by your immediate family. Little or no estate planning may unexpectedly leave your family and relatives a burden instead of a bit of peace and protection.

At a Legacy Giving and Estate Planing Seminar held at Soapstone UMC on February 26, 2018, much useful information was shared on stewardship, estate planning and planning a memorial service. Here are resources that you might find helpful in creating an estate plan with your family, financial planner, CPA or lawyer:

From Tom McCuiston, Managing Partner McCuiston Law Offices, PLLC: “Basics of Estate Planning – Wills, Beneficiaries, Trusts, Power of Attorney” McCuiston Law Offices estate planning.

From Laura Stern, former Pastor at Soapstone UMC: “Planning a Memorial Service – Funeral Planning, Basic Structure of UMC Service, FAQs, Possible Scriptures, Gospel Readings, Hymns” Click here for document.

Another resource for guiding one through the basics of estate planning is from the United Methodist Foundation: “Planning Your Legacy – A Christian Guide to Planning Your Will and Trust” Click here for document.

Another resource for preparing an estate plan was offered at the seminar by a member of our congregation who has used this resource often. Part our member’s testimony is that she now insists that each of her relatives completes this guide document. Having once been an executor of an estate without a lot of planning, the result was an unintentional heavy burden placed upon the family. Click here for document.