Will Will Thy Will be done

A gift in your Will can make more Mission Possible

Making a Will provides a rare opportunity to review your life and to look at your most cherished relationships. Deciding who will benefit from your Will is deeply personal and can be enormously satisfying.

Bequests are critical to the work of the Church: educating, transforming unjust social structures, safeguarding our vital community support, looking after the next generation, and helping to continue our faith and mission. Bequests are a practical way in which people can have a lasting impact.

Types of bequests

 Specific bequest: This relates to the specific type of gift. For example, a set amount of money, property, or shares. These can be left to family, relatives and others, or to your chosen charities.

 Residual bequest: Once specific bequests have been distributed, everything that is left in your estate is called the ‘residue.’ A residual bequest will ensure the remainder of your estate (‘the residue’) is distributed to family, relatives or your chosen charity.

How your bequest can help

The work of the Church takes many forms and constantly evolves. A bequest for the Church’s general purposes can be put to the most pressing need at a particular time. Some bequests support one local congregation helping with maintenance of church buildings and other ongoing costs. Other bequests assist the Church’s mission work in social justice, aged care, children’s services, crisis support, counselling, refugee work, social housing and disability services.

Your bequest might be a much-needed building project, sponsorship for a minister of the word, funds for distribution by our rural chaplains in times of need or disaster, hospital and prison chaplaincy, training and education to equip people of faith.

How to make a bequest

We recommend you contact a solicitor when preparing a Will. They will help ensure the appropriate wording is included in your Will. Synod Trusts would be pleased to talk with you or your solicitor regarding suggestions, correct names of Church groups, or specific wording.

 If your bequest is up to $200,000, we recommend a bequest for the general purposes of the Church.

 If your bequest is more than $200,000, or involves property, then a trust in your name or for a specific purpose is a great idea. You can tailor the purposes to where your trust is allocated.

Contact our Trust Office for further advice or to discuss options on (03) 9116 1400