As vestry season unfolds, many parish councils and stewardship committees are taking stock of the year behind them and planning faithfully for what lies ahead. For some, this is the moment when a familiar refrain is heard: “We should really do more about legacy giving.”
It’s an area of stewardship many churches aspire to strengthen but rarely find the right moment, or the right tools, to begin. Resources from secular charities don’t always translate to a faith-based context, and conversations about wills and bequests can feel awkward or out of place in parish life.
“We often hear from parishes that they want to start the conversation about legacy giving, but they’re not sure how,” says Michelle Hauser, development and communications officer for the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC). “That’s exactly why we created the Legacy Talk Parish Toolkit: to make it easier, more natural and more spiritually grounded.”
Rather than focusing on fundraising, Legacy Talk connects legacy giving to gratitude, discipleship and hope for the future of the Church. Each seasonal toolkit aligns with the rhythms of the liturgical year, offering clergy and lay leaders reflections, bulletin inserts, sample messages and practical templates that can be adapted to any parish setting.
The Vestry Season Toolkit provides a parish council checklist. The simple, concrete steps help normalize legacy giving as part of a parish’s ongoing stewardship practice.
“For many churches, the checklist is a great place to start,” says Hauser. “It helps parishes move from ‘we should do something’ to actually feeling confident about making legacy giving part of their spiritual DNA.”
Editions for Lent, Easter–Pentecost, Ordinary Time, All Saints’ and Advent–Christmas offer reflections and resources to build a year-round rhythm of gratitude and generosity.
“Our hope,” says Hauser, “is that 2026 will be the year more church communities feel inspired to take that next faithful step—turning good intentions into lasting impact.”
To explore or download the full Legacy Talk series, visit anglicanfoundation.org/legacytalk.
