Legacies\ Will For Free

How you can make a lasting difference to the work of our Church?

A Message from the Vicar

In this world, everything seems to be changing around us at a bewildering speed, and yet amongst the chaos is the one, dependable, unchanging fact of God’s love for each one of us and for this beautiful planet on which we live.

Sadly, many people don’t recognise the underlying power of God, nor do they respond in gratitude to God’s loving call. This is why we see so much inequality, selfishness and suffering amidst the beauty and the joy.

As we find new ways in each passing age to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, we need the resources to make sure that everything we do gives honour to God, is of the highest possible standard, and tells of the goodness of God.

We have recently renewed our Parish Church, gaining a facility with unrivalled flexibility, accessibility and beauty. We are beginning to discover that this has opened up completely new ways of sharing the gospel, as well as providing a long term home for the best of our Anglican traditions.

To keep living the mission of Jesus in the parish of Lymington, we need people’s time and money. A legacy in your will would be a way to continue your generosity and to help ensure the future of our living, growing Church.

Thank you for your support.

Lasting gifts to our church

A substantial legacy left to St.Thomas’ church funded part of the reordering; the church now is much brighter and more comfortable, with efficient heating and lighting and flexible seating and staging. This means it is used much more by the community for events and for a range of both traditional and more modern services.

We should love to continue to develop and expand our ministry and of course meet the costs of maintenance for our historic buildings. A future legacy could help us do this.

3 steps…

Three steps that we encourage every adult member of our churches to take:

1. Make a will and review it regularly.*
2. Consider leaving a residuary gift in your will to our parish.*
3. Get a free information pack by phoning 08445 870875 from the Church’s Legacy & Wills Information Line about making a Will and making a difference to the work of the wider Church.

* Visit www.churchlegacy.org.uk for help with both of these steps

Your Will Matters

Thinking about life after death should not be difficult for Christians! Make sure you are prepared practically as well as spiritually. Whatever your age, write a will and keep it up to date.

Without a will, your loved ones could face a lot of trouble, work and expense after your death. Without a will, a court could decide how to distribute your goods and who should look after your children.

Many Christians give regularly and proportionately from their income. Why not give proportionately from your estate too?
A gift in your will helps our church to live out our dreams and mission in this community.

It’s a way to thank God for all the gifts of our lifetime, and to hand on undimmed the legacy we’ve received from past Christians (our building, our faith) to future generations.

Leaving a gift in your will is tax efficient and can reduce the amount of inheritance tax you pay.

The Parish Legacy Policy

We welcome all legacies, however large or small, and we promise to use your gift to make a difference in our parish.

The policy of the PCC is to use legacies to help fund significant development projects in the parish, whether buildings, equipment or staff.
Since circumstances change over the years, church members are encouraged to leave gifts in their wills for the general purposes of the parish. The PCC will therefore discuss with executors the most appropriate use of the gift in the light of current projects and the donor’s known areas of interest in the church (e.g. children and youth, music, buildings).

Suggested wording to leave a gift in your will:
’’I give__% of my residuary estate free of all taxes to the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of St.Thomas’ and All Saints, Lymington, registered charity number 1128119, in the diocese of Winchester for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors and trustees.”

We strongly advise you to see an independent solicitor when writing or amending your will. We have an agreement with neighbouring solicitors Scott Bailey whereby you can have a basic will prepared at the expense of the church. To take advantage of this please contact Scott Bailey directly on 01590 676933 and mention the St.Thomas’ Church Will for Free scheme.