Legacy Month @ JW
For generations, faithful people have made possible the ministry we experience today at John Wesley Methodist Church. They gave, served, prayed, built, and sacrificed because they believed the ministry of the church should continue long after their own season of leadership was complete.
This September, as we ask, “What Legacy Will You Leave?” during our sermon series, “After You.” We invite you to consider becoming part of the Willing Friends Society—a group of people who have chosen to include John Wesley Methodist Church in their estate plans.
A legacy gift is one way of saying: I want my commitment to God’s Kingdom to continue beyond my lifetime. Through a simple provision in your will, trust, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other estate plan, you can help ensure that future generations continue to Connect to Jesus, Grow in their faith, and Activate that faith in the world.
Each of us has a story at John Wesley.
Perhaps this is where you worshiped with your family, watched your children grow in faith, found friends who walked with you through difficult seasons, served people in need, discovered a deeper relationship with Christ, or experienced a community that became part of your life. A legacy gift allows your story of faithfulness to become part of someone else’s story.
What Is the Willing Friends Society?
The Willing Friends Society recognizes individuals and families who have chosen to remember John Wesley Methodist Church through their estate plans.
That might include a gift through:
• A will or trust
• A retirement account or IRA beneficiary designation
• A life insurance policy
• The JWMC Endowment
• Another planned or estate gift
By letting us know about your plans, John Wesley has the opportunity to thank you during your lifetime and celebrate the legacy of faith you are creating.
Leaving JWMC In Your Estate Tells The World
The ministry God has entrusted to us today is worth passing on to the generations who come after us.
Your legacy can help future generations:
✓ Connect people to Jesus and experience the transforming grace of Christ
✓ Grow disciples through worship, Bible study, small groups, children, students, and
adult ministries
✓ Activate followers of Jesus to serve our community and world
✓ Strengthen the long-term ministry of JWMC so that the church remains vibrant and
faithful for generations to come
A legacy gift isn’t simply about sustaining an organization. It is an investment in Kingdom work that can continue long after our own lifetime.
Why September Is a Good Time to Begin
September is Legacy Month at John Wesley, and throughout the month we are encouraging our church family to think about an important part of Christian stewardship that we do not talk about very often: What happens to the resources God has entrusted to us when our lifetime is complete?
Creating or reviewing an estate plan is an important way to care for the people we love and clearly communicate our wishes. It can also be an opportunity to prayerfully consider the ministries and Kingdom work that have mattered to us throughout our lives.
For many people, an estate gift may become one of the most significant acts of generosity they will ever make because it comes from resources accumulated over a lifetime.
A lifetime of faithfulness can become a legacy of ministry.
It could help disciple a child who hasn’t been born yet.
It could help a future student discover Christ.
It could strengthen worship and ministry for another generation.
It could help send future disciples into Houston and around the world to serve in Jesus’ name.
It could help ensure that decades from now, John Wesley is still connecting people to Jesus.
Planning for the End of Life—With Faith and Hope
Christians believe that death is real—but death is not the end. Our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and God’s promise of eternal life. Because of that hope, the church should be one of the safest places to talk openly about the end of this life and to prepare faithfully for it.
On September 25, Pastor Trish will lead a Legacy Seminar (Register Here). She will help you think about and take away a set of resources designed to help you think through your wishes for a future funeral or memorial service.
Planning ahead gives you an opportunity to speak into how your faith and life will be remembered. It also provides an incredible gift to your family. During a season of grief, your loved ones won’t have to wonder what you would have wanted or make every decision on their own.
Your Legacy Starts Today
Legacy is bigger than what we leave behind.
Legacy is what continues because we were here.
If John Wesley has been an important part of your faith story, we invite you to prayerfully consider whether the ministry of this church might also become part of your legacy.
If you have already included John Wesley Methodist Church in your estate plans, please let us know. We would be honored to thank you and welcome you into the Willing Friends Society.
And if you haven’t yet made those plans, Legacy September is simply an invitation to begin the conversation.
What legacy will you leave?
This September, as we ask, “What Legacy Will You Leave?” during our sermon series, “After You.” We invite you to consider becoming part of the Willing Friends Society—a group of people who have chosen to include John Wesley Methodist Church in their estate plans.
A legacy gift is one way of saying: I want my commitment to God’s Kingdom to continue beyond my lifetime. Through a simple provision in your will, trust, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other estate plan, you can help ensure that future generations continue to Connect to Jesus, Grow in their faith, and Activate that faith in the world.
Each of us has a story at John Wesley.
Perhaps this is where you worshiped with your family, watched your children grow in faith, found friends who walked with you through difficult seasons, served people in need, discovered a deeper relationship with Christ, or experienced a community that became part of your life. A legacy gift allows your story of faithfulness to become part of someone else’s story.
What Is the Willing Friends Society?
The Willing Friends Society recognizes individuals and families who have chosen to remember John Wesley Methodist Church through their estate plans.
That might include a gift through:
• A will or trust
• A retirement account or IRA beneficiary designation
• A life insurance policy
• The JWMC Endowment
• Another planned or estate gift
By letting us know about your plans, John Wesley has the opportunity to thank you during your lifetime and celebrate the legacy of faith you are creating.
Leaving JWMC In Your Estate Tells The World
The ministry God has entrusted to us today is worth passing on to the generations who come after us.
Your legacy can help future generations:
✓ Connect people to Jesus and experience the transforming grace of Christ
✓ Grow disciples through worship, Bible study, small groups, children, students, and
adult ministries
✓ Activate followers of Jesus to serve our community and world
✓ Strengthen the long-term ministry of JWMC so that the church remains vibrant and
faithful for generations to come
A legacy gift isn’t simply about sustaining an organization. It is an investment in Kingdom work that can continue long after our own lifetime.
Why September Is a Good Time to Begin
September is Legacy Month at John Wesley, and throughout the month we are encouraging our church family to think about an important part of Christian stewardship that we do not talk about very often: What happens to the resources God has entrusted to us when our lifetime is complete?
Creating or reviewing an estate plan is an important way to care for the people we love and clearly communicate our wishes. It can also be an opportunity to prayerfully consider the ministries and Kingdom work that have mattered to us throughout our lives.
For many people, an estate gift may become one of the most significant acts of generosity they will ever make because it comes from resources accumulated over a lifetime.
A lifetime of faithfulness can become a legacy of ministry.
It could help disciple a child who hasn’t been born yet.
It could help a future student discover Christ.
It could strengthen worship and ministry for another generation.
It could help send future disciples into Houston and around the world to serve in Jesus’ name.
It could help ensure that decades from now, John Wesley is still connecting people to Jesus.
Planning for the End of Life—With Faith and Hope
Christians believe that death is real—but death is not the end. Our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and God’s promise of eternal life. Because of that hope, the church should be one of the safest places to talk openly about the end of this life and to prepare faithfully for it.
On September 25, Pastor Trish will lead a Legacy Seminar (Register Here). She will help you think about and take away a set of resources designed to help you think through your wishes for a future funeral or memorial service.
Planning ahead gives you an opportunity to speak into how your faith and life will be remembered. It also provides an incredible gift to your family. During a season of grief, your loved ones won’t have to wonder what you would have wanted or make every decision on their own.
Your Legacy Starts Today
Legacy is bigger than what we leave behind.
Legacy is what continues because we were here.
If John Wesley has been an important part of your faith story, we invite you to prayerfully consider whether the ministry of this church might also become part of your legacy.
If you have already included John Wesley Methodist Church in your estate plans, please let us know. We would be honored to thank you and welcome you into the Willing Friends Society.
And if you haven’t yet made those plans, Legacy September is simply an invitation to begin the conversation.
What legacy will you leave?