Planned Giving

Dear Christ Church Family,                                                                             Bicentennial 2024-2025

This program year we are particularly thankful for the gift that Christ Church is to us and so many others as we celebrate our history and look ahead to a strong and vibrant future of honoring and serving the Lord together in our worship and in our ministry.

As part of our work during the pandemic to plan for the future of Christ Church, we developed a planned giving ministry named “The 1825 Society,” in recognition that we stand on the shoulders of those who made the commitment to start this congregation in 1825. Planned Giving is an opportunity for ministry even after we are no longer on this earth, giving us the opportunity to be intentional about our giving choices after we die. The 1825 Society offers a simple, sustainable model for the ministry of planned giving at Christ Church that builds an enduring legacy for future generations of the Church. It is an easy process, and offers everyone the opportunity to participate by naming Christ Church as a beneficiary in their estate plans. No minimum gift size will be required and we recommend that bequests be designated for one of the following separate restricted categories:

• The General Endowment
• Capital Improvements in Buildings and Grounds
• Christian Education
• Music
• Youth
• Outreach

These classifications provide important support for the breadth of the current ministries of Christ Church. To create an additional category would require a minimum funding of $50,000 to cover the expense of managing an additional restricted category.

Individual and bequest giving is 94% of all giving in the US and is an opportunity also available to those of more modest means. In this packet you will find a document with possible ways to make a planned gift.

If you would like more information about this ministry, or if you have already included a bequest to Christ Church in your estate plans and would like to be added to the 1825 Society, please email Laurel Eady at  finance@christchurchmacon.com or call her at (478) 745-0427.  She will arrange for a member of the ministry team to talk with you further. Of course, we always recommend that you first consult with your own financial advisor about the best way to include a donation to Christ Church. Those who join The 1825 Society before our 200^th anniversary on March 5, 2025 will be considered “Founding Members”. We will be hosting a number of small group gatherings beginning this fall for interested parishioners to learn more about this opportunity and how the endowments support the ministries of our beloved church for future generations.

In Christ,

The Rev. Cynthia Knapp and members of the Planned Giving Ministry