For many years, a reclining chair sat in a meeting room at Shepherd of the Valley. It had been a favoritechair of Mildred Twedt, former parish worker of the congregation, and had been given to the church at the time of her death. Mildred’s chair when empty, could be seen as a sign of her absence. She was no longer here to faithfully greet, welcome, and serve the congregation and the community. But an empty chair is also a sign of invitation. Who will now fill that chair?

The gifts that are left to the congregation as part of legacy and estate planning are ways to ‘fill the chair’ of ministry at Shepherd of the Valley. Our legacies and planned gifts are reminders to those who come after us of the things we have valued and which we hope will endure. Of course, the true power of the church’s witness is always in the work of the Holy Spirit to bring about faith. But providing the financial means by which the congregation’s witness can be strengthened is an important part of stewardship planning for those who have been life-long stewards of the blessings God has given.