Leaving a Legacy Beyond Money: Steps for Instilling Christian Legacy Values
The best time to start leaving a legacy is when you are young, and your children (or “spiritual children”) are still forming their views on faith and values. As Russ Crossan reminds us in his book Your Life Well Spent, “Provide for your children with plenty of personal guidance. Spend time with them.”
A legacy of faith is the most important and enduring legacy you can leave your children and their children.
But what if that season has passed, and you are now wondering how to maximize the remaining time you have with your grown children and grandchildren?
It is important to remember that leaving a legacy involves much more than bequeathing financial assets. Ecclesiastes 5:15 reminds us that neither we nor our heirs can take anything of material value with us upon death. In contrast, Psalm 78:5-8 impresses us to teach the next generation to set their hope in God and keep his commandments–vital scriptural instruction for leaving a God-honoring legacy. A strong heritage of Christian character, church involvement, community roots, family history, and life skills is a far-reaching way to leave a legacy–far beyond financial impact–on future generations.
How do we leave a Christian legacy beyond financial gifting that aligns with our faith in God’s goodness and provision? Two practical steps can help you and your family answer this pivotal question:
With your spouse, write down the top five legacy values you want to pass along to your heirs. Be sure to consider how you spend your time and which values and experiences have had the most significant impact on you, such as your faith, your church involvement, and the people or organizations that have had the most significant impact on your own spiritual formation. By doing so, you may unearth a more profound desire to leave a heritage of scriptural knowledge, servant leadership, biblical generosity, or fervent prayer.
Determine the specific steps you need to take to fulfill these legacy objectives.
In taking these steps, you will likely find that you want to be more intentional about investing in your legacy beyond the financial. You don’t want to be remembered solely as the parent who “left us a lot of money.” You want to be remembered as the parent who loved, cared for, and sought out each of your children with heart-felt intentionality; led them in Christ-exalting worship, modeled authentic Christian faith, and served faithfully alongside them in Christian ministry.
How can we begin enacting these legacy investments now?
Make a plan to host an annual family meeting to discuss these and other shared values and how to preserve them for future generations. Keep the initial meeting light and simple–possibly over a family BBQ–and continue the conversation during a short family trip or vacation. Work toward easing the burden of travel by coordinating schedules for your grown children.
At the family meeting, convey your values and illustrate them through family stories and experiences. Explain why they mean so much to you and why you pray they will be carried on.
Continue to meet annually. Between meetings, invest intentional time in modeling and displaying your legacy goals for your grown children and grandchildren.
a. One family chooses biblically grounded books for their adult children and grandchildren to read and tapes money in the back of the book. When the recipients finish the book, they can use the taped financial gift as they choose.
b. Other families offer their children customized financial stewardship instruction and coaching. Funding a family trip that enables your heirs and their children to experience biblical history or explore generosity-funded projects is a fantastic way to instill Christian legacy values.
Develop deepening relationships with the ministries you support. Invite your grown children and grandchildren to enter into these relationships with you.
As Exodus 20:5-6 teaches, a legacy of faith is the most important and enduring legacy you can leave your children and their children. Invite the Holy Spirit to direct you as you seek to extend your Christ-honoring legacy for generations to come.
Faith & Finance Perspective:
As you consider the inheritance you plan to leave to your loved ones and the causes in which God has invited you to partner, have you thought about the non-financial aspects of the legacy you hope to leave? Consider making a list of how you would like to be remembered based on your citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Include things like cherishing your family, having a meaningful presence in your community, serving in your church, sending and supporting those who are called to establish a gospel presence among the world’s remaining unreached, and other things you hold dear.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. – Psalm 112:1-2
Andrea Cohen, CAP® has served and led ministries in the areas of development and generosity for over ten years and is currently a development consultant. She helped her husband, Matt, plant Citylight (C&MA) Church in Philadelphia where he continues to serve as lead pastor.