It's any gift you decide on now that takes effect later, through your will, a beneficiary form, a trust, or another tool. No extra wealth required. It's simply a way of saying, ahead of time, what matters to you and who you want to care for.

Because it's not really a financial question first, it's a faith question. What you do with what you've been given says something about what you believe. We'd rather walk with you through that than leave you to figure it out alone.

Everything you have was entrusted to you, not earned in isolation. A will or a trust is just a tool. What you put in it, who you provide for, what you give away, is where stewardship actually shows up.

Yes, and maybe more than you'd think. If you have kids, a will is how you name who raises them if something happens to you. Without one, a court decides. That's reason enough to start, even before you have significant assets.

Look for someone who shares your values and already loves your children well. Talk with them honestly before you name them. Name a backup too, since life doesn't always cooperate with a first choice.

Need more? Check out this full article.

Time and skill count. So do small, consistent gifts. Some of the most meaningful giving starts as a $10 monthly commitment or a Saturday spent showing up, long before it becomes a line in a will.

See more ways to give.

Usually, yes. Giving tends to start small and local, grow more intentional through midlife, and turn toward legacy in later years. There's no wrong stage to start, only the stage you're in right now.

Find your stage.

Think of it as a charitable savings account. You contribute now, get the tax deduction now, and recommend gifts to causes over time, on your own schedule.

Read more about DAFs.

Several, depending on how you give: income tax deductions, avoiding capital gains on appreciated stock or property, and reduced estate taxes on charitable bequests. If you're 70½ or older, you can also give directly from your IRA and have it count toward your required distribution. Worth a conversation with your tax advisor to see what fits your situation.

See the full tax breakdown.

The essentials: naming an executor, naming guardians if you have minor children, and spelling out who gets what. Most people work with an attorney to make sure it holds up under Minnesota law, then revisit it every few years or after a major life change.

Read the full will-planning checklist.

Ready to go? Check out FreeWill.com to get started. (sponsored by the UCC)

More than you'd guess: bequests, charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, beneficiary designations, gifts of stock or real estate. Every option lets you support the people you love and the causes you care about at the same time. It's not either/or.

See the full list of giving options.

A will handles your assets. A legacy letter handles everything else, your values, your stories, what you hope for the people you love. It's not legally binding. It's just honest, and often it's the part people remember most.

Start smaller than you think you need to. Write down one story, one lesson, one thing you want your kids to know was true about you. The rest tends to follow once you've started.

Get the step-by-step guide and sample letter.

It's how ministries outlast a single budget year. Gifts like this have funded everything from youth programs to building upkeep to global missions, work that a single Sunday offering couldn't carry on its own.

See where planned gifts go.

More than a few places. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). "Honor the Lord with your wealth" (Proverbs 3:9). "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace" (1 Peter 4:10). Giving well isn't a new idea. It's a very old one.