May 3, 2020
Photo caption/credit: Rev. Dr. Sam Miglarese (provided)
Faith has always played an important role in the Rev. Dr. Sam Miglarese’s life. He spent most of his life as a Catholic priest, but decided to become Presbyterian and became a teaching elder at First Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.
The church was warm and welcoming, valuing community involvement and commitment to Christ. Making the church a priority in his family’s estate plan seemed natural. “I’ve always asked the question at various levels of my ministry: What prompts a generous spirit?” Sam said. “For those of us who are convinced of our faith in Christ Jesus as our Lord, there is this awareness of an overwhelming sense of grace that leaves us grateful, indebted and wanting to respond. And one of the many responses we can make is this: to contribute to God’s good future through planned giving.”
Beyond leaving a gift to the church in their estate plan, Sam and his wife, Sheila, have become advocates in the church for creating a legacy society that calls other committed members to remember the church in their plans. The legacy society has prompted many church members to commit to supporting First Presbyterian beyond their lifetime. “I don’t think people realize the many options they have to support their church into the future,” Sam said. “We need to step up, realize the significance of planning and encourage folks to include a gift for the church in their estate so that we can be part of a future that we know not but is in God’s good hands.”
The Presbyterian Foundation is able to assist congregations and church members who are ready to think about how to share all that God has given to us. Your Ministry Relations Officer can help. You can find yours at presbyterianfoundation.org/mro.
Robyn Davis Sekula, Vice President of Communications and Marketing at the Presbyterian Foundation, Ruling Elder in the PC(USA), and Member of Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville
Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, May 3, 2020, the Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)
First Reading Acts 2:42-47
Psalm 23:1-6
Second Reading 1 Peter 2:19-25
Gospel John 10:1-10
Today’s Focus: Legacy Sunday (Wills Emphasis)
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Devan Caton, Presbyterian Foundation
Stephanie Caudill, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, every blessing that we have is from you. Teach us to be cheerful givers and to give from a full heart that serves and uses your gifts in ways that will bless others. Help us to plan boldly and confidently for the future of your Church. Amen.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.