Taught & Caught
“My mother made a little box and kept it by the phone. She would write down every single organization she gave to,” shared Laurel Suggs. “She included when, how much, and what for. She was an original Lutherock person in 1997 – a charter member of Ridge Rock Builders.”
Arthur and Laurel Suggs learned generosity from their parents and grandparents. “Generosity is taught” she shared. “And it is caught,” Arthur finished.
As members of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Columbia, SC, it was important to the Suggs to leave a legacy of generosity as others in their family had done. “We met Stephanie Burke, the ELCA Gift Planner by Zoom at the start of Covid,” Laurel shared. “She helped walk us through some creative ways to leave a legacy well, and I am so glad we met with her.”
“St. Paul’s is an engaged community of believers. The church has a long history of being good stewards,” shared Arthur. “We have been ministering on the corner of Bull and Blanding for 125 years. We want to make sure that the work of the saints that came before us can continue. That is one of the reasons we wanted to include St. Paul’s in our charitable estate plan, and why we needed Stephanie to help us.”
“Meeting with the gift planner gave us the education to do it right,” shared Laurel. “She held our hand all the way through the process. She made it a pleasure – something that isn’t easy to do. She helped us look at all our options and make the right decision for us. We all have a legacy. We have a desire to do something positive for future generations to come.”
Laurel and Arthur have shared the process with their children who are both married adults. “Now that the paperwork is in place, we feel like we have accomplished something.”
Through a partnership with the ELCA Foundation and the South Carolina Synod, our Regional Gift Planner is available to help members of our congregations like the Suggs leave a comprehensive charitable estate plan. The Gift Planner is available to help our members navigate all the complicated options and make the best plan for them. Through the generosity of our members, the work of the church will live on for generations to come.