1. Pray
Pray before, during and after you prepare your Will.
2. Think
Think about what makes up your estate and how you would want to divide it.
3. Consider
Consider who you wish to include in your Will and provide for. What, if any, special consideration do you need to make (e.g. guardianship arrangements for children)? What organisations and causes are close to your heart that would benefit from a final gift?
4. Prioritise
Prioritize how your estate is to be allocated to your beneficiaries. Once your loved ones are provided for, you may wish to leave the rest of your estate or a portion of it to support organisations that reflect your values, such as NZCMS.
5. Plan
Plan your Will by deciding which types of gifts are appropriate for each beneficiary. (e.g. residual, percentage or specific gift).
8. Secure
Secure your Will by storing it in a safe place. Make sure family and your Executor/s know where to locate it and give a copy to your Executor/s as well. As personal circumstances change, it is important to review and update your Will regularly to make sure it still accurately reflects your wishes.
How will my gift be used?
Your gift will be used to:
- Send and support Mission Partners globally who serve at the invitation and in partnership with the local church
- Inspire, educate and resource NZ churches for mission and spreading the Gospel locally
- Disciple young people
- Engage with our bi-cultural whakapapa
- Equip the Church for intercultural mission in our local neighbourhoods
Send and support Mission Partners globally (particularly with unforeseen and unbudgeted needs) Strategic mission initiatives in New Zealand or overseas. In recent years, the NZCMS Board has used bequest funding to seed into new initiative such as Māori Evangelists and the Better World gap year.
We understand that you may wish to direct your gift to a particular purpose. However, most people leave an unrestricted gift. Our Mission Partners and areas of work sometimes change so this allows NZCMS to use your gift where it is most needed. This also means that, as our work evolves to serve mission globally or locally, your gift can evolve with it.
How do I include a gift in my Will?
You can include your gift when you update your Will or create one for the first time. We recommend you seek legal advice when drafting, updating or amending your Will to include a gift to NZCMS.
Contact us for more information at office@nzcms.org.nz or phone 03 377 2222.
What are my giving options?
There are three main ways of including a gift in your Will. We recommend seeking legal advice to ensure your Will is valid and clearly sets out how your estate is to be distributed according to your wishes and circumstances:
- Residual – remainder of your estate after taking care of your loved ones
- Percentage – a percentage of the value of your estate
- Pecuniary or specific – a specific sum of money, property or items
Can I support a specific project with my gift?
The biggest impact you can make is by giving an unrestricted gift to “Where most needed”. This allows NZCMS to fill the most critical gaps across our projects so that the work continues for all those that need it. However, feel free to contact us to discuss any specific wishes you may have.
Do I need to tell you that I’ve included NZCMS in my Will?
While an unexpected gift is most welcome, we’d love to hear from you so we can personally thank you, keep you up-to-date on how your gift will make a difference, inform you of the impact gifts in Wills are making now and share our plans for the future. However, if you wish to remain anonymous, this will be honoured.

