Major Brenda Stace

    The Salvation Army, Broken Hill Corps currently underwent the new Planned Giving Program. At the outset, some of the Corps leadership were sceptical due to past experiences where the program proved to be a lot of work for the Corps Officer and Local Leadership, as well as being an expensive exercise to undertake. 

    My own attitude was also somewhat negative about the Planned Giving Program, although I do believe planned giving to be helpful and necessary to the Christian life. However, I also believed that I could not criticise something I had not experienced, and so the as the Corps Officer I encouraged the Corps Leadership Team to accept the new Planned Giving Program and give it a try. They agreed. 

    One of the most positive aspects to come out of the Planned Giving Program is that the Director, Major Vicki Clarke, allowed us to tailor-make the program to suit the Corps’ needs. For example, the Leadership team were adamant that there should not be a $ amount required on the pledge cards. This desire was honoured by the Planned Giving Department, and had a positive influence on those involved at the Corps level. 

    As a Corps Officer, I appreciated the volume of work carried out by the PG Director herself, freeing me up to maintain my schedule during the 3-week program. For example, this was a blessing in disguise considering the emotional struggle the whole city faced as we buried a young mother who had died suddenly after delivering twin boys. Major Clarke’s input allowed me to focus on the family’s needs as I conducted the funeral and ministered to the community. 

    The outcome has been that the Leadership team now have a much more positive attitude towards the Territorial Planned Giving Program, as I do myself. The giving in the Corps has been steadily increasing as I preached on generosity once a month in the 6-month lead-up to the Corps PG Program, and has continued to increase as the program was implemented. 

    God bless Brian Kluth for his teaching and obedience. God bless THQ for taking the risk of using Brian Kluth’s material in developing a new Planned Giving Program. 

    Well Done!