Everyone can leave a legacy. Legacy Sunday is a time set aside by congregations to celebrate gifts people have given to the church, Canada and the world—gifts that can support mission and ministry for generations to come.

The following materials can be tailored to help your congregation celebrate Legacy Sunday, in your own context, on the third Sunday in November or any other Sunday in the year. Use the complete worship service text, sermon, children’s story and digital components to create and customize your own service. Feel free to share the videos on social media or on your congregation’s website.

Legacy Sunday Service: Not Mine, But Ours! (Bonnie Marden)

Legacy Sunday Worship Service

Worship Service

The worship service text includes prayers, hymns, scripture selections, a sermon and a children’s story. Feel free to adapt it as you wish.
View | Download: PDF , Word .

Legacy Sunday sermon

Video: Sermon

Bonnie Marden, leadership consultant and financial stewardship practitioner, shares a sermon based on Luke 12:16-21, and talks about the impact of shifting the understanding of the stewardship of life’s blessings from mine to ours. Show this video during worship or use the sermon text from the worship service with some of the slides below to customize your own sermon.

View | Download (300MB)

Legacy Sunday Sermon Slides

PowerPoint Slides for Sermon

Use these slides to illustrate the sermon in the worship service if you are not using the sermon video.

Download ZIP (13MB) | Download PPT (13MB)

Legacy Sunday Service: Stepping Forward in Faith (Rev. Lara Scholey)

Legacy Sunday Worship Service

Worship Service

The worship service text includes prayers, hymns, scripture selections, a sermon and a children’s story. Feel free to adapt it as you wish.
View | Download: PDF , Word .

Legacy Sunday sermon

Video: Sermon

The Rev. Lara Scholey (St. Columba by-the-Lake Presbyterian Church, Pointe-Claire, Que) shares a sermon based on Philippians 3:4b–14. Show this video during worship or use the sermon text from the worship service with some of the components below to customize your own sermon.

View | Download (133MB)

Legacy Sunday Children's Story

Video: Children’s Story – Simon’s Apple Tree (with discussion)

Charming and colourful cut-outs bring to life the story of Simon and his apple tree to explore how we can share God’s love through our gifts. The story is written and animated by Heather Chappell. In this version of the video, Jim MacDonald discusses how the story connects to legacy, and concludes with a prayer.

View | Download (54MB)

Legacy Sunday Children's Story

Video: Children’s Story – Simon’s Apple Tree (the story on its own)

This version of the video includes only the animated story, so that you can personalize the children’s story time with your own discussion. The story can also be used on any Sunday to talk about generosity, sharing or family.

View | Download (19MB)

Legacy Sunday Sermon Slides

PowerPoint Slides for Sermon

Use these slides to illustrate the sermon in the worship service if you are not using the sermon video.

View | Download (61MB)

Legacy Sunday Service: Memory and Hope (Rev. Joan Masterton)

Legacy Sunday Worship Service

Worship Service

Past, present and future; memory and hope; time. Being intentional about leaving a legacy helps us to make the kinds of gifts we really want to give, and to honour the relationships we cherish: with God and with our congregation. The worship service text includes prayers, hymns, scripture selections, a sermon and a children’s story. Feel free to adapt it as you wish.
View | Download: PDF , Word .

Legacy Sunday Service: Shine Your Light (by Lori Guenther Reesor and Karen Plater, with inspiration from the Rev. Herb Gale)

Legacy Sunday Worship Service

Worship Resource

Stars are a common metaphor in the Bible. They are incredibly far way and starlight takes years and years and years to travel and be seen by us. So, when we look up at the expanse of stars, what we’re really seeing is light that started its journey years hundreds of years earlier. Jesus taught his disciples again and again, with his words and actions, how to be that light: by sharing the word of God and living out their faith through acts of love and grace. Jesus reminded his followers not to hide their light under a basket, but to let their light shine. As God’s children, we too can share that light, and as we do, we may shine like the stars, for generations to come.

The worship service text includes prayers, hymns, scripture selections, a sermon and a children’s story. Feel free to adapt it as you wish. Download: PDF , Word .

Other Resources

Legacy Sunday Bulletin Insert

Bulletin Insert: What Will Your Legacy Be?

Order or print this insert to share with your congregation on Legacy Sunday.

Planned Giving Resources

Find videos, inserts, guides, workbooks and more at Planned Giving Resources.

Orders can be placed using the online order form, or you can call 1-800-619-7301 ext. 331 or send an email.