My wife and I have had two babies. All that we thought about for months and even years was having enough diapers on hand and getting enough sleep. Seems like we constantly ran out of both. New parents are usually overwhelmed with all the needs and their desire to do everything correctly.
There is one thing that very few new parents ever think of: getting a new will. When you have a baby, your legal status changes because you are now guardians of another human. You have assets to distribute in the event of your death and you need to find someone to care for your child(ren) in the event both parents die before the kids turn 18. There’s a LOT to think about legally when you have a baby but this occurs to almost no one.
What if members of the church who are attorneys met with the couple and drafted a very simple will. I know that some wills can be done online but I can assure you that there is nothing like talking to a person to craft your will, especially for new parents. Having a “Wills Ministry” can provide an opportunity for church members to help (and get to know) other members of the church. If the couple has a more complicated legal status, the lawyer can help them negotiate that in a paid-for will.
Doing this for new parents tells the parents that the church is concerned about them and their new addition. It also communicates to attorneys that there are ways for them to be of professional service even in their own church.
Lead On!
Our first wills were done by a married couple who were both law professors and felt that it was a ministry they could do to help those who couldn’t afford to have a will done. It was something we would have put off if they hadn’t done that—-later we were able to go to a lawyer on our own and make changes, but at least we had a basic will in place early on in our parenting years.