Leaving a Legacy

A lasting gift to your church

For many of us, our church becomes part of the story of our lives.

It may be the place where we have worshipped and prayed, where children have been christened, where marriages have been celebrated, where we have said goodbye to those we love, or simply a place where we have found friendship, community and a sense of God's presence.

After providing for those you love, you might consider remembering Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley in your Will.

A gift in your Will, however large or small, is a wonderful way of giving thanks for God's generosity and helping our churches continue their Christian witness, worship and service for generations to come.

Your gift can make a difference

Regular giving enables the day-to-day life of our parish to continue. A legacy can give us the opportunity to do something more.

Gifts left to the parish could help us develop our ministry with children and young people, care for our church buildings, improve accessibility and facilities, develop new forms of mission and outreach, support music and worship, or respond to needs and opportunities that we cannot yet foresee.

The needs of our churches will change over time. For that reason, we encourage gifts to be left for the general purposes of the parish, allowing the PCC to use them where they can make the greatest difference.

The Church of England similarly recommends general-purpose gifts because a tightly restricted legacy may become difficult to use if circumstances have changed by the time it is received.

Leaving a gift in your Will

There are different ways of remembering the parish in your Will. You might leave a percentage of your estate, a particular sum of money, or another gift.

The Church of England provides suggested wording for gifts to a parish church. The gift should be made to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of the parish.

Suggested wording for a share of your estate:

“I give _____% of my residuary estate OR I give the sum of £_____ (pounds only) to the Parochial Church Council of the ecclesiastical parish of Kildwick, Cononley and Bradley, charity number 1203110, in the Diocese of Leeds for its general purposes, and I declare that the receipt of an officer of the Parochial Church Council shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors and trustees.”

We strongly recommend seeking professional advice from a solicitor when making or changing your Will. This page provides general information rather than legal advice.

Your wishes

You may particularly care about one aspect of our parish life, perhaps children and young people, music, our historic buildings, worship, community outreach or one of our three churches.

You are very welcome to tell us about that.

However, rather than restricting the legal gift itself, the Church of England suggests that a general legacy can be accompanied by a Letter of Wishes explaining the areas of church life that are particularly important to you. This gives the PCC flexibility to respond to circumstances at the time while knowing what you hoped your gift might achieve.

Three simple steps

1. Make a Will and keep it up to date.
Making a Will helps ensure that your wishes are known and that those you love are provided for.

2. Consider leaving a gift to your parish.
After making provision for family and friends, you might choose to leave a percentage of your estate or a fixed amount to Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

3. Speak to us if you would like to.
You don't have to tell us that you have included the parish in your Will. But if you would like to talk confidentially about leaving a legacy, we would be very happy to help.

A gift for generations to come

The churches we have inherited exist because generations before us worshipped in them, cared for them and gave generously to sustain their Christian life.

A gift in your Will is one way of passing that generosity on.

It can help ensure that St Andrew's Kildwick, St John's Cononley and The Bradley Church remain places of worship, welcome and service, sharing the love of Christ with our communities for generations to come.

“LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.”

1 Chronicles 29:16

Find out more

The Church of England has further information about making a Will and leaving a gift to your local church, including its current free Will-writing scheme.

Church of England: Leaving a Legacy

And if you would like to discuss leaving a gift to Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley, please contact Revd Mike or the Parish Treasurer in confidence.

08/09/2026

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome

If you're new to church, new to the area, returning after some time away, or simply wondering whether church might be for you, you are very welcome at Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

You don't need to know what to do, what to say or even what you believe. Just come as you are. Our churches are places where people can worship, ask questions, find friendship and explore faith together.

We are one parish with three churches: St Andrew's Kildwick, St John's Cononley and The Bradley Church. Each is a little different, but wherever you join us, we hope you will find a warm welcome.

Find our Sunday services

What are we about?

At the heart of our life together is Jesus Christ and his call to love God and love our neighbour.

For many years we have expressed our mission in four simple words:

Sharing, Caring, Growing in Christ

In Christ

Everything begins with God's love for us in Jesus Christ. We don't come to church because we have everything sorted out. We come to worship, to pray, to learn and to discover more of what it means to follow Jesus.

Growing

Faith is a journey. None of us has all the answers, and there is always more to discover. Through worship, prayer, the Bible and one another, we seek to grow in faith and in our understanding of God.

Caring

Following Jesus means caring for one another and for the communities around us. We seek to put God's love into practice through friendship, compassion, service and care for our neighbours.

Sharing

The good news of Jesus is something to be shared. We want to share God's hope, love and peace through what we say, but also through how we live and how we serve others.

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This is reflected in our vision for the parish:

Living out our faith, rooted in service; embracing everybody equally.

We want these to be more than words. They describe the kind of Christian community we are seeking to become.

What happens if I come on Sunday?

You don't need to book or let us know that you're coming. Just turn up.

Our services vary across our three churches. Some are traditional celebrations of Holy Communion, while others are more informal. You can find the time and location of this week's services on our Sunday Services page.

When you arrive, there will usually be someone to welcome you and give you anything you need for the service. You are welcome to sit wherever you like.

Don't worry if you aren't familiar with the service or don't know when to stand or sit. Just follow along as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. Nobody will mind if you get something 'wrong'.

See our Sunday services

Do I need to be a Christian?

No.

You might have been a Christian for many years, be returning to church after a long time away, have lots of questions, or simply be curious.

You don't have to have faith sorted out before coming to church. Exploring, questioning and sometimes doubting are all part of the journey.

Whatever your background, faith or spiritual beliefs, you are welcome.

What should I wear?

Whatever you normally wear!

There is no dress code. Some people dress smartly, others come in jeans and trainers. Come in whatever makes you comfortable.

What about children?

Children and families are very welcome at our churches.

We know that children make noise, move around and don't always behave like adults, and that's absolutely fine. Please don't worry about having to keep them perfectly quiet.

We also have activities especially for children and families throughout the year.

Find out about Children & Families

Will I be expected to give money?

No.

There may be an opportunity to give during or after a service, but visitors should never feel under any pressure to contribute. Please simply be our guest.

Can I receive Communion?

If you normally receive Holy Communion in your own church, you are welcome to receive with us.

If you would prefer not to receive Communion, you are still very welcome to come forward for a blessing, or simply remain in your seat. There is no pressure either way.

Accessibility

Accessibility varies between our three historic church buildings. You can find specific access information on each church's page, or please contact us if we can help you plan your visit.

Getting involved

Coming to a Sunday service is only one way to be part of our parish.

Throughout the week there are opportunities to meet people, pray, learn, sing, serve our communities and simply spend time together. Have a look at our What's On pages to see what might interest you.

You can also sign up for our weekly email newsletter to find out what's happening across Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

See What's On
Get our Weekly Newsletter

Still have questions?

Please get in touch. It doesn't matter whether your question is about a service, accessibility, children, faith, or simply which of our churches might be right for you.

We would be very happy to help.

Contact Us

A word from Mike

Mike-solo-300x222

I'm Mike Green, the Vicar of Kildwick, Cononley & Bradley.

Finding your way into a church for the first time can sometimes feel daunting, particularly if you're not sure what to expect. I hope you'll discover that you don't need to know the right words, understand everything we do, or have all the answers before you come.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are on your journey of faith, there is a place for you here.

I hope we'll have the opportunity to welcome you in person soon.

Best wishes,
Revd Mike