So you think you want to have a stewardship campaign at your church? You've been talking about all those projects that need to be addressed for some time... the outdated kitchen, the entrance that doesn't say welcome to folks, untold maintenance issues... and the list goes on and on.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
The church leadership should:
- Make a list of all the things you think you would like to accomplish.
- Get a ballpark estimate of the cost of each.
- Share the information with the congregation and ask for their ideas.
- Make no specific campaign goals or plans yet.
Then, you should contact Church Campaign Services (CCS) and have a discussion about the services we can provide. The most important part of any campaign is the necessary preparation to see that it is successful in its efforts. Your consultant will come to visit your church and interview a number of members to actually find out what they're interested in and how they might support the venture. There's a saying, "It's easy to give away someone else's money." Believe me, church leadership often is way off target on how much, and who, will support their efforts. So, we can help with our readiness and feasibility study to determine the level of support for the projects and help establish a reasonable goal that can be raised.
Once that has been done and the report given back to the Session, the church leadership needs to select a campaign chair(s) to lead the effort. The campaign leadership must reflect influence and affluence. The influence helps secure the right people to serve on the campaign committee, while the affluence of leadership sends a message of just how important this campaign is.
Your consultant will help identify those who may have the ability to make a significant leadership gift and train those who will be a part of the process. The consultant will be with you during the entire campaign process and can provide much support from the experiences they have seen with the many churches CCS has helped.
Raising money is hard work, which requires planning and prayer. Once you have completed the steps outlined here, then...
Get ready, get set, and go forward.
By Fred Pyle, Church Campaign Services consultant
