Remember, if you truly walk by faith and not by sight, money should NOT be the ultimate goal of a church’s capital campaign. In part one and two of this series we discussed how church leadership should not be short-sighted and only consider monetary needs when entering into such an important season for their church. The deeper question to ponder is “What can be gained from planning your next campaign well?”
Part one centered on the teaching and learning opportunities a church capital campaign presents. Part two explored how a church capital campaign allows you to engage with a broader and larger audience. Today, we conclude our Healthy Vs. Wealthy series. In part three, we will look at how a church capital campaign allows you to tell and invite others into the story of your church and its people.
#6 Tell the story of your church!
It is not about the building history, but rather it is celebrating the collective ministry that has taken place within and outside the walls of your church. Celebrate and talk about the generations of ministry stories that exist because of your people’s generosity to this sacred place. Do not lose sight of the lives changed as you walk through this important season of remembrance and vision casting. The story of your church and its impact is one of the utmost messages you must effectively communicate.
#7 Share the testimonies of your people.
Allow your people to authentically share the changes brought to their own lives through the ministry of the church. Encourage and welcome people to share their personal journey with faithful stewardship and generosity. Focus each story around gratitude and how God transformed them, allowing them to be a blessing to someone else. Giving testimonies are the most motivational of all communication tools and should be the centerpiece of your message throughout a church capital campaign.
#8 Communicate this as an opportunity to invest in the Kingdom.
The fruit of faithful stewardship often opens the eyes of the giver to see themselves as taking part in God’s work. By developing a good communication strategy you can challenge your people to understand and live out their obedience by investing in the Kingdom through their tithes and offerings. Communicate that this investment is eternal and has the highest return, even if is not monetarily clear.
#9 Get a much needed win.
This is one of my favorites, so I saved it for the end. Churches often put too much pressure on themselves in a campaign. If you set the goals too extreme, you set yourself up for a stressful road. Set goals too low and you may not be able to challenge your congregation and possibly not be able to achieve your vision. Don’t set just one financial goal. Celebrate incremental successes. Set incremental financial goals AND additional non-monetary goals such as ones we have discussed. Churches do not celebrate their successes enough. Get a win and keep in mind you don’t have to be perfect. Better yet, celebrate each and every win along your journey.
#10 Consider the big picture on how a church capital campaign has the potential to impact multiple areas of your church.
Too often we come across churches that treat a capital campaign as a “one and done” program. Remember, the impact of this two to three year program has long-term health benefits for the church. One must view a church capital campaign as not having a short shelf life. Rather consider the big picture and how it can be a starting line or launching pad for creating an ongoing generosity plan educating your people in faithful stewardship. Church leaders cannot afford to overlook the need for a sustainable funding education strategy in regards to their annual budget (tithing), over and above giving (expansion and missions) and legacy giving (estates and wills) and how they fit into the big picture.
