Step Three:  Stewardship / Capital Campaign

The next question to ask when building a new church building is, “How are we going to pay for our new church construction project?”

The funding task demands the involvement of talented lay and staff people, found within the church body, acting as a task force to raise the funds. Should the church staff and laity do it “in-house?”  Or, should the church call in professional assistance from a firm that specializes in capital funds campaigns?

Jim Sheppard, in the March/April 2003 issue of Your Church Magazine, lists several common concerns shared by a church when considering a capital stewardship campaign. He writes…

“Even though you know that many churches have used the services of professional firms with great success, you are still reluctant. The issues of working with a fundraising firm are very real: (1) their fee involves a lot of money; (2) the church could save the money spent on the fee and use it for other purposes; (3) you are not sure you want to let a stranger into your church family; (4) you wonder whether you can trust him or her; (5) you don’t know if they will do what they say they will do; (6) some people will wonder why the church is spending money to raise money; and (7) this doesn’t seem terribly difficult—won’t the church be just as successful doing it on their own?”

Church finances are always a sensitive arena. Add to that the prospects of starting a Capital Stewardship Campaign and you have increased the level of explosiveness.

This is often the case when the church-at-large does not understand that, aside from generating the required capital, the effort to do so will enhance each individual’s appreciation for the spiritual aspects of giving. An effective capital campaign, therefore, is more about stewardship, the opportunity for the individual believer to participate in building God’s vision and mission for their church, than it is of financial sacrifice.

Posted: by Dick White