FAQ
General
What is a capital stewardship campaign?
- It is vision casting for the future.
- It is a church-wide program utilized to resource large-scale ministry objectives.
- It provides a stewardship education experience for children, youth, and adults.
- A capital stewardship campaign brings a stepped-up leadership, awareness, and communication system for transferring key project information to the membership.
What makes our capital stewardship approach special?
- It helps you raise funds.
- It opens the door to cast vision.
- It develops new leaders.
- It guides people through a Spirit-filled approach to stewardship education.
- It creates a communication system for sharing information.
- It brings church-wide programs that expand ministry.
What is our strategy?
- Excite everyone about the project
- Educate the entire congregation about stewardship and the project
- Encourage everyone to “take the journey” (without pressure)
- Engage each person in a prayerful financial commitment process
What results do we anticipate?
- Tithes and offerings increase (10-20+%)
- Raise commitments of one to two-and-a-half times your general income, over a 36-month giving time frame
- 80% of the funds come in during the giving period (on average)
- Planned Giving services to help release “appreciated assets”
How do we help you lead a capital stewardship campaign?
- Create the Campaign Program
- Further define the Project
- Set the Campaign Calendar
- Enlist and train Leadership
- Implement Biblical Fundraising
- Enlist Leadership Commitments
- Guide the Campaign Public Phase
- Coordinate with other AG Financial teams
- Implement the Follow-Up Program
What does the campaign timeline look like? (usually 3 1/2 to 6 months)
- Planning Conference / Calendar
- Prepare campaign documents
- Enlistment of Leadership Team
- Training of Leadership Team
- Campaign awareness component
- Congregational stewardship education, prayer emphasis
- Enlistment of gifts
- Implementation of the Campaign Follow-Up Program (3 years)
Why use MasterPlan?
- As pastors and church leaders, we understand the culture of the church
- As trained stewardship leaders, we bring expertise and passion for raising up stewards in the church
- Consultant-led campaigns are more effective than self-led campaigns by a factor of 3 to 1
- We provide the plan, resources, training, and coordination for the entire process so the pastor can continue to lead the church
What blessings come from a capital stewardship campaign?
- Resources to fund your project
- Increased general fund income
- New stewards raised up
- New leadership, unity, team spirit and spiritual maturity
- Increased trust and faith in God
- New momentum for ministry!
What is expected from the church in a capital stewardship campaign?
- Provide a clear focus of the project to be funded
- Decide on commitment and time window for the campaign
- Leadership that is committed to the project
- Cover the campaign expenses: fees, communication pieces, video, food service, mailings
Why shouldn’t I try leading a campaign myself?
- Self-led campaigns typically raise 1/3 of what a professionally led campaign will raise
- The most expensive part of any campaign is the interest paid on borrowed money the ministry was unable to raise
- Short cuts! Most churches end up running a fundraiser and miss the long-lasting benefits of a campaign
- The pastor inevitably ends up carrying the ball, forcing him to reprioritize his duties and many times having a negative impact on pastoral ministry