Sooner or later every church faces the need to raise money for facilities–whether to expand, renovate, or repair. Church campaigns are complex, and it is important you get it right the first time.
In our previous post(s) we talked about the importance of making sure your campaign is on solid ground with your congregation & why it is important to engage major donors early-on in the process.
In this article, we will discuss the the importance of formulating and executing a detailed and comprehensive plan for your campaign, and why failing to do so would be a significant but common mistake churches make:
Mistake #3: Failing to plan
Nothing is more important to campaign success than a good plan… except executing that plan without a hitch. Good plans are important… but execution is priceless.
A Church Capital Campaign is one of the most significant initiatives your church will undertake. It is a complex undertaking, and is critically important that it be done right. To succeed, a church capital campaign must have a very high profile. This means that if it flops, it will be a high-profile flop. You also generally only have one shot at getting it right. There are many ways that a church capital campaign can “go off the rails”, and when it does, it can be very difficult to get it back on track.
One of the biggest mistakes churches make is underestimating how much planning is required to pull off a campaign successfully. Campaigns are complex endeavors, with strict deadlines and little margin for error. Plans must be drawn up, materials written and designed, media produced, sermons composed, committees recruited, leaders trained and solicited, events planned and organized… the list goes on. There are numerous moving parts, many requiring specialized skills, with tasks delegated amongst staff and volunteer members of the congregation who need to be carefully managed.
Done poorly, chaos reigns and campaigns fail. Done correctly, a well-managed plan allows the members of a church to truly act in concert as one body towards a single goal, as in 1 Corinthians 12:21:
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!”
Failing to plan your church campaign… is planning to fail. With so much at stake, most churches wisely choose to retain a Capital Campaign Consulting Firm to help guide their church capital campaign through to a successful completion.
Continue on to our next entry: Mistake #4…
Don’t wish for a reset button! Let our team of professionals expertly guide you through the process of conducting a successful campaign for your church. Contact us today for information.
