by Doug Turner
8 Sure Signs
Are You Really Ready for a Capital Campaign?
By Doug Turner
The most important step when considering a capital campaign is, of course, to complete a comprehensive strategic plan. This plan will clearly state your church’s mission and how you plan to live that mission in the next five to 10 years. It’s the vision of your church described in attainable action items.
If the plan has costs affixed to it, then it’s time to assess whether they’re capital, endowment or operating needs. This is the first indicator that you’re ready for a campaign.
The launch of a capital stewardship campaign is evidence that your church is taking to heart its mission and acting on its plans to turn a vision for mission into reality.
There are eight major indicators that it’s time to assess your strategic plan:
1. Ideas for ministry are frequently dismissed because facilities aren’t adequate, or funds for ministry expansion aren’t available.
Good ideas are at the heart of your strategic plan. Ideas need to be fostered. The vision of a church should be dynamic, growing and remain open to the ways in which the Holy Spirit will move in its midst. If the only obstacle between expanding ministry and launching a new mission are the facilities, then it’s time to revamp the building.The facilities and resources of the church are there to serve its ministry and mission. If the vision is present, then the means to fulfill it will be present as well. 2. The church has foregone large events or fellowship opportunities because there’s no large multipurpose space in which to gather. Having to say no to events is a clear signal that you’re ready to grow. Facing the choice of renting a facility at high cost or skipping the event altogether is tough. Unfortunately, both options can be detrimental to your church.Fellowship binds people together in relationships. If your facility can’t support opportunities to build and nurture relationships, then it’s time to consider expanding. 3. The church experiences an uneven, peak-and-valley worship attendance pattern because the facility can’t support a breakthrough. Worship is the center of your community. As you fulfill your church’s vision for ministry, worship serves as the heart and hub. It’s imperative that there’s space for people to come together and worship. If you experience an uneven attendance pattern that includes times of standing-room only, it’s time to consider the ability for the church to sustain community worship.An expansion or renovation of the worship space might be necessary to adequately support the calling of the church to be a people who worship together. 4. Adult education classes are hindered because space is designated to children’s ministries, which are also running out of room. The cost of foregoing adult spiritual formation is great not only for your ministry, but also for the mission of your church. As the ministry, mission and reach of your church grow, it will only be sustained by increasing its spiritual depth.Adults and children alike need to be supported and fed. If there are enough children to fill the facilities week after week, then there’s likely energy to support expansion to create space for adults to join them in Christian education. 5.The long-range plan is outdated and doesn’t represent a vision for spiritual growth that stretches the members. The long-range plan is the tangible expression of your church’s commitment to step out in faith. A viable vision for ministry is focused and doable, yet risky. Often the long-range plan is buried under immediate needs and maintenance of the status quo. A capital campaign can electrify the forward-thinking of a congregation, casting a vision for enduring mission in the community. Focusing on the long-term can invigorate and strengthen the daily work of the church. 6. Parking is a known problem. Lack of parking affects everyone, especially visitors and people with limited mobility. Getting to your building shouldn’t be a hassle. Your congregants’ energy should be harnessed in doing ministry, not fighting the parking lot.Sometimes a reorientation of the morning schedule can help alleviate the problem. However, creating more opportunities for parking is most often the right answer to support your church’s ministry. 7. The facility — including worship, restrooms and fellowship space — isn’t accessible to persons with disabilities. Many, many churches are blessed and burdened with historic buildings that don’t easily accommodate this group. In addition to the cost, the question of preserving the building while making it accessible can be difficult to manage.But answers exist. And the importance of making your church hospitable and welcoming is more powerful than the facility obstacles.  8. Staff work spaces become a hindrance to producing work because they’re small and overcrowded.
As churches grow, space becomes high-demand. Staff and volunteer space is combined, constricted, and sometimes eliminated. The catch-22: The reason the staff spaces are reduced is because the demand for ministry is increasing. Just when the staff needs to be more productive and supported, their work space disappears. If the work spaces are at a premium, then it’s time to consider expanding to facilitate the ministry of your church.Doug Turner is the president of RSI Church Stewardship Group. Since he joined RSI in 1991, he has personally led more than 120 successful capital stewardship campaigns generating in excess of $430 million, and provided management overview to more than 2,000 campaigns. E-mail him at contactturner@viscern.com, or visit www.rsi.viscern.com.
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