There are six major mistakes that many churches make in project development that often kills their success. This was again illustrated to me this past Tuesday I was at a conference held by a state denomination for their churches on building issues.  To pay for their expense of holding the event they invited a host of vendors and companies like mine to come sit up our booths and if we wanted to pay $1,000 to host a break out session.  So from literally across the nation a host of companies came to show their wares and hope to gain potential clients.  From banks, to builders, to stewardship firms and more we almost outnumbered the conference attendees.  One of my competitors who paid the $1,000 dollars to share a break out session had all of three people show up for his presentation.  I talked with various other vendors who had similar results.

Churches are still hesitant about moving forward.  As I commented to one builder at the event,  we seem to have heard the same thing over and over, “We are THINKING about doing something a couple of years from now.”  When I had pastors and church leaders tell me that I would ask them, “Have you started raising funds for that project yet?”  The answer was obvious from the look on their face.  Why would they start raising funds now for something a year off?  Well, first because the bank that you want to loan you money to fund that project will want to know how much money you have in reserve.  If the answer is none or very little you probably will get shown the door.  On top of that there are so many “soft” costs in a project that you will need cash on hand before you ever break ground.  I preached that over and over the other day and each time I said it I felt as if I were talking to a brick wall.

These churches were headed for a mistake.  I find that when it comes to developing a project successfully most churches make mistakes far in advance of the start of the project.  Here are my top six.

1.  Not planning far enough in advance. Perhaps it is the tyranny of the urgent but too many churches do not start the planning process early enough.  I believe you can never start soon enough.  Long range planning is not twelve months out.  For a project it is about twenty four months at least.  That is the planning time line not the project development time line!  So it might well be later than you think.  Start planning now!

2.  Over simplifying the process. This is why mistake number one is number one.  Too many churches do not understand the complexity of project development.  I have a client that it took ten years of hard work to finally get the city to approve their project!  There are so many land mines out there that can blow your leg off.  It is much more complex than you think.  That is one reason you need outside professional help.

3.  Over selling the potential to be raised. I talked to a church the other day that told the congregation they could raise $4 million dollars.  This was two times their operating budget.  In their last campaign three years ago they did not raise one times their budget.  They minister in a state still ravished by the economy, with a declining membership and offerings.  Why in the world would they “sell” the idea that they could raise that much?  They are trying to do just that, “sell” the congregation with overly optimistic projections so that the members would vote for the project.  What if they “only” raise $3.5 million?  Will they scale back or put off the project.  Be careful what you promise on this side of the river.

I once worked for a pastor that previously to my coming on board told the congregation that if they built the new building they would double in size.  They grew that first year in the new building by less than 10%.  Three years after the opening that pastor is now at another church.  If only he had gotten professional help before the “sell” to the congregation the results might have gone differently.

4.  Under selling the cost. Trust me it will take you longer than you think AND cost you more than you want.  If an architect is telling you it “might” cost around $3 to $5 million I would use the high number not the low number.  You might want to avoid sticker shock with your congregation but if the final tab is over what you promise you lose change out of your pocket with your members.  The next time you make a decision they will remember how you missed it on the last decision.  They might even accuse you of misleading them!

5.  Sequential thinking. I once asked a potential client, “Have you talked to the bank yet?”  The reply back was, “How can we talk to the bank when we don’t have the final estimate from the architect?”  I replied, “Do you at least have an estimated range of cost?”  The answer was yes.  I again pressed the need to find out if the range of cost was something they could successfully acquire from banks.  The problem that many churches have is that they view project development as happening sequentially.

Much of this blame might be that we preachers tend to preach that way.  Point number two follows point number one and so on.  When it comes to project development we can’t think about what in our minds is step three until steps one and two are finalized.  Indeed projects do have a sequence to them.  However you have to be thinking on multiple levels to be successful.  My wife regularly beats me in Scrabble because she thinks one to two steps ahead while I am thrilled to spell pig.  A good partner can help you think in advance avoiding the mistakes of sequential thinking.

6.  Going cheap. More mistakes are made here by church leaders wanting to hold the cost down.  Remember the old adage, “You get what you pay for?”  The same is true for project development.  I hear often churches brag that they were going to run their own stewardship campaign.  Then I watch them make huge mistakes and raise far less than they would have with a professional firm.  I once had a stewardship committee member tell me that his church ran their own campaign the second time and raised one million dollars less.  What amazes me is this same church is once again starting a stewardship campaign without outside help.  Already they are making huge mistakes that will probably mean raising less funds.  Get help.  The fee you pay will be more than made up by the funds you raise.

Making any of the above mistakes will derail your project and put you in the ditch.  When your car goes in a ditch it does not mean you will never get where you were going.  It does mean however that it will take you longer and cost you more.  Our goal is to help you stay on the paved road so that you get there faster with a smoother ride.  Avoid these mistakes and you might even enjoy the ride!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

How much thought do you put into what you are going to say before the offering is taken up at your church?  How often in your staff meetings do you discuss stewardship plans?  How much thought do you put into how to communicate your budget in a positive way?  Frankly, how much thought do you put into stewardship at all?  If you are like most pastors the honest answer is very little.  Many pastors only think about stewardship either at budget planning time or in a time of crisis.  Few think about it on a weekly basis.  I would contend that those that think about it the most worry about it the least.  Those that think about it the least have to worry it about it the most when giving declines.

One more time let me say that the number one mistake churches make in stewardship is that they have no plan.  Failing to plan is planning to fail. Why is it that so few churches have a stewardship plan but have a plan for nearly everything else?  One of the major reasons is that they simply don’t believe they need one.  For years giving to the church was almost automatic.  However in recent years we have seen the decline in giving.  It is no longer automatic that those the grace your doors will bless your offering plates.  During The Great Depression the percentage of what Americans gave to the church is higher than it is today!  Each year the percentage of giving to churches declines.  If you do not do something you could find yourself working at McDonalds to keep your day job.  At the very least you will be faced with some tough decisions about ministry funding and staff issues.

Create a positive stewardship climate. Stewardship is not a dirty word.  A lot of firms are pushing new terms like generosity.  I frankly don’t care what you call it and I don’t think your people are fooled by

I well remember as a pastor being told that our church could raise more than one and a half to three times our budget in a capital stewardship campaign.  Like most pastors I focused on the three times number and was greatly disappointed when the amount pledged was more in the one and a half times range.  I fell prey to a common misconception that has been parlayed around the church world by salesmen for years.  The misconception is that you can accurately predict the level of how much your church can raise in a campaign.  The truth is no one knows.

For all those stewardship firms that brag about their average it is simply smoke and mirrors.  It is sales talk.  They don’t know what you can raise with any degree of accuracy until AFTER they get engaged with your church.  When we get asked about how much we feel a church can raise we honestly say, “It depends.”  Not a great sales answer but the truth.  If any firm gives you a range they are just guessing.  That in and of itself should tell you something.

Pledging to campaigns in America is far lower than what it once was.  While I doubt the one and a half to three times range was ever truthful, no one ever has done a study on averages, we can say that the pledge to budget ratio is lower than before.  Two events factor into this.  The first was 9/11. Since that time Americans have been much more conservative in pledging due in part by their angst over the future.  The second fact is this past recession that has left many with less than what they once had.  Even those that might not have been as impacted by the recession financially are none the less more conservative in the spending and giving.  These two events combined has brought the average pledge to budget ratio below what it once was.

Why Raising More Than One Times Your Budget is So Hard

The only true way to assure that your pledge will be beyond one times your budget is through significant commitments.  I have so many times heard pastors say that their buddy across the state raised four times his operating budget AND his church is smaller.  So, my pastor client thinks that since his church is larger he must be able to do equally the same.  What my pastor client does not know is that large commitments resulted in that average.  My experience confirms that when churches raise beyond one to one and a half times their operating budget it is through many five to six even seven figure commitments.  Do you have that kind of capability?

In the church where I was a pastor I had a limited pool of those kinds of people.  Most of my members were blue collar hard workers who struggled from pay check to pay check.  Simply tithing was a challenge.  To go beyond that committing thousands of dollars more was simply not in their abilities.  I wanted to run at Indy car speed but I had the horse power of a Toyota Camry.  What is under the hood of your car determines your speed.  The same is true for your church.

How To Raise More Than One Times Your Budget

While the goal of your campaign should be to get every person to make a sacrificial commitment you need significant gifts to raise maximum dollars.  I well know that the widow’s mite is greater than the largest gift.  All gifts are important and to be cherished.  However if the bank says you have to raise more than one times your operating budget you had better go where those dollars can be found.  Here are some thoughts in regards to this…

1. Campaigns that raise more than one and a half times their budget do so through High Capacity donors. Do you know how to identify those potential donors in your church?  Do you know how to approach them in a way that is appropriate?  Do you know what questions they typically are going to ask?  Many pastors fear this group for various reasons and simply decline to build a strategy to acquire their gifts.  Make no mistake the local hospital or university has no qualms about talking to your High Capacity donors.  Get over your fear or uncertainty and devise a plan to inform and inspire your High Capacity donors about your vision.  It is the difference between a great campaign and a decent campaign.
2. Campaigns that raise more than one and a half times their budget do so with Senior Pastoral leadership. I am frequently up against stewardship firms that tell the pastor, “We will do all the work for you.”  I tell the pastor that I will add work to his schedule!  Again, we are simply trying to be honest.  In raising funds there is no substitute for the Senior Pastor’s involvement.  While the details are certainly something we take off the pastors plate, no one can communicate the vision as well as the Senior Pastor.  This is especially true with High Capacity donors.  If a pastor will not devise and work a plan to address this group he is guaranteeing that his campaign will raise significantly less.  However you devise the plan remember one thing; the more personalized the delivery the greater the impact will be.

The easy part of a capital campaign is the campaign itself.  I can train a monkey to run a campaign.  We give our manual away for free where other firms charge you thousands of dollars to build teams that you yourself could do.  The majority of our time is spent working with the Senior Pastor.  We work with him to be more effective in the area of positioning his vision and in his ability to communicate it effectively will all groups especially High Capacity donors.  The campaign is important, teams are often essential but for maximum dollars you need a successful plan for High Capacity donations.  Any firm that fails to address this crucial area is leading you to raise less than what you might raise.

While my Toyota Camry will not get me from point A to B as fast as an Indy car it does get me there.  You might not have the horses under your hood as your fellow pastor across the state.  However you do have some horses that have greater pulling power than the rest.  All churches do.  Knowing who they are and how to approach them could make the difference between an average campaign and a hugely successful campaign.

Don’t fall prey to the hype of stewardship firm salesmen or the comparison of what another church did.  How much can you raise?  While no one can predict with total accuracy you can increase your odds with good planning and advice.  That is what we do for you.  Give us a call today to see how we can help you.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

How many teams will you have if we chose you as our campaign partner?  I was asked that question recently after I had made a presentation of our services at a church.  I know why I was asked that question.  One of my competitors was there a few days before me and had given them a list of all the teams he uses in a campaign.  It is his selling point.  Engage his company and they will come in and recruit people to serve on teams like the publicity team.  The publicity teams task is to write publicity statements for the local paper about your capital stewardship campaign.  I don’t know about you but while knowing things like that are interesting to me it will not cause me to mail a check in to your church.

So why do so many stewardship firms talk about teams?  First and foremost there is a belief that the more people are involved in working on your campaign the more likely they are to make a commitment.  Sounds logical right?  The only problem is that there has never been a study of whether that is actually true.  Did those people give because they made some telephone calls for a team or because they saw the need of what you were going to build or do with the money you were asking them to commit?  Honestly no one knows.

We believe that people give when the vision makes sense and is compelling not because they served on some team.  I am working with a church now that chose us in part because we did not come to the table with a programed team approach.  In fact the pastor told me his dad after the last campaign with another firm told him, “Son, don’t ever put me on another stupid team like that again!”  Why did he say that?  The team’s task was simply busy work that had little value to what the church was attempting to do.  We live in 2011 not 1980.  There are two commodities in our society that people hold dear, money and time.  Your people are already pushed to the limit time wise.  They will not respond kindly to wasting their time.

Are Teams Irrelevant?

The answer is it depends.  My answer back to the man who asked me about teams is that we at this point don’t know what teams they might need at his church.  To give him a list of all the teams that I would need is simply giving them a pre-packaged programed approach to a campaign.  At this point there is not enough information about what teams if any they would need.  I did not say this to them but I have churches that run very successful campaigns and never have any teams!  I have others where we put teams together as we need them.  For some churches it might only be a few teams.  For other churches we might have a lot.  Whether you have teams or not depends upon first the culture of your church and secondly upon what type of campaign is designed.

One of the goals of a capital campaign is to fully communicate the vision of what you are doing.  If teams are the way to do that then let’s add teams.  If there is another way or a better way then you need to do that.  Don’t get locked into doing something the way you have always done it.  One thing I can assure you is that what matters most is your vision.  People do not give to brick and mortar they give to vision!  Here are some thoughts…

Keep to The Three C’s of Vision

1. Make it clear - Does it make sense what you are proposing?  Can your members clearly understand what you are proposing?
2. Keep it concise - Keep it simple!  Long vision statements tend to only confuse people.
3. Make it compelling - This is the key.  Link your project back towards fulfilling your vision.  How will this impact the Kingdom?

Answer the Two Major Questions Donors Have

1. Does this make sense? Does this project help us fulfill what God has called us to?  Does it advance the Kingdom?  Will it impact lives?  Why now?  Answering questions helps pe0ple get on board.
2. Can you pull it off? Do you have a plan that makes sense that will allow us to do this without sinking the ship?  Even during recessions churches can build and donors will give if you articulate a plan of how you can do this.

So how many teams does it take to fulfill all of the above?  The answer is more complex than easy.  I was being asked days into spring what a campaign in the fall would look like.  It was too early for the answer to the question I was being asked.  As one who has written job descriptions for about twenty potential teams I can certainly build teams.  I was honest in my answer that at this point I simply do not know.   Anyone who gives you an answer to that question is simply inserting a program that worked at some other church other than yours.  What worked in my most successful campaign might not work for you.  We will build and recruit teams as they are needed when they are needed.

I am not opposed to teams.  I use them as they are needed.  What I am opposed to is predetermined campaign strategies.  Our approach of spending major time on the front end of a campaign process means we simply refuse to commit to a plan before our work is finalized.  If all you want is a program we send out our manual, WITH TEAMS, for free.  Why would you pay me for that which you already know to do?  I think what you want is someone that can help you strategically think.  Times have changed.  Have you?

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

Spring has sprung!  I am sorry if the snow is still flying where you live but here in the Atlanta area things are looking a lot like spring.  So, now is the time to start planning for summer.  Specifically since this is a blog about stewardship it is time to start on your summer plan of giving.  If you don’t have a summer plan then now is the time to get one.  For most churches summer is a stressful time on the budget.  People take off on vacations and go to the lake or seashore on the weekends.  They take and spend their offering money.  When they get back only the very committed pay  up on what they would have given if they were in attendance.  So, the smart leader will make plans now to meet that challenge.  This post will give you some ideas on how to build an effective summer giving plan.

1. Start with an accurate assessment of your current and past giving. Before you start your planning make sure where you are.  As you end this first quarter are you ahead or behind budget?  Do you need to make adjustments now?  If you are already many thousands behind then you have enough information to know that you probably are not going to catch up.  Make adjustments sooner rather than later.  I would also be looking at the giving patterns over the last few summers.  This combined with where your current giving is should give you enough information to build a quality plan.
2. Set a positive theme for the summer giving push. I have used Summer of Hope and Summer of Love recently for a couple of clients.  Pick a positive theme that will easily stick in your donors minds and make it easy to communicate with.
3. Establish a good reason for appealing for gifts this summer. Every appeal has to have what I call a driver.  What drives me to give?  Simply saying, “Summer is a tough time on our budget so please mail in your check,” is not very motivating.  Instead why not focus on what you are doing this summer?  Talk about your mission trips, youth camps, VBS or other out reach programs.  Your donors gifts make these happen.  Give donors a positive reason to give.
4. Set a good plan in place. How will you keep summer giving strong?  What tools will you use?  Will you utilize direct mail and email?  When will they be used?  Who will be responsible for implementing your plan and seeing it through?  You need a clearly and well thought out plan.  Then you need someone that owns that plan.  Too many plans simply gather dust on the shelf after they are cleverly produced.
5. Work your plan! If you set a plan then work your plan.  Plans do not just happen.  You have to stay true to the plan and work the plan.  Too often we think that after announcing something that people will automatically remember it or immediately jump on board.  Your summer giving plan will take work and effort on your part but it will be worth it!

You can look at other blog posts in the past here to find ideas about a summer giving plan.  Don’t delay the planning of this important task.  Get ahead of the challenge now.  The time you spend now will ease the headaches you might otherwise experience this summer.  As always if you need help please let us know.  Let’s look forward to a great summer of giving!

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

A century ago almost every Christian worship service was held at 11:00 AM.  Why?  Some say it was dictated by the farmer’s schedule.  There are probably other reasons as well but for years that was the standard time for worship.  Catholics had more options than most but even they held primarily to 11:00 AM.  Those days are long gone.  Now we see the rise of not only multiple times of worship but a vast array of worship options.  Many churches have traditional and contemporary services.  Most today have multiple times.  Some have multiple days such as Saturday nights.  There is a rise now of multiple sites.  Could a day be coming where 11:00 AM goes out the window?  Probable not, at least not in the near future.  However the days of the church all gathering as one in one service for many churches is gone forever.

Even smaller congregations have adapted multiple times of worship.  One of the main reasons for this is that we as Americans have come to love options.  What works for one person does not work for another.  One of my client churches has just started services on early Sunday nights.  They are seeing a good turnout of young couples who struggle to get the kids up and out of the house on Sunday morning.  Sunday early in the evening works better for them.  Now it is not only for space that churches move towards multiple services.  It is to accommodate the lifestyles of our age.

In the last few years multiple locations have become the new focus of many churches.  This is not simply the strategy of mega churches though they have led in this.  Churches of even smaller size are looking at establishing sites for members who live further from the “mother” church.  This is different from the old church planting strategy.  The goal, at least on the front end, is not to establish another church.  The goal is to give people in that location a chance to experience what the “mother” church is about without having them drive a great distance.  There are various ways in which this occurs practically.  All however are not mission plants as much as they are extensions of the “mother” church.  Is this our future?  I believe it is too early to tell if this will be more than a passing fad or at best the strategy of a few mega churches wanting to grow ever larger.

None of the above are incorrect in their primary intent.  Multiples times and options certainly does not violate Scripture.  Many of the things we hold dear about worship cannot be found in Scripture.  I will get a lot that will argue with me on that.  We tend to fight for our preferences and forget about principles.  Why should we care what time the service is or where it is held?  We should only care that the Truth is being accurately proclaimed.  What works for one might not work for another.  Each church needs to find its own strategy.  Jesus told us to go and make disciples.  He did not say what time or place that had to occur.  It might be time for you to consider options beyond what you are currently offering.  Doing so might just lead your church not only to become more relevant but to become more effective in reaching the lost.

Just a thought…

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

I remember one of my pastor clients in the fall of 2008 asked me to come to his office after our campaign meeting.  I thought, “Oh, no.  He is unhappy with our services.”  That was not the case at all.  What he wanted to talk about was how his 401K had lost 35% of its value due to the Stock Market’s crash.  He kept repeating over and over, “Thirty five percent!”  At the time you could hardly find anyone that was not wringing their hands over what many are now calling the Panic of 2008.  The “experts” did not help when they came out and said that it would take a decade to recover what was lost.  Of course they were wrong but at the time no one was listening to any other voice but the voice of doom and gloom.

As we watch the crisis in Japan unfold once again the Stock Market is extremely volatile.  The gains of the past few months were wiped away first by the conflict in Libya and now over the catastrophe in Japan.  As of this Wednesday morning the futures are down and you can expect another volatile day of trading.  You know it is a bad day on the Market when yesterday I was thrilled that it closed ONLY 137 points down.  At one time it was well below a 200 point decline.  So what is the average 401K person to do in these times?  Here is some advice.

1. Don’t panic. You will hear a lot of panic in the next few days.  There will be talk of how low can the Market go?  Is America about to spin into a double dip recession?  What you need to realize is that historically in every downturn the Stock Market has always rebounded.  The “experts” were saying just two years ago that this past recession was different.  They were wrong.  Up until a few days ago the Market in two years had regained nearly what it had lost.  Many said it would take ten years to accomplish.  My bet is on history.
2. Don’t look at your 401K hourly or daily. I knew guys that at work would continually check the status of their 401K.  That kind of wasted time will drive you nuts.  I had to look at mine in preparation for writing this post and it did indeed show a loss.  However as a standard rule of practice I look at all my 401K’s once a week on Saturday morning.  Those that never look at their 401K’s are foolish as you might need to make adjustments.  I will keep my eye on the Market but I will not check my accounts on an hourly basis.
3. Consider re-balancing. Your portfolio should be diversified.  How you do that depends a lot upon your age and your personal strategy.  Younger investors are typically encouraged to be more aggressive.  Typical advice for older investors is for their funds to be more conservative or safe.  Look to see which funds are suffering the most from the fall in stocks and consider moving a portion to a safer ones.  If you don’t have the stomach for risk keep your money where it is safest.  If a fund continues to decline bail out.  My client pastor in 2008 had his 401K money in funds that were the most heavily hit.  Never once did he consider re-balancing to more safer funds.  Don’t make the mistake of staying on a sinking ship.
4. Keep investing. When the pastor kept saying to me that he has lost thirty five percent I asked him if he had lost any shares.  Of course the answer was no.  All his shares were there they just were not worth AT THAT MOMENT what they once were.  The same is true for you.  You have the same shares today as you had last week.  Over time the Stock Market has a proven track record.  In fact one of the best times to buy is when it is low.  In March of 2009 when the Market hit 6,800 I moved all my funds from bonds to stocks.  What resulted was a twenty six percent gain in the remainder of that year.
5. Keep it all in perspective. As my client pastor kept railing on about how much he had lost I asked him how old he was.  The answer was fifty.  I said, “If I were sixty five I would be more concerned right now than I would be at fifty.”  I asked him, “Are you retiring soon?”  The reply was no.  So, what I counseled him was much of what I have written here.  I told him that he had time to see his accounts recover and that he should not consider retirement out of the picture for him.  Given time economies and the Stock Market recover.  You just need perspective and patience.

One final word about a proper perspective.  As a Christian I need to realize that my hope is not built upon Wall Street, Washington or Main Street.  The great hymn The Solid Rock says it best…

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand – All other ground is

Sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

As you watch the Market go up and down instead of worrying about what you cannot change why not sing that hymn.  While it won’t make your 401K soar it will make your spirit soar.  After all who should our trust be in ?  I am singing, how about you?

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

I can train a monkey to run a capital stewardship campaign.  What I cannot train someone to do is to think strategically.  Can you think?  That was how I put it to someone a few years back who wanted to come to work for us at The Charis Group.  We don’t put our focus on programs.  Programs are easy to implement.  The real question is which program fits your situation?

Finding the right strategy is where thinking comes in.  The world has changed since 1980 and so must stewardship firms.  What you the church are demanding of us is different than in the past.  A packaged approach to stewardship campaigns is more and more moving out of vogue.  In part this is due to the fact that you have already done so many.  How hard is it to organize a prayer team?  The other reality is that you have past materials from various companies and can put together your own manual if you need it.  We give ours away for free.  We don’t sell programs.  We offer strategic consulting.

We can and do deliver the program side of a campaign.  I find that pastors who buy the whole package fall into these broad categories:

1. They are novice’s at capital campaigns. If you have never run a campaign or it has been ages since you ran a campaign then you need all the help you can get.  We can do that for you.
2. They don’t fee they have enough time. Many pastors mistakenly think that they don’t have the time to head up the campaign and thus need an outsider to run it.  What they fail to realize is that there is no substitute for a pastors involvement in raising funds.  Show me a pastor who is not involved in the campaign and I will show you a failed campaign.  Capital campaigns will take time EVEN if you hire a consultant.  We find the time for what matters.  Raising the needed funds for your project matters, so find the time.
3. They don’t know any better. With the rise of the internet this is changing.  There are a host of pre-packaged programs you can purchase.  However I find that many simply do not know that alternatives exist.  So they keep doing what they have always done.

Why Most Stewardship Firms Still Focus on Programs

Most stewardship firms are like a time warp back to the ’80′s.  The primary function they perform is a program that you could do yourself if you thought about it.  Why is this still true?  Two major reasons.

1. They don’t know any better. Most stewardship consultants are former pastors who were trained in the ’70′s and ’80′s.  When they as a pastor had a problem they typically looked to either their denomination or the Christian bookstore for a program to meet that need.  As they approach capital campaigns they do the very same thing.  If it worked in 1980 why would it not work today?
2. Some companies produce programs because it is easier and cheaper for them. Back in the day when I did 20 campaigns a year the trick was to be onsite the least you possibly could and still keep the client happy.  Programs are easy to make this happen.  It was what I called assembly line campaigns.  They were quick, easy and best of all made the companies a boat load of money.  The firm I use to work for even developed an online site to make it easier to run a campaign without the consultant.  It made us look high tech.  The reality was that it was simply a sales technique and a means to avoid more on site visits.

The other day one of my  client pastors looked at me and said, “I think your future will be less and less doing campaigns and more of what we are doing today.”  This pastor has run several campaigns consecutively.  He has used all the major firms including The Charis Group.  For their last campaign that ends this month they engaged us for everything but the program side of the campaign.  For their next they will engage us only for the foundational planning part of the campaign.  Their goal is to make the next capital campaign their last campaign.

So, what was it we were doing that day that he felt would be our future?  Thinking.  Technically we were looking at their year end giving review and making plans to close out this current campaign.  What we were doing was giving him an outsiders look at his finances and his fund raising future.  We again talked about positioning themselves for the refinancing of their loan.  We talked about future plans, his vision, how to implement the next campaign and other key issues.

After he told me that he felt our future would be less on the campaign side he told me the story of a fellow pastor.  This pastor had big dreams and visions and was trying to implement them on a stubbornly resistant church.  My friend remarked to me that so many pastors attempt change without the benefit of outside eyes or counsel.  “Your work for us has helped me know how best to implement what God has laid upon my heart.  I don’t ever want to move forward without that kind of help again,” he said.

After the meeting the pastors Business Administrator and I sat down to calendar out our next intensive Vision Alignment process for next fall.  On the Business Administrators shelf were several companies campaign manuals.  What had me at the table was not my materials but the fact that I can think.

So when people come to me and want to work for The Charis Group my questions is, can you think?  After all that is what you the church want and need.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President and Thinker

The Charis Group

Most pastors will never meet individually with high end donors and thus fail to raise maximum funds! The following is an excerpt from my book, “Stewardship Myths” that deals with this topic.  I have posted it before but after talking to a staff member who is frustrated about his pastor NOT meeting with top donors I thought I would post it again.

Pastor Smith was a mild mannered easy going guy.  So when I met him in the parking lot of his church on our way to lunch I was surprised that he was so angry.  Never had I seen him rattled or ruffled in the slightest and now it was apparent something was wrong.  As a consultant you worry that it might be you so I asked what the problem was.

“One of my members just gave our denominations mission board a million dollars!  This same guy has given us virtually nothing,” he exclaimed.  He went on to vent his frustration not only at the member but the mission board that had flown this member to their headquarters and made a presentation to him that resulted in the million dollar gift.  This pastor was particularly vexed in that his church was in the midst of trying to raise several millions to complete phase two of a relocation process.  The member in question did not donate to the last campaign and had yet donated to this campaign.  I looked at the pastor and asked this simply question.  “Have you ever sat down one on one with this member?”  That stopped the pastor’s rant as he looked at me and said no.

Frankly I was not surprised.  Ninety nine point nine per cent of all pastors in America have never sat down with someone of wealth and means and talked over their vision much less asked them to fund it.  I know how uncomfortable that is.  As a pastor I had a very wealthy lady in my congregation.  Her foundation gave millions of dollars away yearly.  One year we were trying to raise a few thousand dollars for television equipment.  At the same time this ladies foundation gave my alma mater several hundreds of thousands of dollars for television equipment.  Needless to say I was miffed at both my college and the member of my church.  Yet like Pastor Smith in the story above I had never bothered to sit down and talk with her about our vision and how she could be a part of making that happen.  My college got the donation and it took us a lot longer to raise the funds we needed.

I know it is a slight misquote but Jesus did say, “You have not because you ask not.”  What I learned and Pastor Smith learned is the truth that someone else is fishing in our donor pond.  Most of the time we only hear about a donors gift after we read about it in the paper or our alumni magazine.  The truth of the matter is that we too might have gotten some of those dollars if only we had approached the donors.  Tragically we as pastors think doing so would violate scripture.  This myth keeps millions of dollars from coming to churches every year.  It could be the myth that kills your dream.  When you fail to focus on the top end donors of your church you are only violating the chances your vision will become a reality.  You are not violating Scripture.

Confronting the myth

James 2:1-4 says, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”  These verses do not deal with knowing or not knowing about a persons giving or about meeting or not meeting with those of wealth.

What this passage teaches is that those of wealth should not be shown favoritism.  You are not to give them the best seats in the house or upfront parking.  You are not to visit them and ignore others in your flock.  The reality has become today that if you are a person of wealth we often show you reverse favoritism, we ignore you for fear of showing favoritism.

The point of this passage is that money should not sway how you act towards any one person.  Being rich does not mean you get your way.  Rich people’s vote or opinion does not count more than the widow.  We don’t bend the plans of our next building to suit the rich donor for fear of losing their donations.  That is favoritism.

Much of the reaction against meeting with those of wealth comes from a fear of what we have heard others have done.  True there are some ministers who have violated this Scripture and do cater to the desires of the wealthy.  Frankly though I can’t think of one.  Can you?  I know Hollywood has depicted ministers that way but I really do not know of one pastor that is guilty of this.  I am sure some have been and are.  That does not mean you would fall prey to this.

The mature pastor knows that they will not be affected by the wealth of any person.  They rely upon the direction of the Lord and the counsel of godly people.  How much a person makes does not factor into the mature pastors thinking.  If you feel it would sway you then there are larger issues at stake!

How preachers fall prey to this myth

1. Fear of violating Scripture – As stated above we fear that singling out and meeting with those donors who have wealth would violate Scripture.  This fear is probably the number one reason given for why a pastor will not meet with his top end donors.  However as pointed out this Scripture deals only with showing favoritism.  The issue again is one of maturity.  If your motives are pure then meeting to explain your vision and the challenge of financing it does not violate Scripture.
2. Ecclesiastical pressure and training – Most if not all colleges and seminaries never teach ministers anything about stewardship.  What little they do teach often does more harm than good.  There is in some quarters however and unwritten rule that pastors should be ignorant of what their members give.  At the same time it is discouraged to meet personally with those of wealth or the top donors of a church.  Through pressure and the lack of training this myth is continually passed down one generation at a time.
3. Uncomfortable around wealth – The reality is that many pastors are simply uncomfortable around people of wealth.  We tend to not run in those circles and are just not comfortable in their presence.  As a result we shy away from any type of personal meeting.
4. Humble backgrounds – I think that much of what causes us discomfort are our humble backgrounds.  Very few ministers come from wealth.  Most are from lower class or middle class backgrounds.  Most find it hard to relate to those that have wealth.  So because of this discomfort we tend to not want to meet with our top end donors.

Why top end donors are so significant

So why bother?  What is so important about meeting with the top donors in a church?  Well if raising funds to fuel your ministry and build those buildings are a concern of yours the answer is, its crucial!  Five percent of Protestants give 56 percent of all that is given. In capital campaigns it is my experience that the number can be even less.  This is one reason you need to consider establishing a relationship with these donors.  Their gifts will sink or float your boat!

Donors at the top end of any churches donor pool are typically on the radar of many ministries.  That was the case of the pastor that was angry at his denominations mission board.  He found out that they were fishing in his pond.  His million dollar member probably had many other options from which he could have chosen to donate to.  The same is true of your top end donors.  Aside from your ministry they hear from other secular charities as well as other Christian ministries.

Years ago I sat on the board of my denominations publishing and education board.  One part of their responsibility was the over site of two conference centers.  These centers were at that time in need of some major improvements and face lifts.  In fact the determination was that $50 million was needed overall.  So, we set out to raise that amount of money.  I found myself involved in that process.

I remember that they flew me and two other trustees down to DFW Airport for a meeting.  The other two trustees were people of wealth.  I was invited to this party simply because I chaired the committee that the conference centers fell under.  For three hours we went through a listing of various known Christian philanthropists and donors rating our chances with each to raise funds.  Needless to say for a preacher from humble backgrounds it was quite an education.  One thing that I learned was that people of wealth have a multitude of opportunities to give money to.  Who might be targeting members of your church for a special donation?  If you don’t get there first they might get the dollars that could go to your next project.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group

You might know it.  I post about how the sky is not falling and the Stock Market dives over 200 points!  The Middle East is seeing increasing conflict and unrest.  Japan experiences a major tsunami.    China swings to an unexpected trade deficit in February of $7.3 billion, its largest in seven years.  All of this has caused over night stock futures to fall pointing to an opening bell decline.  What is an investor to do?  Forget that what are you and I to do?  Is this proof that we are not out of the woods?  What and how should this impact you?  Well, here are some thoughts to consider.

1.  God is still in control. As ministers of the Gospel ours is always to point people to God.  Times of conflict while not fun do exactly that, force us to God.  While others in our world who have no hope are dependent upon circumstances to fulfill their lives we have Christ.  I am attending Bible Study Fellowship this year as we study the book of Isaiah.  This morning our passage was all about reminding Israel that though things might look bad, God would never forget His covenant with them.  We as people of the New Covenant have even greater promises.  It would be wise to remember this personally and to preach this publicly.

2.  The fundamentals of our economy are sound. At the end of the day though the Stock Market might fluctuate and gas prices might go up we will continue to rebound.  You will hear a lot of hand wringing in the next few days.  We love crisis and love to feed on the negative.  A wise person will look at the overall view and realize that we have weathered worse situations than we face now.  We will weather this storm.  Though the Stock Market is currently down it has almost doubled its low of two years ago.  Many back then predicted it would crash further or take longer to rebound.  They under estimated the strength of our economy.

3.  It will all work out. Remember Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  A look back at our history shows this to be true.  We are a resilient people.  The Church has endured much worse than this.  We will endure this set back and continue to be there for the anxious world.

Let’s face it life is volatile.  It has its ups and downs.  Our task as leaders is to continually use the news around us to move people past their fear and to the One who walks with us through the valley.  You first have to have the right perspective yourself.  Then with God’s Word you can and must share hope to those that are looking for some ray of light.  We have The Light.  May this weekend be one of the greatest opportunities to show that Light to your world.

Mark Brooks

Founder and President

The Charis Group