I LOVE MY CHURCH Stewardship Campaign
My Story by Jim Gray
I’ve been serving Churches for over 25 years now and have a calling to support Pastors as they communicate the vision that God has given them. In one aspect of my calling, “I LOVE MY CHURCH” was created to affect every area of the Church by instilling a pride in celebrating what God is doing in the life of the Church. However, one area that I never planned for it to affect was finances. But this aspect proved to be instrumental. I was working with several churches who were spending between 50,000 - 150,000 to raise money by large fund raising companies that would just run you through their cookie cutter systems. I found these systems very dated and impersonal. The fund raisers even dressed like funeral home directors and felt so out of touch with where the church is today. I saw that it didn’t matter what style, denomination, demographic or age of the Church. They just had them all doing the same thing. One thing I learned very early on in ministry was just because it worked in one Church did NOT mean it would work in another. I sat in meetings where I would see Pastors cringe and leaders get squeamish as they would listen to the things that were being asked of them to do. Seeing the high amount of pressure that they were being asked to put on their members was disconcerting, to say the least. After seeing Pastors shudder at considering some of the things they were going to have to do to raise money, a whole new approach was born… the “I LOVE MY CHURCH” stewardship campaign by Jim Gray. It was put together not only to address the financial needs of the church, but would also provide an opportunity to genuinely grow people in the spirit of generosity while solidifying who they were as a Church! Pastors wanted to see the “heart” behind the giver and wanted to inspire people to give because of the love that they had for God and what HE was doing in their Church. Psalms 34:1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be on my lips.” This is the foundation for the I LOVE MY CHURCH Stewardship Campaign. Through positive creative media, printed materials and inspiring stories, your very own people they will share the vision of their Church and be a part of asking people to partner with them in this great endeavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love to hear Pastors preach but when you hear everyday people talk about reaching people for Christ and explaining the vision of their church passionately , there is nothing more powerful! I’ve seen Pastors cry when they hear their own people truly understanding and can communicating the church’s vision.
This is one of the hardest tasks in the Church to do. Why does Mrs. Johnson volunteer in the Nursery every Sunday? Why does Bobby play the drums on Sunday mornings? Can they answer those questions and do they align with the heart and vision of their leader? More importantly, do they believe in it passionately? Jesus spent his ministry years trying to get his disciples on the same page and he had only one night(after He’d gone back to heaven) in the upper room where the lights came on and everyone “got it” and they were all in unity. And He was the Savior of the world! If I I recall the story correctly some amazing things happened. God has a specific plan for your Church and I LOVE MY CHURCH will give you the tools to open the door even wider to your community while raising the level of excellence and service while the spirit of generosity takes over your Church.
Stewardship Discovery Assessment
When creating a healthy giving culture, there are no short cuts. Most churches don’t even discuss what they will teach each week nor do they have a methodical system of teaching that effectively touches everyone in the course of a year. Why is it that we prepare songs, plan creative services, work hard for inspiring messages and plan every segment of the service yet we just “wing” the offerings each week with no thought whatsoever? We have to focus on this area in order to bring about results that ultimately help reach the goals that have been set. The Stewardship Discovery Assessment provides churches with an assessment of the current stewardship environment and provides a road map with tactical steps for future stewardship initiatives. The Stewardship Discovery Assessment areas include:
•Data and Communication
•Teaching and Bible Studies
•Major Gifts Potential
•Membership Roll Potential
•Creative, Inspiring Offerings
•Capital and Special Gifts
Some of the Stewardship Discovery Assessment is conducted through a review of current stewardship data along with several personal interviews with key members of church leadership.
I LOVE MY CHURCH
Vision takes on many different forms. Some are building new facilities to expand ministry or create a multi-site ministry. Others need to retire debt, renovate, or take care of needed repairs. Some are raising funds for missional endeavors including fighting homelessness, supporting international missions, or partnering with other non-profit organizations to further the cause of Christ. After over 25 years of capital campaign experience, I know this: Every campaign should be anchored in prayer. Gaining direction through prayer and bible study, people will be inspired and will give with a generous heart.
•Strategic Church Prayer Initiative
•Prayer Teams Launched Specifically For I LOVE MY CHURCH
A Spiritual Journey
Our commitment to you is to be faithful to God, your mission, and your vision. We will walk with you from the inception of your journey through completion.
•Committed to learning the DNA of your ministry as we set the course of the campaign
•Customized to meet your church’s needs in a natural and organic environment that you’re comfortable with
•Centered on the Scriptural concepts of Christian stewardship
•Focused on prayer, which is the heart of the effort
I Love My Church presents the opportunity to genuinely grow people in the “grace of giving”. In a recent survey, pastors and church leaders expressed a deep yearning to transform the heart of the giver ‐ not just to increase the “size” of the budget. I LOVE MY CHURCH focuses on stewardship as a LIFESTYLE, not just an activity. We people to simply ask the Lord, “What should I do? How should I be a part of giving to my Church?” After that, we simply ask them to be obedient to what the LORD would have them to do.
Move Forward Confidently
We can help you prepare for the next steps in the life of your church at the next level. We can identify the characteristics and qualities of a vital and healthy community of faith. If you are asking the questions, “Is our church ready to support a major funding initiative?” or “Where do the priorities lie in a stated list of projects?” then a planning and feasibility study may be right for your church!
Many factors contribute to the well-being of your church. We can assist you to measure the ones that affect your ability to grow. Those factors include:
•Vision and mission
•Consensus and unity between leadership, staff, and the members of your church.
•Strength and success of ministries
•Financial standing and reputation
•Facilities–utilization and function
The planning and feasibility study will provide analysis of your organization’s state of readiness. The assessment will allow us to get feedback from all church leadership, staff, and key members. From these meetings, a report of actionate steps will be taken to maximize your strengths and strengthen areas of limitations.
How can I LOVE MY CHURCH impact your church?
I LOVE MY CHURCH is not just about raising money or supporting your budget. It’s a call to action; a call to change the heart of giving in your church; a call to doing ministry with excellence, even when it comes to giving! Here are a few things this campaign achieves!
•Generates resources
• Brings clarity and a platform to communicate your vision
•Unites your staff for the journey ahead
•Activates core leaders to serve passionately and to look at themselves as partners rather than volunteers.
•Guides your congregation toward a culture of giving beyond the “four walls”
•Provides focused and direct communication around the life changing ministries in the church
We look forward to working with your ministry! We know that your ministry is completely God designed just for you! We love the idea of making your capital campaign a positive, life giving experience for you and your church!