“We have to protect their bandwidth; they didn’t go to seminary to be
fundraisers or builders,” Klein pointed out. “So, if Rodney and I come in
and take that off of them — while using their influence in the areas in
which they do need to be involved — they don’t feel overwhelmed.”
James agreed and cited a few alternate scenarios.
“If Chuck and I aren’t partnered together, I'm asking the pastor,
‘How much money can you raise? How much will you borrow? How
much do you have in the bank?’ He doesn’t always know, and he
might not even know that the capital stewardship consultant can
provide those answers.”
Meanwhile, on the capital fundraising side, the consultant is asking
the pastor for renderings or floor plans. What’s the scope of the project? Can
you explain it to me?
The cumulative result, of course, is a pastor who’s inundated.
“The reality is, when it's done right, I get the information I need from
Chuck, and he gets what he needs from me,” James explained. “I can
ask, ‘Chuck, how much money can the church really raise? How much
of a budget do I realistically have?’ That way, I don’t over-design their
project. And Chuck can get the design documents and details he needs
to help generate excitement, understanding and clear objectives for the
project fundraising.
“We're walking parallel in this journey rather than walking
perpendicular to one another, and letting the church be the intersection.”
A culture-sensitive, customized approach
It takes a unique meeting of the minds to collaborate in this
manner — a rare dynamic — the value of which isn’t lost on
Lineberger. Accordingly, he considers both James and Klein
“kindred spirits.”
“I look at both of them as servant leaders,” he explained. “Despite their
vast experience, neither came across like they knew it all and we needed
to just follow; they were more than willing to customize the plan to fit
our church.”
MacIlvaine agreed, and said it was very important for GCC to enlist
a stewardship consultant who meshed with its four core values: honor,
hospitality, courage and celebration. “I talked to one pastor whose
culture and consultant didn’t mesh, and he and his peers were always
having to go back and reinterpret things,” he recalled. “We didn't want to
feel awkward within our own culture.”
Klein is all too familiar with this and other reasons why pastors are
reticent to enlisting capital fundraising help.
“They're worried that it's all going to be about the money. And if it is,
then it's going to be like an institutional fundraiser,” he explained. “So,
when I talk to them, they quickly understand that I won’t try to cram
a square peg in a round hole. It’s got to be about spiritual growth and
growing your people. In that context, there's nothing to be scared of —
because people want to be a part of something successful. You already
have their hearts.”
Having done five capital campaigns before, Lineberger said he
especially appreciates this approach. To ensure its effectiveness, Klein
visited each church several times to train the staff on their roles in the
capital stewardship process. This had the added effect of helping the
pastor feel supported by his team in the fundraising effort.
“I'm a big proponent of getting the leadership team to buy into the
vision; otherwise, the pastor can feel like he's out on a limb or pushing a
rock up a hill by himself,” Klein said. “When other leaders in the church
are bought in, they're helping the pastor carry the challenge.”
Based on previous experiences, Lineberger also knew enough to be
wary of consultants promising to raise a certain amount.
“I know some companies will get commitments for X amount,” he said.
“But getting those monies in — and building the trust along the way to
get that done — takes a very special sensitivity, a temperament and just a
real connection.”
For this reason, Klein says he and his team always use the term “pledge
fulfillment” when talking with pastors. While many are happy to receive
50% to 70% of the amount committed, Klein says that’s not aiming
high enough. Using a strong follow-up component, his team (many with
pastoral leadership experience) have collected between 90% and 100% of
the pledged amounts for the nearly 80% of their clients.
Walking the walk
Combining the building and capital fundraising processes makes
sense, sure. The benefits are clear. But when you’re working with
churches, it can’t (and won’t) be successful without the right motivations.
“Our heart really is to help the church,” James emphasized. “Yes, we're
in business; but the business is secondary to what we all feel called to do.”
Klein agreed: “Ultimately, we're responsible for serving the church
well. We’ve got to make sure we’re giving them good, sound advice and
helping them get to that next level.”
But don’t just take their word for it — both Pastor MacIlvaine and
Pastor Lineberger say they’ve benefited from this dynamic and shared
guiding spirit.
“Having people with you who clearly exude a warm and infectious
walk with Christ is a big deal, and [Klein] and [James] do that,”
MacIlvaine said. “The technical proficiency is there; that goes without
saying. But knowing their hearts makes me feel like we're on the
same page.”
Lineberger agreed. “I really feel like they're true servant leaders, and
they're rare,” he said. “They're not trying to outdo each other, and they're
not trying to get in each other's way. They're just trying to help the local
church and the ministry of Christ go forward.”
Unity drives success — now and for the future
The net effect is a project finished on time, on budget and with an
energized pastor at the helm.
The capital stewardship consultant raises the funds he said he could,
because he was realistic. The builder can design and build the building
within budgetary parameters, because he knows exactly what those are.
The church wins because the pastor has leadership equity. He moves into
the next phase of building, or the next step he wants to take in ministry,
with the congregation’s confidence.
“They say, ‘Man, look what God did,’” James said. “They think, ‘We
trusted Pastor, and he led us through. God provided, and here we are at
the other side.’”
When all the pieces come together, everybody wins.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH
Year established: 1995
Location of main campus: Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Number of staff — full- and part-time: 10 / 6
Combined weekly attendance: 600
2019 budget: $1.2 million
QUICK FACTS ABOUT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
Year established: 1879
Location of main campus: Glen Rose, Texas
Number of locations: 2
Number of staff — full- and part-time: 5 / 8
Combined weekly attendance: 600
2019 budget: $1.04 million
18 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | MAY / JUNE 2020