It could be said that a successful church capital campaign is the result of asking and answering a progressive series of questions.

While each individual conversation during every campaign will have its own unique issues there are five questions that should be addressed at every opportunity.

• What are we doing?
• Why are we doing it?
• Why are we doing it now?
• How will this be possible?
• What do you need me to do?

They are the five questions central to virtually all leadership challenges.  Yet, when it comes to a capital campaign they are often under emphasized or overlooked all together. During the next few weeks we will explore these questions on multiple levels.

Let’s start with the first two. These two are so closely related that it is sometimes impossible to answer one without the other.  What are we doing?  Why are we doing it?  They are deceptively simple questions.  While I can’t answer either question for you I can tell you that the answer is bigger than building a new building, addition or renovating your existing facilities.  These are all worthwhile projects, but they are just that; projects.

People don’t give sacrificially to projects, they give to vision.  As such, answering these two questions in the context of vision becomes critically important.  The space your campaign is funding is more than a building.  It is a vital tool to be used for ministry, to fulfill the God given mission of your church.

There may be no more important time to remind people about the unique, God-given mission of your church, the vision and the plan to fulfill both than during a capital campaign.  Why does your church exist?  What would the world lose if your church failed to exist tomorrow?  What does reaching a lost world look like at your church?  How does this project fulfill that vision?

If you expect people to give sacrificially you need to present the project within the context of that mission. It must be crystal clear how this space and the sacrifice the space requires will help to realize that God-given vision for your ministry. The role this sacrifice plays must be integrally woven into the vision you cast to fulfill God’s purpose for your ministry.

These questions must be answered and answered and answered again. It is not enough to simply say it on Sunday morning. It needs to be shared with every leader in your church; staff members, ministry team and small group leaders, teachers, core volunteers and key centers of influence. I can’t tell you how many times you need to answer these two questions but I can tell you this; when you can no longer stomach the thought of answering these two questions one more time the majority of your congregation is just beginning to get it.

Next time we’ll answer the question; why now?