There exist five foundational questions that every capital campaign needs to address:

What are we doing?
Why are we doing it?
Why are we doing it now?
How will this be possible?

Having previously addressed the first four, this time we will answer the fifth question; what do you need me to do? The answer may surprise you.

The knee-jerk answer to the question is obviously “give money.” The problem is that this is the wrong answer. Successful campaigns are not about asking people for money. Successful campaigns are about getting people to have an honest conversation with God; to seek His will for thier participation and trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Asking people for money misses the mark in one of two ways. First, it presumes that they are in a position to give more than they are already giving. Second, it positions them to respond within the limits of their human nature. In so doing you inadvertently limit their participation.

Asking people to ask God how He would have them participates puts the Holy Spirit in the driver’s seat. It encourages the participant to trust God for direction and says that you are willing to do the same. It challenges them to dump all that they own out before God and ask what He would have them do with it all. Generally speaking God has a greater number in mind then they would ever come up with on their own.

Just as with each of the others, you cannot begin answering this question too soon. Don’t wait for it to be asked. The sooner you can get people to start praying about their participation in the campaign the sooner God can start to work on their hearts. When your congregation sees that you are prepared to trust him for the outcome of the campaign they will be willing to do the same.

I hope that you will address each of these questions early and often in your next capital campaign. While answering these five questions will not guarantee that you will reach your goal, failing to answer them will guarantee that your outcome will not be as successful as it could have been.

For more information about successful capital campaigns contact Alan Morrison at Midwest Church Design and Construction. morrisona@midwestchurch.com