BCUMC Folks,

This is a message I received from Resource Services, Inc. (RSI) a fund raising ministry that I spoke to this morning. Let me know what you think.

Doug Pratte

---------- From: Thomas Blakely
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 11:11:11 -0600
To: "'landstudio@sopris.net'"
Subject: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you.

Doug,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you concerning the ministry of RSI. Many pastors ask the question, "How much can my church raise in a capital campaign?" Usually my first response is to talk about the overall benefits of a campaign. The primary benefit of an RSI campaign is that church members become aware of the meaning of Biblical stewardship. The initial focus of an RSI campaign is to educate the church members about the Biblical model of stewardship. The result of this educational process is a Biblical view of the responsibility of each member of your church and their vital role in the building of the Kingdom of God. This understanding of Biblical stewardship has great benefits to the church. Many churches see a strengthening of their vision and purpose; some experience a greater since of unity; others see an increase in budget giving, as well as sacrificial giving, to a capital campaign. Our motto is equal sacrifice - not equal gifts. Mark 12: 41: And He sat down opposite the treasury, and {began} observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42: A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43: Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44: for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." (NASB) It is this kind of perspective that we hope every RSI campaign will accomplish.

My response to the "How much can we raise?" question is most churches raise between one and one-half to four times their annual operating receipts across the course of their three-year campaign. This really depends on several factors. Maybe you have read Bob Russell's book "When God Builds a Church". This book has been helpful to many churches, as they traveled the journey of building the church. In the book, Bob dedicates an entire chapter - chapter nine - to stewardship. In this chapter, Bob has a heading called Conduct Only Purposeful, Well-Planned Capital Campaigns. He shares seven reasons that he believes were crucial for conducting the successful campaign at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bob said:

• Each campaign had a tangible and exciting purpose.
• We prayed for God's guidance.
• We hired consultants.
• We realized that the leaders set the pace.
• We shared testimonies of sacrifice along the way.
• We asked the congregation to pray.

• The project is not well defined.
• The Church is divided about the project.
• There is a change in pastoral staff.

The fee for the RSI Premier Service would be based on the number of days that the consultant would need to be on site. This fee includes all travel expense, lodging, and meals. The consultant can give you the exact fee when he comes to the church for his initial presentation. Other costs that could be associated with the campaign are the printing costs for promotional and information materials. These are completely determined by the church.

We know that most churches are accustomed to major decisions that impact the future of their congregations. However, few decisions influence the dreams and vision of your congregation more than the stewardship organization you will choose to assist you in this process. Realizing this, I am grateful RSI is being considered at this strategic time in the life of your church.

We view our relationship with churches as our stewardship commitment to you. In our capital stewardship programming, RSI is uniquely qualified to give you a campaign that will combine professional integrity with biblical and spiritual principles. Consider the following points:

? RSI will design and plan a capital program that will be sensitive to the uniqueness of your church. Our programming has the flexibility to adjust to who you are, as opposed to your adjusting to fit a rigid scheme.

? RSI will write and furnish the finest program manuals available for campaign leadership. These manuals will reflect the module options selected in consultation with pastoral and key lay leadership. The options are designed to maximize the effectiveness and involvement of the congregation, as well as provide the best avenues for dissemination of information. Each Leadership Team member will have their own personalized manual, which outlines their responsibilities. They will also have access to a toll-free, voice mail number for their consultant, thus allowing them the ability to contact the RSI representative in between visits to the church.

? RSI will develop a gift profile, based on our experience with your church, which will be crucial in assisting your congregation in determining your financial needs. It will provide the Leadership Team with a realistic picture of success for your campaign.

? RSI will provide the finest stewardship consultation available for training all campaign volunteers. The consultant will train all members of the Leadership Team, as well as all other volunteers who are enlisted in the campaign process. Involvement in the program activities is an essential element to a successful campaign. Before a program concludes, RSI will actively involve 30 to 50 percent of the people in your congregation. Involvement denotes ownership and indicates that the people believe there is a ministry reason for the various projects for which you are raising money. Enlistment materials and written instructions will be provided for each level of involvement.

The consultant will conduct all training for all volunteers of the various organizations. At each level of the organization, the consultant will be on location to train and oversee their involvement. People from the church are not asked, or expected to conduct training. Meetings are usually scheduled in the evenings, with Sunday meetings, as appropriate. They are typically one hour in length.

? RSI will assist in the development of campaign promotion materials and video production. The consultant will supervise and assist in the production of promotion materials, including a brochure, three to four newsletters, fact sheets, commitment cards, letters, etc. The same supervision and consultation applies to video materials related to the campaign. RSI will provide samples of both printed and video materials for your leadership. We will also provide guidelines for the production of these materials, and the consultant will serve to edit and work with these committees to ensure a professional, finished product. A case statement will be written, with the guidance of RSI, concerning ministry needs related to the project. This will be a valuable aid to assist your congregation in understanding the necessity and vitality of your particular campaign.

? RSI will bring unparalleled experience in the area of leadership commitments. The consultant will evaluate the potential for Advance Commitment and possible large gifts. We will provide supervision for the training of the Advance Commitment organization, involving potential large donors and key leadership. As mentioned earlier, a gift profile will be provided early in the campaign to be used in this organization. If appropriate, personal meetings with potential major donors will be scheduled while the consultant is on site. The consultant will work with the pastor and key leadership to calendar these meetings. The consultant will also give valuable advice in the area of creative avenues of giving for the campaign. These are typically referred to as gifts of kind or appreciated asset giving, i.e. stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets. In this area alone, RSI has greatly enhanced the campaign experience by our involvement. Without high-pressure tactics or any hint of coercion, we can greatly maximize the gift potential of your campaign through the Advance Commitment organization.

? RSI will provide Bible study materials for teaching Christian stewardship for adults, youth, and children. Teaching guides are provided to assist church leadership in the use of these materials. We also offer, at no additional cost, a Discover the Joy and an In The Light of Grace manual to be used with your regular budgeting process over the next few years, after the capital stewardship campaign. These will be extremely helpful in your continuing stewardship education process.

? RSI will provide extensive follow-up to your campaign, which includes over 30 points of contact during the next three years. This will involve personal contacts from the consultant, as well as written material.

Our effort in follow-up is focused along two primary lines: a regular scheduled time for informing and encouraging the congregation through written and verbal reports, and a strategy or plan to educate and incorporate new members into the campaign over the three-year period.

These services, and more, are part of the ongoing commitment of RSI to remain the leader in church stewardship programming. We want to work with you in building a program that honors God and is effective in involving people, building ministry, and raising the necessary funds to complete your capital project. Stewardship growth for the church family is vital to its future, and our commitment is to both your present and future ministry.

Over 6,000 churches have faced the decision you are facing and have chosen RSI. The choice was never made because we were the least expensive firm, but always because churches felt we represented the best in stewardship consulting. However, we would never want fee to be the main issue in your decision. At RSI, we commit to you the finest and most successful stewardship consulting service available. I look forward to the possibility of assisting your church with their capital stewardship needs.

Sincerely,