What? To have a baby? Yes, but that is not what I am talking about.
It could take up to nine months from now until your congregation is ready to engage in a capital campaign to raise funds to construct new buildings, or to do major renovation or retrofitting to current buildings.
Why?
Because it is necessary for your congregation to be extremely clear and certain about its vision for a new facility and how lives will be impacted and enhanced because you have the new building. Often this may require, [1] re-envisioning the future life and ministry of the congregation, [2] reassessing the strength and focus of various programs, ministries, and activities of your congregation, its community context, its finances, its staffing structure, and its facilities and their implication for the congregational vision, [3] designing the framework for the future programs, ministries, and activities of your congregation that projects 10 to 12 years into the future, and [5] determining the financial, staff, and facilities resources that will be needed to provide these programs, ministries, and activities.
Your congregation will need a virtual picture of its passion for future ministry, and a real picture/drawing of the building that will facilitate this future ministry.
Starting nine months before you need to raise funds is not too early. So, it is important to think ahead and start your actions now.
Particularly during a time of economic uncertainty like we are now experiencing, it is important that the picture of the future be crystal clear.
