We ask Ed Mott, capital campaign chairman, to share with us some of the strategy for the capital campaign. Here’s what Ed had to say:

Why does A Legacy of Worship require a 3 year financial commitment?

Building a new sanctuary and gathering space costs a lot of money. By giving our members and attenders the option of spreading their commitment out over three years it gives them an opportunity to pledge a larger amount and spread it over a longer period of time. Larger donations are needed for Fellowship to raise sufficient funds to construct the new facilities.

The principal is similar to how most of us purchase a new or used vehicle. Most people are not able to purchase a vehicle for many thousands of dollars outright however, by making smaller payments over a period of several years, it makes it very affordable.

What is the goal of the Pledge Cards?

The pledge card is used for a variety of reasons. It helps our donors make a pledge to the Capital Campaign for a fixed amount, to understand that their pledge is over and above their regular giving, and it is an official record for the church so we can track the amount of money raised and make sure the donor gets proper credit for their donation. Most importantly, it gives everyone an opportunity to seek God’s will and pray about what he would put on their hearts to give. It would be very difficult at best to keep track of and verify verbal commitments. We are praying that all who receive a commitment card will pray about what they are to give and return all of them to the church.

Why are we waiting until March 26th to provide the Pledge Cards to the congregation?

Our Capital Campaign was organized on a two step process. The first part is the advance commitment phase. During this phase, a group is being asked to pray and make commitments early, as patterned after the steps King David took in Chronicles 29 to secure the funds needed to build the Temple in Jerusalem. This group is made up of the leadership of the church, those who possess a high level of commitment to the church, and those who have the capacity to give larger than average gifts to the project. The second phase is to invite the rest of the church to join by receiving pledge cards and to pray and seek God’s direction in what he would have them pledge.

What specific things should the congregation be doing in preparation for the March 26th Legacy Service?

The most important things we as a church can do is consecrate ourselves to the Lord, pray, and open our hearts and minds to what God would have us do when we receive our pledge cards at the Legacy Service on March 26th.

Why are we looking inward for financial contributions as opposed to looking outward?

We as a church have a responsibility first and foremost, to build and maintain the House of our Lord similar to the responsibility King David and the leadership and people of Israel had to build and maintain the Temple in Jerusalem. As the Capital Campaign comes to a close, the campaign leadership will continue to look for other potential sources of funding which may be available to us. The primary responsibility however, rests with those of us who call Fellowship Church our home.