Christ United Methodist

Mobile, Alabama

Campaign Yields a Bounty of Blessings

When the first 12 families gathered together in 1979 to form what would later become Christ United Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama, little did founding Pastor Jeff Spiller know what awaited them on their spiritual treasure hunt. The church's 22-year journey has been filled with financial and spiritual blessings that deepen with time.

"The church seemed big at 600 members when we had a $1.2 million capital drive for our sanctuary in 1990," says Spiller, reminiscing, "but that pales in comparison to where God has taken us in the last few years." The church has consistently grown at an average of 400 new members a year, creating a squeeze on its current facilities.

When it came time to launch another capital campaign, he admits feeling a bit of "fear and trepidation." However, when The Genesis Group got involved, his attitude improved. "I remember being amazed that we were even discussing financial goals of more than $6 million in those early meetings with our consultant Jim Sheppard," he says. "What started out sounding unachievable at the human level soon became a giant spiritual step for the entire congregation and a faith booster now that we look back at the miracles."

A Vision Worthy of Sacrifice was the theme of the capital campaign that generated a remarkable $8.1 million in pledges. "I believe our congregation really felt God calling us to build a new building, devote more to missions, reduce our debt and reach more people for Him, and the incredible pledge commitments that followed were an outpouring of obedience to that call," adds Spiller.

According to Spiller, the church had purchased 37 acres of land that neighbored one prime acre of commercial land on a corner. "The neat story is that we had been praying about that corner property for years, and God worked it out that the owner allowed us to purchase it in an incredible interest-free arrangement," he says. "All of the pieces fell into place in time for us to announce this big news to the congregation on commitment Sunday."

While the bulk of the acreage will be used for church buildings, the corner has long been earmarked for a unique purpose: a freestanding, state-of-the-art Christian bookstore designed to serve as an outreach center for people who would otherwise avoid a traditional church environment.

Adds Spiller, "The campaign was much more of a spiritual experience than a financial one and that is why we chose The Genesis Group to be our partners and biblical stewardship advisors. We compliment The Genesis Group for their consistency and authenticity. As we experience a 66% increase in giving over previous campaigns, we celebrate being a part of this miracle."