Ellisville United Methodist Church

Ellisville, Missouri

Groundbreaking

The official groundbreaking at Living Word!

Challenge: Terminate a campaign in progress, midway through the giving phase, and begin a new capital campaign

When it became apparent to Michael McIntyre, Senior Pastor of Ellisville United Methodist Church, that the opportunity to build a new church home was the best way to accommodate the growth his congregation was experiencing, he was met with some obvious resistance—his own. Ellisville was in the middle of their second campaign giving period and was facing the prospect of interrupting the current giving cycle to make this next move possible. This would be their third major campaign within the last six years.  Adding to Ellisville’s uneasiness was the large amount necessary to complete the project, $2.7 million, more than Ellisville had ever raised before. In fact, it represented more than the commitment results of their two previous campaigns combined.

Tasks: Build new leaders, canvass the congregation, and focus on individuals simultaneously

Both Pastor Michael McIntyre and JC Sowers, Associate Pastor of Business and Financial Administration, began to pray and plan for this new endeavor. With the help of Generis consultants, Gerald Farley and Rusty Lewis, a 40-person Steering Committee was recruited and a multi-faceted communication plan was implemented. For a church that averages 750 people across three worship services, the staff knew how important communication would be to the success of the campaign.

To maximize the financial results of the campaign, a strategy to identify and approach potential “major gifts” within the church would need to be considered. With counsel and training from Lewis and Farley, Pastor McIntyre visited with several church families. “I did not want to do home visits,” recalls McIntyre. “I resisted, I was uncomfortable—not sure, but Gerald and Rusty would not let me wriggle off the hook.”  Now, on the other side of the experience, the pastor is pleased, “It was the consultants who made this a phenomenal success by urging me to cultivate these major gifts. One congregant doubled his gift after our visit.”

JC Sowers also credits the team of 40 people on the steering committee. These individuals never faltered in their faith or commitment. They gave of their time, prayers, and gifts and made sure everything was completed in a timely fashion.” Pastor McIntyre adds “At some points during the campaign, the steering committee was even ‘feeding’ me.”

Solution: Church-wide participation with Leadership Emphasis

The most memorable moment of the campaign for both JC and Pastor McIntyre was the Leadership Dinner. Following this event, designed to receive advance commitments from church leadership, the business administrator totaled the pledges that were received. JC Sowers recalls, “We prayed and prayed that we would be able to get to the “striking distance” of the goal. When we got the results of the leadership event - $2.4 of our $2.7 million dollar goal– we knew then the campaign would exceed our expectations.” Pastor McIntyre was quick to add, “God had anointed this in a big way.”

Ellisville held a groundbreaking ceremony on their newly purchased land on July 23, 2006 with over 300 church members and supporters in attendance. Even their new ‘neighbor church’ attended the celebration to mark the beginning of the next chapter in the life of Ellisville’s congregation.

Individualized Guidance:

“The campaign was well done and prepared in a way which guaranteed the best possible response from the congregation.” was the reply of JC Sowers when asked why he thought the campaign was a success. He adds, “We had the right people in the right roles on the steering committee and getting Pastor McIntyre in the church community was what made all the difference. Having accomplished more than anyone thought possible, both JC and Pastor McIntyre credit their consultants. “I have a great admiration for Rusty, and I can say that Gerald is a very upstanding guy. They both did a great job of helping us to reach out into so many areas of the church—they are gifted individually and as a team.”