Hyde Park United Methodist Church

Hyde Park, New York

Challenge: Expand Education Ministry

Rising attendance and the needs to expand education and fellowship space caused Hyde Park United Methodist Church to connect with Generis consultant Rusty Lewis.There was some initial hesitancy within the leadership whether the amount of money for this project could be raised.

Tasks:

By conducting an assessment study, Hyde Park was able to measure the levels of support for the project and the campaign, while learning some important lessons on how to communicate effectively with the congregation. When the decision was made to move ahead, it was clear God was in the midst of this campaign. Strategist Rusty Lewis remembers this story from a steering committee meeting. One evening, the campaign’s executive director shared what God had laid on his heart to sacrifice for the campaign. He shared his testimony and later he asked the others on the steering committee if they wanted to share. Four other members said that God had led them to the exact same sacrifice of delaying the purchase of a new car.

Solution: A New Place to Learn

Hyde Park UMC interviewed several consulting firms and was wary of the cost. Rev. James Moore writes, “We were concerned about the cost of hiring a consultant. Our experience has been that this money was very well spent, an investment in the guidance we needed to help us run a campaign that far exceeded anything we could have imagined. Our actual pledges have totaled over $1.6 million.”

Individualized Guidance:

“…without the capable leadership of Rusty Lewis we could not have put the Generis plan in to effect. Rusty was an excellent coach for our committees – guiding them and holding them accountable, while providing constant encouragement and affirmation.” said Hyde Park’s United Methodist Church’s Sr. Pastor, Rev. James Moore.