Every-member Ministry
It's time. By which I refer to what everyone knows is coming. We are about to begin the first phases of
preparation for a capital campaign in 2020. The emphasis at this point is on the word
preparation. A successful capital campaign rests on two foundational pillars: a successful discernment phase and an accurate feasibility study. Both will heavily depend on the total involvement and enthusiasm of our every-member ministry community.
Discernment Phase – Facilitated Cottage Meetings - October- November 2019
Beginning on Sunday, October 13
th, we will post the range of facilitated cottage meeting venues for you to sign up to attend. We will restrict the size per meeting to a maximum of 6-8 invited guests in addition to the host(s), a facilitator and a scribe. Each meeting will involve either a brunch, cocktails, or dinner. Additional cottage meetings will also take place on site at St Martin’s. This will be a labor-intensive process within a concentrated period of time, so we need to make the effort count. Facilitated cottage meetings are where we will begin to identify and communicate needs, hopes, and aspirations for our community in answer to a key question:
What is God calling our community to accomplish at this time?
We will need to hear everyone’s voice in order to shape an exciting vision for the future.
The information gathered from the cottage meetings will be compiled into a mission brochure outlining our agreed community development objectives and potential fundraising targets. This brochure will inform and inspire creative conversations in the next preparation phase of the
feasibility study.
Feasibility Study – January – March 2020
The feasibility study involves two things. Firstly, a parish wide survey building on the work of the discernment phase. Secondly, Maurice Seaton, our campaign consultant from the
Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) together with a small team from the parish will initiate one-on-one conversations with other potential supporters; the purpose of which will be to provide valuable information on the restoration project, and to invite individual commitment for a capital campaign. The ECF will analyze the feedback from the feasibility study to give us a realistic estimate of the monetary target we should be able to meet.
Preparation Timeline
The
discernment phase from October to November, will also run alongside our 2019-2020 annual renewal campaign (stewardship drive). Studies show that the discernment phase has an invigorating effect on stewardship as we become more engaged with the central question concerning
what is God calling our community to accomplish at this time? The
feasibility study will then be conducted between January and March 2020.
Spiritual Meaning
Having set out for you the process we intend to follow in order to lay firm foundations for a successful capital campaign in 2020, let me say that no rector wants to have to contend with a capital campaign on their watch! But let me also tell you of how I have, together with the parish's leadership team already experienced a transformation from anxious dread to firm conviction, galvanized by the unexpected spiritual effects of completing the urgent restoration work.
You see, a capital campaign is really only a catalyst for the spiritual growth of a community such as ours. It’s the nudge or push we need to propel us into the next stage of our journey of becoming increasingly more fit for God’s purpose. In this process we are being called to cross borders together while learning to listen more deeply for God’s call in order to live more spiritually authentic lives, i.e. live like Jesus.
See you in church this Sunday!
Mark
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