10 Firsts

As we continue in our My Life stewardship journey, it occurred to me that we are doing stuff differently than in the past. For the first time...

1. We are trying to raise $10 million. If we make it, that will be 65% more than the most we've ever raised.
2. We are planning to build with cash. We won't be borrowing money for this phase.
3. We asked our entire staff to block their calendars for 7-weeks.
4. We are working with RSI, a group that helps churches raise money. I talked more about them here.
5. We have wrapped most of the campaign activities around the weekend services. Rather than stacking a bunch of events on top of an already full calendar, we are using the times people are already gathering to present the vision.
6. We are meeting individually with people who have shown a huge interest in the vision. Without hesitation, we are asking them to help.
7. We are finishing the campaign in a relatively short time. Only 7-weeks from launch until we ask for commitments. For comparison, in 2004 it was 13-weeks.
8. A portion of what we are raising money for is not on campus. The first money that comes in will go toward our Community Center in downtown South Bend.
9. We have coordinated the teaching at every age level. Every child in my family, every student in youth ministry, every college student and adult--we will all be learning about stewardship and investing in the vision.
10. We are emphasizing life change stories like never below. We felt like that was a miss in 2004, so we are purposely swinging the pendulum far in the other direction.

It's all over in a few weeks. Stay tuned for results.