Congregation Services
First Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven, Mich. Photo by Robert Kukla.
We offer congregations the following services. Contact CFCS for more information about any of these programs.
Capital Campaigns
Funding your ministry vision — Assisting congregations in raising funds for capital projects is our core emphasis. Utilizing the theological basis of the reformed tradition and the techniques of the campaign professionals, CFCS makes ministry happen.
Planning, funding and implementing worthy projects involves a careful process of focusing the congregation's unique mission, engaging the church family in conversation about the church's future and assessing the church's needs in light of that vision.
Designing the appropriate project and challenging the financial potential of the congregation to fund it with members' gifts and pledges requires an intentional planning process by church leaders. Omitting key steps along the way will significantly impact the ability of the congregation to raise the needed funds.
Before the actual campaign begins a solid foundation must be laid. This foundation must clearly articulate the need to raise funds in the context of the church's mission and should involve the entire congregation in the planning process. Once this groundwork has been established, then and only then is a church truly ready to fully capitalize on the positive spiritual and financial benefits that are the results of a successful fund-raising campaign.
Feasibility Study
Validating the Vision — CFCS assists congregations to determine the readiness of its members to support campaign goals.
Often when a church is diverse or needs to more clearly define its mission objectives, pre-campaign analysis is important to the ultimate success of the campaign.
Answering basic questions to prepare for a financial campaign can be difficult without hard data. A feasibility study is a tool used to gather and analyze information and to determine campaign readiness. The results of a feasibility study will provide the foundation for designing a capital campaign that will capture the interest and support of church members and friends.
Assessment
Understanding your Giving Culture — The foundation of every giving opportunity is your congregation's established approach to handling money issues. We have a method to give you an insightful look at your unique ways of responding to needs.
CFCS has asked, "How can we help a congregation better understand its financial stewardship program and improve upon its annual giving campaign both financially and spiritually?"
In response to this question, CFCS has developed a model for assessing past practices of congregations' annual giving and presenting specific recommendations which we believe would result in church members becoming more generous over the short and long term.
At the conclusion of the process, our consultant will present a set of recommendations, which if implemented, will allow a congregation to move more intentionally toward becoming a more generous church.
Annual Stewardship Campaigns
CFCS helps congregations develop a methodology, plan and time table for securing annual commitments and instructs volunteers on how to discuss annual giving with their peers.
CFCS brings the same understanding of financial stewardship to annual stewardship campaigns that we bring to the conduct of a capital campaign. Consultants work with a congregation to help them articulate their unique mission and vision, evaluate the current giving culture and with church leadership develop a methodology, plan and timetable for securing commitments. At the same time a greater understanding of what it means to be a more a more generous people is nurtured.
Reshaping your Giving Culture
CFCS consultants assist sessions in understanding financial stewardship and in reviewing annual budgets, and provide counsel for helping congregations and presbyteries discern their vision and mission. Our CFCS staff is prepared to speak or preach on stewardship and giving to reinforce the message of funding the church's ministry. Through our analytical tools, we can assist congregations in benchmarking their progress over time in developing a better stewardship culture.
If you have a financial concern and seek an outside opinion or assistance, contact our CFCS office in Louisville to discuss our ability to respond to your need or our recommendation of denominational resources available to assist you and your congregation.