Weeks before I received my first calling as a pastor, the elders decided that they were going to seek to acquire property and build a new facility for the church. They informed me that leading the relocation and capital campaign efforts would be part of my job. As a fresh seminary graduate, I had precisely zero requisite experience for the task. I had no experience in fundraising or contracting. And, of course, seminary did not include any preparation for the task.

Over the course of those years, I had to learn a lot, but perhaps the most important lesson I learned was that leading a congregation through a capital campaign could be a significant spiritual blessing.

We just completed our first campaign meeting for a campaign we are leading at New Life Bible Fellowship to launch our first campus and to do some work on our current location. As I sat in a room with sixty New Life leaders, worshiping, praying, and considering God’s call on our church, I was reminded of the blessing of a capital campaign.

Few pastors get excited about leading a capital campaign. We love preaching and shepherding, not administration and finances. But, as many have noted, Jesus spoke frequently about money. One of the ongoing threads of Paul’s ministry was raising funds for the church in Jerusalem.

It’s my experience that pastors often delay or avoid capital campaigns. I completely understand the impulse. Who wants to add extra work that you aren’t trained for? Who wants to distract themselves from the core work of ministry? But if the Lord is calling you to step forward as a leader and to raise funds for his good purposes, then be encouraged: you will gain more than just the funds to complete the task.

Here are some benefits I’ve experienced from God-honoring capital campaigns:

1.       Unity

A capital campaign allows the congregation to rally around a purpose. I don’t think it’s an accident that Paul spends a decent chunk of his second letter to the divided Corinthian church calling them to participate in a capital campaign. Campaigns can break down silos and set the church on mission together.

2.       Generosity

Many of us shy away from preaching on stewardship and finances. A capital campaign can help us grow more comfortable with a topic that Jesus never shied away from. Jesus unflinchingly tells his followers to lay up treasures in heaven, not earth, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). A campaign can invite our people to take stock of where they are laying their treasures.

3.       Shepherding

There are at least two shepherding benefits to a campaign. First, it will naturally lead you to have conversations with different congregants than you usually speak with. I just had a conversation with a couple I haven’t spent much time with, and she shared an unresolved hurt in her life. I’m working now to try to navigate the next steps of peacemaking. I wouldn’t have had this conversation if it weren’t for the campaign. Second, you will have intimate conversations with congregants as they seek God’s guidance for this financial decision. It’s an act of trust and a gift for a pastor to be able to step into these conversations.

4.       Prayerfulness

Our prayerfulness is often ratcheted up during capital campaigns. Are we listening to the Lord well? Are we seeking his will for our church? What is God calling me to contribute financially? A time of need causes us to seek God’s face together.

So, the next time your church launches a capital campaign instead of sighing internally, perhaps you might consider that God might use the campaign to do a good work in your body.

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Photo by Melissa Walker Horn on Unsplash