Starting new churches is an expensive undertaking. It is also one of the wisest ways the church can invest its money. There is no more effective evangelism tool than the development of new faith communities.

As director of mission for the North Texas Conference, I've been a part of a five-year process that included developing a vision and plan of action and a capital funds campaign resulting in pledge commitments of $12.5 million. The insights below are offered as a result of this plan, known as Vision 2020. Our goal: 100 new churches by the year 2020. From that experience, I learned what conferences need to build the necessary financial support for planting new churches.

A Clear Vision
To build the necessary financial support, you must have a clear vision. The people need to have some input in creating that vision. They will support what they have had a part in creating. They must be given an opportunity for ownership in the vision if they are to fully embrace it.

Bishop William B. Oden lifted up the need for new churches at his first annual conference session as presiding bishop of the North Texas Conference. He invited everyone to attend a special day-long consultation on new church starts. Keynote speakers were invited to make presentations, and participants were invited to share their reflections in small-group settings. Their input was recorded and passed on to a task force that was enlisted to create a plan of action for an aggressive church-starting program in our conference. The plan was presented to the annual conference session, and it passed unanimously. Why?

The most passionate, vocal voices about this ministry area had been given an opportunity to be heard and to help shape the plan. They "owned" it and agreed to support it. Because they were excited about embarking on this ambitious plan, they were willing to raise the financial resources needed to make the vision a reality.

Commitment from the Bishop
In our system, conference initiatives simply will not fly without the whole-hearted support of the bishop. Therefore, pray for a bishop who is passionate about church planting!

Strong leadership that invites the involvement of others in the creation of a vision for church planting and the directives for getting there is essential. The bishop then becomes not only the leader, but also the cheerleader for the implementation of the plan.

An enthusiastic bishop will proclaim and interpret the vision for others. As the leader of this conference priority, the bishop will work closely with those charged with fund-raising responsibilities.

Our Vision 2020 capital funds campaign in North Texas was successful because Bishop Oden first pledged to the effort himself. Then he sought significant pledges from the entire cabinet, then the clergy, then the local churches, then individuals. He devoted a great deal of his time to making calls on individuals who had the means to make large gifts to this endeavor.

If the bishop and other conference leaders are truly excited about the cause of starting new churches, and if they have the backing of the annual conference and a strategic plan, then raising money will not be a chore, but an exciting opportunity.

Professional Fundraisers
Capital funds campaigns take significant amounts of time, energy, and money; therefore, it is usually necessary to hire professional fundraisers. There are many competent fundraisers, and finding the right fit for your annual conference is crucial.

Our conference created a campaign office for a period of two years to work with the fundraising company. The office helped identify foundations for potential grants and produced promotional materials for the campaign. This executive was in close touch with the churches and regularly attended cabinet meetings to report on the pledge status of each church by district. District superintendents then worked diligently with each congregation in their districts to secure a pledge.

Under the guidance of the fundraisers and working closely with our bishop, the executive proved to be a valuable member of the team for this effort.

Partnership with Churches
While our Vision 2020 plan was conference-wide and thus a significant unifying event, it was also important to give churches flexibility in designating their pledges for special projects. Churches were pleased to be able to partner with particular new church starts, and the benefits were not only financial, but relational as well.

Pastors were helped in finding the needed pledge dollars in their congregations when church members were able to meet new church start pastors and hear the stories of their new church. Pulpit exchanges and other joint activities between the partner church and new church start often occurred, resulting in additional interest and support from the sponsoring congregation.

A Vision 2020 Funding Task Force established guidelines to create criteria for designated pledges. Undesignated pledges went to a fund overseen by a conference agency charged with providing resources for new church starts.

Partner churches have been recognized at our annual conference session in an attempt to create a culture of churches starting churches. Seeing the annual conference as only one of the players in a new church start is important in helping local churches take a more active role in the development of new faith communities.

Strong Spiritual Grounding
Stewardship is, after all, a spiritual issue. Any attempt to raise financial support for the church's mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ needs to be grounded in prayer and discernment of God's will.

Therefore, the first step in building financial support for mission should be an intentional prayer process. In our Vision 2020 effort, a person was selected to be the spiritual director. Every church in every district was prayed for in preparation for the commitment the congregation would be asked to make. People were asked to participate in a weeklong prayer vigil.

A capital funds campaign provides an opportunity for connections to be made . . . from a shared vision to the realities brought about by unified efforts. Prayer vigils and prayer partners who undergird such efforts do make a difference!

Keep the Momentum Going!
Fundraisers say you need a new capital fund effort every three to five years. As long as people are in the habit of writing a pledge check, we should give them an opportunity to continue the practice!

Following the collection of our Vision 2020 pledges, a new shareholders program will be initiated. Individuals will be invited to participate on an annual basis for the next five years. The Vision 2020 campaign helped lay the foundation for new church starts, but it provided only a fraction of the funds needed to start 100 new churches. The shareholders' program will provide continued opportunities for church members to participate in the fulfillment of this vision.

If a campaign has been successful, it is important to build on that success. This helps the conference target priorities and then provide the financial commitment to make them effective. It also gives people a chance to become true supporters of mission work in their own backyard.

Communicate!
When people give, they want to be assured that the money they have given is making a difference. As the funds enable new churches to be started, telling the story of the new church starts becomes crucial.

It's important for your conference communications office to use the regular channels of communication to report on the progress of the campaign. Special interpretative brochures and videos can be distributed across the conference. Speakers and special presentations at district and conference meetings can keep people informed about the work being done.

Regular, consistent communication between the campaign/conference office and the members of the annual conference will build trust and excitement as the vision becomes reality.

I hope these insights have been helpful to you. May God bless all our efforts to make disciples for Jesus Christ through the creation of new faith communities!

Mary Brooke Casad is the Director of Mission for the North Texas Annual Conference. For more information, go to http://www.ntcumc.org or e-mail her at casad@ntcumc.org.