How Catalyst Faithworks can help.
If you were to ask anyone who has done a stewardship campaign: “What was one of the hardest parts of managing your capital campaign?” The answer will almost always be – “Communications!”
If you were to ask the same person: “What was one of the most important parts of managing a successful capital campaign?” The answer will almost always be – “Communications!”
Catalyst Faithworks understands that you need to create a memorable and effective capital campaign. It is imperative that your campaign communicates your story and your vision with both excellence and impact. Also, you must understand that a potent, quality communications package includes oversight of the printing process and video components.
Thankfully, Catalyst Faithworks has simplified the process to make it both fun and efficient for you to manage a communications campaign that exceeds what you have envisioned!
In Part Two of COMMUNICATION BASICS FOR A CHURCH CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, we ask you to please ponder the following external considerations and learn how to make your communications a hit!
First, you need to Determine Your Church Culture. This is crucial to help your team (and us) better understand your congregation, since they are your target for the communications. Ysour answers to the following questions will help us guide you in choosing from the various design options. Remember, overall consistency is the goal!
Questions for Consideration
(Answer each question with a simple YES or NO)
- Do you have an updated mission statement that the leadership clearly articulates to all attendees on a regular basis?
- Does discipleship and community time occur primarily on Sundays (i.e. Sunday School)?
- Do you regularly send out professionally designed mailers to the community that promote & invite?
- Is the Sunday morning worship assisted by a robed choir?
- Does the Sunday morning experience include PowerPoint or video on large screens during singing and teaching?
- Do you have a relevant logo & tag line created primarily with the outside community’s reception in mind?
- Does the sanctuary consist of pews, hymnals, and a pulpit?
- Is drama ever a part of the overall Sunday Worship/Teaching experience?
- Does the music on Sunday morning include a contemporary band?
- Has a demographic study of your geographic area been done? (people groups, income, lifestyle, values, religious prefs., etc.)
You might create more questions along the same lines, but as you can see it is essential that you and your team share a consistent understanding of your church’s vision and philosophy of ministry.
Next, we will ask you to develop your Campaign Theme. This “tag line” should carry the big picture theologically and/or strategically and/or emotionally. One church wanted to raise funds to equip and update interior educational space for a building constructed during a previous capital campaign: “Beyond the Open Door.” Another church combined its missional mentality with a call for unity: Growing and Going Together. Your campaign theme must be clear, concise, and full of meaning, so that your people recognize, remember and repeat.
Your Campaign Logo will follow and it should be tied graphically and artistically with your overall theme, but it must also connect with the congregation. The logo must be developed to resonate emotionally and be on target with the majority of members. We recommend you’re your capital campaign logo be distinct from your existing church logo. However, while the campaign logo look should be distinct, care must be taken not to vary from the expectations of your church culture. For example, The First Church of Ageless Tradition which meets in 220-year-old building listed on the National Registry of Historical Places would not likely use a skateboard or MP3 player in its logo. Remember, too, text logos can be just as effective as image-based logos.
As suggested in our previous article on “Communication Basics,” it is vital that congregational leadership rally behind the Logo, Title and Theme! Overall consistency is the goal.
From this point, your Campaign Design Items must be enough in number to build momentum and keep continual "top of mind" awareness. Campaign Design items should be consistent in colors, design, style of images, verbiage and paper ...with your campaign theme and logo always included.
The experts at Catalyst Faithworks will help keep your copy clear, concise and compelling. Written text must communicate, but not overload, or it will not be read!
The Catalyst Faithworks design team will incorporate graphic devices such as pull-out quotes, verses, thoughts, et cetera, so your audience will read and then be drawn into the heavier copy areas. Another popular technique is the use of testimonials from your own people. Such are not only believable, but will powerfully reflect on the past, connect with the present, and envision a favorable future!
What about Oversight in the Printing Process? Does anyone on your campaign team feel competent in selecting ink colors or understand the bottom line costs of printing? The variations in today’s world of print and computer-operated presses are overwhelming. Catalyst Faithworks works with you to make sure your choices are appropriate for you and your church. We understand the print business so that your options of price and quality will remain in an acceptable variance.
We want to help you to obtain a great response on time and in budget! We have an established relationship with Catalyst Print Communications that will help you stay on deadline with each deliverable to the congregation, and maintain "top of mind" awareness! You must build consistent momentum.
Video/multimedia can also be a very effective complement to your print pieces. This is not inexpensive, as you know, but can have great impact. Many consultants recommend a Short Video, a Main Celebration Video and a Closer Video. As always, it is important to be consistent in look (colors, design, style of images, and verbiage). Medius Video Productions is our recommended source for “high-end” video.
In summary, stewardship communications through CATALYST FAITHWORKS has huge benefits, because:
- We are a Christian-based company dedicated to focusing only on biblical stewardship communications and proven, timeless principles! We exist to assist you in your stewardship journey with an understanding that our communications will be a support to the means of grace that come through prayer and faith.
- We offer FREE consulting to help you all the way...and with high-speed connections, design proofing and file transfers are easy!
- Stewardship communication is our specialty! Our process of using “visual-resources” and our design solutions are industry-leading!
- Our one-stop-shop design and print capabilities ensure quality and speed–and free your staff and members for top-priority tasks!
- Our professional quality digital designs are created using industry-standard Adobe software, which mean less worries at the printing stage! Please understand that Microsoft Word and Microsoft Publisher are NOT high-end programs and they bring considerable risk when the files are being created for actual offset printing.
Want to learn more?
Please contact us at Catalyst Faithworks because:
- Capital campaigns like yours are our specialty! Our design packages are tailor-made to your specific capital campaign approach!
- We have templated campaign design samples to view via e-mail or our website so that most of the design guesswork is eliminated!
- With today’s faster internet connections, viewing and approving our designs on your monitor is so easy it’s like we are on site!
- We offer both design and printing services to simplify your job as well as to free your staff and volunteers for other priority tasks!
Our Reference-Based Approach to Developing Your Communications...Puts You in the Director’s Chair.
With your direction, we’ll develop campaign communications that resonate deeply with your congregation to build top-of-mind awareness and excitement. We will deliver superior design, printing, and video services for consistent and timely delivery of each campaign communication element. Unlike most general church marketing and design firms, our capital campaign product lines focus solely on church campaign communications. Let us not only save you time, but also help you multiply your valuable people resources. We’ve worked with many churches across the country from denominational and non-denominational backgrounds, and we consider every church campaign unique. Along with hiring a consultant, an architectural firm, and church builder, we’ll be one of the best partners you can enlist to maximize your campaign.
