I saw this headline and it captured my interest: “The Defining Moment of a Capital Campaign.”
What do you think the defining moment of a capital campaign would be? Would it be when you begin, when you get key leaders on board, or when you reach the goal? All of those make sense, but that’s not the defining moment according to Tony Morgan.
Tony Morgan (TonyMorgan.com) gave the defining moment in this way:
In 2002, my wife and I experienced the most difficult financial stretch of our marriage. Money was running out. Things were tense. Hope was being lost. I was 90 days away from doing the one thing every young husband and father fears more than anything else–asking my father-in-law to move into his basement.
It was during this time my wife sat me down at our kitchen table and said, ‘Honey, we have always heard you cannot out-give God. I want to ask if we can raise our giving from 10% to 15% and give the extra money to [a ministry] because we need a miracle.’
With all the spiritual maturity I could muster, I said, ‘Well when you’re this far in the hole, what’s the difference between 10% and 15%?’ So at my wife’s urging and with little to no money, we significantly increased our level of giving.
Less than one month later, I landed my dream job . . . . For the last fourteen years I have spent practically every day of my life telling pastors and church leaders about the joy that comes when you trust God with sacrificial giving.
Tony Morgan says that the defining moment of a vision-driven capital campaign is the kitchen table. It is at this time when the family or a single person with open hearts, open Bibles, and open budgets wrestles with God about their level of commitment. “This is the spiritual journey of the campaign–when a family decides to trust God at a level they never have before and then watches Him provide.”
May this be the case with our families.
Each day I write for the members of First Baptist Church Covington and others around the country about life and Scripture. If you would like to participate in this blog, please subscribe at waylonbailey.com or in the box below.