First Presbyterian Church (PC USA) of Hastings, MI
First Presbyterian Church of Hastings, MI was located in the center of a town of 7,000 people. The building was historic, but cramped and antiquated. The church needed more space to grow. A member donated 33 acres outside of town and architectural drawings were drafted for a stunning, state of the art church campus. But could a congregation with a $400,000 annual budget raise the $6.5 Million required? Yes. The congregation raised $6 Million in 3 years! How? Through lead donors with extraordinary resources and commitment, who were approached through Jeff Newlin’s standard lead donor approach. One donor gave $2 Million. Two donors gave $1 Million. One donor gave $500,000. That means that $4.5 Million was given by only 4 households. The rank-and-file members gave $1.2 Million, three times their annual giving. The final $300,000 was given by a handful of other lead gifts. Very few churches can raise 15 times their annual income in three years, but every church has some households with relatively more money than the congregation’s average households. These households can make an enormous difference in the amount of money raised, especially if they are approached in an effective way that is both visionary and spiritual. (Fall 2007)