Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, KY

June 1, 2016

Sojourn Community Church has a mission and vision for the future, and they are passionate about them. Their congregation had been growing rapidly, and six years after the church opened its doors, they were in desperate need of a new building. With services overflowing, children’s facilities that were less than acceptable, and parking that was a challenge at best; it became obvious that they needed better facilities. When an old elementary school came up for sale, Sojourn decided that this was the place for them. However, they needed to raise an estimated $1.5 million to purchase the building and complete the necessary renovations. That’s when Sojourn’s pastor Daniel Montgomery called the Covenant Group.

After several initial meetings, The Covenant Group went to work and put the processes, teams and systems into place. Pastor Montgomery elaborated, “The Covenant Group had a lot of our people in our congregation doing small tasks and that builds ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. The Covenant Group helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and they laid out the next steps we had to take to make the vision a reality. They introduced a process that allowed everyone to hear and understand the vision, and then they showed people how they could help.” The pastor explained further, “this process was alien to the way we did things, but the Covenant Group gave us a solid theological foundation that supported what they did, as well as some key documents, prayer support, and the requisite training for our people to be successful, all of which were invaluable.”

As pastor Montgomery explained, “With The Covenant Group behind us every step of the way, Sojourn was able to exceed our goal of $1.5 million”. The refurbished building includes a newly renovated 5000+ square foot auditorium, an art gallery, a spacious music venue, state-of-the-art children’s facilities that include a gymnasium and a playroom for toddlers, and much more.
When asked how he felt about the Covenant Group and their contribution to Sojourn’s project, Pastor Montgomery said, “I would absolutely recommend The Covenant Group. Churches looking for theologically and Biblically driven consultants, people who operate with integrity and bring a process that includes the entire church body while empowering its leaders to achieve that vision, should hire The Covenant Group.”

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church