Hikes Point Christian Church, Louisville, KY

May 18, 2016

Hikes Point Christian Church came to The Covenant Group for help with their Grand Opening. Senior Pastor, Scotty Richmond commented, “After spending a year taking care of facility renovations, we decided that Easter Sunday 2000 was going to be our Grand Opening. We had an average Sunday attendance of about 200 folks, and we wanted to really launch into the community, to let them know that there was a new church in town!”

Pastor Richmond continued, “Dr. Moisan helped us put a timeline together, and then he held us accountable to that timeline. He rendered an invaluable service to help me in leading this whole program.”

The Covenant Group provided strategic coordination of the new member drive. They oversaw the effort, which included the following:

developing a targeted list of households near the church
producing 10,000 copies of a three-minute video introducing the church
distributing the video to targeted households with the help of church volunteers
purchasing display advertising in local print media
placing radio spots on Christian and secular radio stations
sending out direct mail postcards to over 50,000 people
getting a web site up and running

As a result of this effort, Hikes Point Christian Church’s attendance jumped to 486 on Easter Sunday, and in the following four weeks they averaged over 250 people each weekend!

Mr. Richmond expressed his appreciation for The Covenant Group. “Without Dr. Moisan’s assistance in terms of planning, preparing, securing resources and keeping us accountable to our goals, I don’t believe we would have succeeded at the level we did. We still have newcomers almost every Sunday – we’re still reaping the benefits of his company’s efforts.”

He added, “Also, the event really mobilized and unified our church to accomplish a goal – it strengthened our existing members. We joyously celebrated our victory. Overall, it was an extremely positive experience for our whole church body.”

“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

Hikes Point Christian Church, Louisville, KY

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