The very influential and self-proclaimed clarity evangelist, Will Mancini, says “Words create culture.” The way we talk about our vision, the words we use, and the posture we assume with certain topics, will shape and influence how others interact with those key ideas and concepts.
Tim Stevens gets this and explains a recent capital campaign experience that is unlike anything some (maybe even Tim) have ever experienced before. Some of the observations Tim shares in his post are not only ground-breaking but produced significant results.
Church Executive Magazine recently published Five reasons why churches limit the length of capital campaigns. The article points to two key ideas that support Tim and Granger Community Church’s experience:
- Limiting the length of the campaign addresses the uncertainty most people have about making long-term commitments.
- Shortening the time between vision and impact is another reason a shorter capital campaign period is becoming a more favorable option for some churches.
But the length of the campaign is not the most radical idea he presents. The most radical idea is that Granger didn’t even call this a “campaign.” Instead, they used the word “project.” That decision alone sets the tone of the entire blog post and the experience of the initiative for the church.
It sounds different.
It feels different.
It looks different.
If we’re not getting the results we want, maybe it’s time to change the way we talk about the vision, idea, or concept we are passionate about and take a completely new approach.
Have you ever found success in advancing your vision by changing the way you talked about something?
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