First Church of the Nazarene

Client Background

Located in Stow, Ohio, the First Church of the Nazarene held its first services on December 15, 1985 and now serves the surrounding community with faith-based services and activities. The church changed its name to Fishcreek Nazarene Worship Center.

The capital campaign steering committee recommended the Ecclesiastic theme, "A Time to Build." Caler&Company created this capital campaign logo, which was continuously utilized on all church bulletins, newsletters, email, social networks and posters for the duration of the year-long fundraising campaign.

The Challenge

Undergoing growing pains, First Church of the Nazarene sought to initiate a capital raising drive within its congregation for the construction of a new worship center to triple its size. To achieve this, the church sought support and donations from the congregation and the community through persuasive and compelling marketing communications.

Caler&Company used the architectural drawings and created this illustration, which depicted the existing church (far left) and transitioned it from blueprint to the final phase development of the new church. The rendering was enlarged to 4 ft. wide, framed and presented as the "vision" on the wall of the community room. The rendering was used on all elements in the capital campaign.

The Outcome

After weeks went by without word from the church's original fundraising leader, Caler&Company was contacted by the frustrated clergy and steering committee. In less than four weeks, Caler&Company completed architectural renderings, designed communications tools including a capital-raising theme logo, A Time to Build; created fund-raising letters, direct mail pieces, tithing stuffer reminders, a newsletter, pledge cards, a history of the church, vision copy and a timeline for the construction process.

The Caler Team had the entirety of the
campaign in-place before the original
fundraising company responded with a
recommended theme. The 3 phases of the
campaign included: misson/vision
editorial, ask letters, pledge cards, gift
cards and return envelopes, note cards
and gift acknowledgement/thank you cards.

A comprehensive background brochure,
including the case statement, became the
primary communications tool detailing the
need for church expansion.

The church backgrounder, along with historic photos helped provide parishioners with the context of where they've been, where they are and what the future holds. The story helped set the stage for the "ask". The beautiful $2,000,000 addition was ready for its congregation within one year.