Grace Independent Baptist Church, New Berlinville, PA, Rev. Gregory Wasser “The campaign format was well thought-out, and became clear as we worked through each step. We especially appreciated the many options provided through each phase so that we could work out the program that fit our congregation. We are happy to report that the pledges at the time of the “kickoff” exceeded twice our annual budget. We can further report that after just the first few months, approximately half of the pledged amount has come in, and our general fund giving (apart from our Capital Funds giving) is stronger than it has been for years.”

Little Flower Catholic Church, Pensacola, FL, Rev. Eugene Casserly “Your representatives showed a true skill in helping us to organize ourselves in our building efforts. They were professional, enthusiastic, and sensitive to our needs. To prove the sincerity of my gratitude, I can tell you that other parishes have asked about our campaign, and I give you my highest recommendation.”

Risen Christ Lutheran Church & School, Myrtle Beach, SC, Rev. John F. Kassouf “In asking our committee members about their Kirby-Smith experience, to a person they said they would invite Kirby-Smith back if we needed to conduct another campaign in the next few years. Imagine, they had not heard of Kirby-Smith Associates only 6 month ago. Considering $960,000 was raised for a new sanctuary just a few years ago, $614,000 promised for debt reduction is exceptional.”

St. Michael Parish Community, Exeter, NH, Rev. Marc B. Drouin “After interviewing several companies, it was quite clear that Kirby-Smith was the company for us and they have not let us down. What struck the Steering Committee and myself was their spirituality in approaching the campaign, their organizational skills and direction, the quality and character of our company representative, the quality of the materials used, and the continued support of the company and our sales rep through out the entire process. The process was very comfortable and allowed a large number of parishioners to become involved in the process making it their own project. The materials provided were very effective and allowed us to tailor our campaign to our own personal needs. Through their process, they have helped my community to become educated about sacrificial giving as our weekly offertory has increased along side the capital campaign.”

Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst, MA, Rev’d A. Robert Hirschfeld, Rector “We needed to raise $1.3 million dollars in a way that would bind us closer together around a vibrant vision of our mission in Christ, and we knew we couldn’t accomplish this on our own…we were able to engage a significant segment of our population and create a campaign that truly reflected Grace Church. This brought such positive energy to the task of raising, not merely money, but Christian charity, trust, and goodwill among us.”

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Leesburg, VA Rev. Thomas A. Prinz “On behalf of the leadership and the members of Holy Trinity congregation, and especially all those who participated in the various campaign committees, I want to express our gratitude and thanks for your proven professional process, your attention to the spiritual aspects of giving, and for the careful and effective leadership…You leave behind a congregation more confident in its capacity to raise from its resources the necessary means to bring its vision into reality. In the process of this campaign, we have learned some of the core lessons of faithful stewardship that will stand us in good stead in the years to come.”

Wayne United Methodist Church, Wayne, PA, Rev. Joseph F. DiPaolo “I am writing to express my appreciation for the quality services which Kirby-Smith Associates provided our congregation during our recent capital fund campaign. Your representative was helpful, professional and thorough, sensitive to adapt existing paradigms to fit our specific congregation’s culture, and readily available when needed. It was like having an additional person on my staff for this project, which succeeded in raising more money than many thought possible.”

Salem United Methodist Church, Rothsville, PA, Rev. Sandra Knaub “We raised over $100,000 in this campaign. That is more money than this congregation has ever raised before at one time, and so we believe that this fund drive was a definite success!...It was a great pleasure to work with all of you.”

Hopeland United Methodist Church, Lititz, PA, Gary Pike, Chairman “As Chairman of Hopeland UMC’s Stewardship Campaign, I would like to thank you for your guidance and programs provided for our campaign. We were pleased with the overall response and commitments we received toward our Youth Program and new Youth Center.”

Hopeland United Methodist Church, Lititz, PA, Rev. Dennnis R. Snovel “In just over three months of giving, we have received $88,509 of pledged gifts and $24,636 of unpledged gifts. Praise the Lord! We are off to a great start. And we believe through God’s guidance that we will meet, and hopefully, exceed our campaign goal.”

St. Luke’s Church, Lebanon, PA, Rev’d Terrence L. Wible “Working with Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc. on our recent Cherishing our Heritage…Building our Future capital campaign made an overwhelming project manageable. The materials, especially the campaign manual, model and ideas for publications, especially the vision document, and the availability of and support from the office staff were outstanding…Our partnership with Kirby-Smith helped us surpass our fund-raising goal and helped us bring more stewardship awareness to members of the parish.”

First Church of the Nazarene, New Cumberland, PA, Rev. Steven R. Grosvenor “It is a great privilege to recommend the services of Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc. We were grappling with a development plan for a modular building, off-street parking, improved lighting and projection system for our sanctuary, the purchase of additional property, and the elimination of debt on a property we recently purchased. The project had bogged down to the place that the congregation questioned our ability to complete it…The feasibility study gave people of the congregation opportunity to express opinions and ask important questions. The whole church saw new opportunities and voted to proceed with the project.”

St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Douglassville, PA, Rev’d Canon C. Adams “For the second time, the K-S team lead us carefully through the always challenging process of capital fund-raising. Our expansion project being funded by this work comes after a 50 year hiatus in building and serious fund-raising, making these campaigns particularly difficult…As expected, the consultants and the office staff supported us with the very best in nurture and direction.”

Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, WI, Bishop Robert Morneau "Kirby-Smith is not just concerned about raising money. It's also concerned about shaping Christian lives and drawing people into a stewardship way of life ..."

"I thank them for stressing this most important area (stewardship) in the life of the church ... Naming God's gifts, being responsible for them, and returning them to the Lord."

Barbara Scholtz, National Coordinator of Sacrificial Giving and Francis "Dutch" Scholtz, Retired Director of Stewardship, Diocese of Saint Augustine, FL "The main thing that is significant about Kirby-Smith is their concentration on stewardship and their commitment to stewardship, both as people who practice it themselves, and also promote it. So, they are very unique in that regard."

Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church, Huntley, IL, Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. McKnight "We were so impressed with your team–home office and field consultant. The results were much better than our denominational consultants expected, we experienced excellent communications and appropriate involvement at every level of the program, and the quality of the printed materials you designed, prepared, and printed were first class. You gave us higher quality of materials, included them in the contract cost, and did it at less than half the price of some other proposals we had for campaign direction."

St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mechanicsburg, PA, Rev. Chester P. Snyder "You completed visitations to 91 parishioners who were new to St. Joseph's in the past six months. We contracted for this service in an effort to improve our capital campaign response rate from new parishioners and to insure ourselves that communications to this group is adequate for their orientation. We are pleased on both counts. Thank you again for your service."

Holy Cross Church, DeWitt, NY, Rev. J. Robert Yeazel "From the first meeting you had with our Fund Raising Committee, over a year ago, to this date we could not be more pleased with the direction, the guidance, support, and encouragement we have received from Kirby-Smith Associates. You have assembled a fine, well honed team and are of invaluable assistance to a parish such as ours."

Madison United Methodist Church, Madison, NC, Rev. Ben Curry "About a year ago we started the process of determining the best fit for our church with a Christian finance campaign organization. After interviewing a number of companies, we knew that your company was perfect for us! We have found Kirby-Smith to exemplify the highest ethical standards, outstanding quality in services, personal and professional dealings with us, deep fairness to our specific needs, and direct accountability. In every one of these qualities, we have been blessed!"

The Church of Christ the King, Old Lyme, CT, Monsignor Richard P. LaRocque "I need to tell you how much I appreciated the kindness, thoughtfulness, gentleness, and very Christian-like approach Kirby-Smith had in dealing with our people. The staff was exceptionally professional and courteous.

"It is my pleasure to recommend your company to whoever is looking for a Christian fund-raising firm. In terms of your ability, capability, and service, I rate you not only A-1, but also the very best I ever worked with. A thousand thanks for your outstanding service."

St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Obelisk, PA, Rev. James A. Shelly "Thank you for your excellent service to St. Luke's Lutheran Church for our capital fund-raising campaign. The funds raised by this campaign will enable us to go forward with God's plan to build new classrooms. Your service was vital to the success of this program. As we continue with God's plans here at St. Luke's, I look forward to a continuing partnership with you in spirit in serving Jesus Christ."

St. Teresa of Avila Parish, Augusta, GA, Rev. Thomas J. Peyton "I am glad we chose Kirby-Smith. Thank you for everything; our goals were accomplished. I thought the Pastoral Team Visitors were wonderful. I heard nothing except compliments as to prudence and patience. I would have no hesitation inviting your company back for a return visit for our 2nd phase."

New Jersey District Council, Assemblies of God, Trenton, NJ, Rev. Carl J. Colletti "Kirby-Smith Associates served the New Jersey District Council of the Assemblies of God well as we strategized to raise three-million dollars for new church planting in our Garden state. To God's glory, and with appreciation to Mr. Musser and the Kirby-Smith team, we well exceeded our three-million dollar goal. I highly recommend Gene Musser and the Kirby-Smith team for your next capital stewardship emphasis."

San Sebastian Catholic Church, Fr. Thomas P. Walsh "Your assistance in our fund-raising venture has enabled us to have faith promises totaling more than one and a half times our annual collection. The gratifying element has been that we realize we need to express our gratitude to God for all his blessings, by offering our time, talent, and treasures as an eternal testament to our being called forth at our conception to serve the good Lord on earth and be ready for eternal life in heaven."

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Bishop Theodore F. Schneider "It is with gratitude and appreciation that I write another time to commend Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc. for their ongoing support in assisting congregations in this synod."

"The flexibility is evident in Kirby-Smith's being able to provide a full every member visitation program using Kirby-Smith staff ... a service unique to Kirby-Smith ... or visitation for the major gifts portion of a program only, as well as the directed campaign traditionally offered by many across the industry. Moreover, specialized services in planned giving and the establishment of or assistance in services for congregational or institutional investment funds have been added in recent years. I believe that this latter, and relatively new area for growth in the joy of giving and in practicing generous and responsible stewardship, is a crucial area for the Church in the coming decade(s). Once again, this is an example of Kirby-Smith's understanding of the needs of the churches and its ability to be creatively flexible in meeting nearly every ministry need and setting."

"I write to express my personal appreciation for the solid churchmanship and the sound biblical theology with which the staff approaches each of these efforts, as well as the Kirby-Smith particular sensitivity toward churches of liturgical tradition."

Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, KY, Tom Lilly "I was very impressed with the fact that they had options, a lot more options than other firms offer."

"I can tell you from the inside ... they live stewardship, they practice stewardship, and this firm has done more to promote stewardship in this country, more than any firm I am aware of."

Concordia Lutheran Church and School, Fort Wayne, IN, Rev. Karl A. Frincke "We are very happy with the direction and assistance you gave us from the beginning of the effort to its end. We also very much valued the callers who worked so diligently in making contacts with our folks. Having them do an effective job was a key to meeting our objectives in this campaign. They all were most cordial, personable, qualified, persistent, and most patient. They connected quite well with our leadership, and especially with our congregation's members."

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church, Lancaster, PA, Rev. Msgr. Thomas H. Smith "The results of our campaign were above my expectations and to my delight the regular offertory continues to increase as parishioners become more involved in Saint Joseph Parish. Every dollar we spent for this campaign was well worth it. I would highly recommend you to any parish that needs to raise funds for building new buildings, improving old properties, and developing new programs."

Pequea Brethren in Christ Church, Lancaster, PA, Pastor R. Dale Shaw "In the first year of the second campaign our receipts have exceeded faith promises by $1,789 per week for a total of $340,152 during the past twelve months. During this time period our giving to the general fund also increased by $50,000. This is the third campaign we have conducted at Pequea and the second campaign that was directed by Kirby-Smith Associates. We are very thankful for your leadership and hope that you will provide leadership for the next campaign two years from now."

Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Mechanicsburg, PA, Rev. Chester P. Snyder "Thank you personally for your lead role. You quickly earned the confidence of our leadership groups, making my job a lot easier. Collecting money is not something most groups look forward to, however, your leadership made it as enjoyable as it can be. Your incremental approach to planning is surely the hallmark of your success."

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Hopkinsville, KY, Rev. Gerald H. Baker "Our Communication Subcommittee established a fine and effective working relationship with your Graphics Department. The campaign brochure and accompanying pieces of literature were printed according to the Subcommittee's design and were delivered in a timely fashion."

Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Poway, CA, Rev. Dr. Gary Nicolosi "Your company has a lot to offer any church considering a capital campaign. Not only is the program excellent, but the price is right. In considering several companies, your prices were extremely competitive. Price, quality, service ... you have it all. As we move forward, fund-raising will continue to be an important issue for churches. Kirby-Smith, I pray, will continue to serve churches effectively by assisting them in building their vision for the future."

Saint Benedict Cathedral, Evansville, IN, Rev. Gregory Chamberlin "There is no question that your firm maximized our potential, and we made a wise decision choosing your process! We are also grateful for the wonderful seminar you sponsored on stewardship. It is also having an impact on our community. I am certainly glad that we discovered your services."

Bethany Lutheran Church, Cromwell, CT, Rev. Lawrence Wogman "You had an excellent plan of preparation, implementation, and follow-up. You helped us organize our committees, stay on a time-line, and produce the pieces for information. Your representative was inspiring and practical, and it actually was enjoyable. We wound up receiving over 3 times our previous pledged income for our capital campaign, and increased our regular weekly giving by 3-4%, since we ran both at the same time."

Evangelical Free Church of Hershey, Hershey, PA, Rev. David V. Martin "I want to express my appreciation to you and your fine staff of people for the work that you accomplished on behalf of our Evangelical Free Church. As you know, the faith-promises far exceeded the goal we had set for the new education building, and that should enable us to reduce present indebtedness on the building we are now in, as well as pay for the new one."

Hope United Methodist Church, Voorhees, NJ, Rev. Jeffrey D. Bills "I want to thank you and your staff for the excellent work you did on behalf of Hope United Methodist Church. The members of the Kirby-Smith staff that we dealt with were top notch. Each contact we made for information, clarification, or problem-solving was met with prompt and courteous attention. Kirby-Smith is run the way a Christian business should be run!"

St. Mary Catholic Church, Montrose, CO, Pearl Cooling, Business Administrator "Your staff worked with us in developing a plan for our Faith Takes Another Step campaign. Their professionalism and experience were beneficial to our campaign committee as we set out to prepare materials, do mailings, set up meetings, etc. We faced many challenges, but through it all their enthusiasm never faltered."

Cornwall United Methodist Church, Cornwall, PA, Rev. Ted Mefferd "I am very grateful to Kirby-Smith for a successful capital fund program at Cornwall UMC. This congregation had not had a stewardship-visitation program for more than thirty years. There was thorough and patient preparation from the home office through all phases of the campaign. The visitors were warmly received by our members, and were very gracious and patient, even their contacts with inactives were well done. Your visitors were wonderful examples of caring Christians and were a positive witness."

First United Methodist Church, China Grove, NC, Rev. Andy Langford "The staff and members of First United Methodist Church, China Grove, congratulate Kirby-Smith Associates for the excellent ministry they performed in our congregation. They did what they said they would do, and we strongly recommend them to any congregation serious about the need for raising funds."

Saint Raphael The Archangel, Oshkosh, WI, Rev. Daniel Felton "Once again we were extremely pleased with the manner and results of our recent mini-campaign. The pledged amount exceeded our goals. We have never had one household that was visited ever complain or give us any negative feedback at all. This is quite a tribute to the teams that have done the campaigns in our parish."

Saint Mary Immaculate Parish, Plainfield, IL, Development Director, Alex Szalinski "On behalf of our pastor, Fr. Tony Nugent, our Building Committee, and our faith community, I wanted to thank Kirby-Smith Associates' staff for their work on our phase of home visitations. This was the third summer in a row that Kirby-Smith Associates has performed visits for St. Mary Immaculate Parish. That is a total of 3,250 visits. This most recent phase was clearly the smoothest phase of all. Possibly we are getting to be 'old hands' at this and know what and how to prepare ... the details become more familiar, there are no unexpected issues, and a certain confidence appears. It was again a pleasure to work with you."

Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish, Lake Charles, LA, Rev. Msgr. Ronald C. Groth "It is with deep gratitude that we have accomplished so much in such a short time. Our goal was to raise $3 million for three needed projects. Thanks to your help, we raised $2.5 million of our goal, and by the time we finish receiving the pledges, we may exceed that goal. Your advice concerning gatherings for advanced giving was indeed a key part of our success. Another key to our success was following the advice of Capital Campaign envelopes to all parishioners in our monthly mailouts. People who chose not to donate or pledge are doing so because those envelopes are sent to them. We have realized more than an additional $100,000. We have made a pastoral commitment to teach and preach stewardship for years to come. After attending your Stewardship Conference, I am proud to say that we have just formed our Parish Stewardship Committee and excitement is growing."

Saint Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, Denver, CO, Rev. C. Thomas Jost "We have just completed the Stewardship Campaign at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Denver, and we are truly grateful for all the help given to us by the people of Kirby-Smith. Thanks to your advice, assistance, and participation, our campaign was very successful. We not only exceeded our goal for financial pledges, but we also recruited a significant number of people committed to ministries. We were also able to update our mailing list with corrected addresses and phone numbers. We received a large number of compliments on the professional appearance of the materials we sent out."

Church of God, Etters, PA, Rev. James A. McKibbin "The Church and I have appreciated the professional and Christian manner in which your Associates prayed, assisted, and supported us during our 'Building to Serve Christ and Community' Campaign Fund Drive. The Campaign helped us realize our potential for continued growth. Most of our people have a greater appreciation for stewardship as it relates to time, talent, and treasure. People are more aware of stewardship being a way of life, rather than just a monetary contribution. I would whole-heartedly without reservation recommend Kirby-Smith Associates to any Christian organization seeking assistance in a Capital Campaign Fund Drive."

Bern Reformed United Church of Christ, Leesport, PA, Rev. Loretta Witmer Roberts "On behalf of Bern Reformed United Church of Christ, I wish to express my thanks and appreciation for your fund-raising labors for our congregation. With Kirby-Smith's expert advice we were able to accomplish a task that seemed over-whelming to our members when we first faced the necessity of making a large capital expenditure."

Sacred Heart Church, Green Cove Springs, FL, Rev. Donal Sullivan "We achieved our target in the pledging campaign. Initially, your people had suggested that $800,000 would be a realistic target given the size of our parish. We were delighted, however, that with your help we reached one million dollars. I do not believe we could have reached our target without the input and help of Kirby-Smith. The experience and assistance of the company was invaluable to us. I thank Kirby-Smith for all their expertise and for putting us on the right track to achieve our goal."

First Presbyterian Church, Rockaway, NJ, General Chairperson, Christopher J. DeWorkin "It is hard to believe that almost a year has passed since that first evening when you came on behalf of Kirby-Smith and left as a friend. You showed and taught us how we can be better stewards of God's time, talents, and treasures that He has given. You showed us that it is fun to be stewards. God truly does love a cheerful giver. If there is ever another church I could speak to on your behalf, let me know. There are other companies that do what you do, and do it in the name of God. None can do it better. God works through Kirby-Smith and through its employees."

Saint Timothy's Episcopal Church, Herndon, Virginia, Rev. Bradford Ayers Rundlet "I am writing to express my personal thanks for the wonderful ministry you and your associates have had with the people of St. Timothy's. We thank God for you! From the very beginning of our relationship your knowledge, experience, and professional manner were apparent. You outlined everything that needed to be done, including who, how, and when it would be done. You guided, provided, and encouraged. Your ministry with us will have a positive and lasting effect on this and the next generation of people in St. Timothy's."

Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mohnton, PA, Rev. Lynda R. Haring "Please accept the thanks of the leadership of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mohnton, PA, for a very successful capital campaign. Your presence and leadership every step of the way was excellent. All of the printed materials provided for us were of the most excellent quality, pieces of which we could be very proud. The bottom line for us is that many of our members have been surprised at the generous response both from those who made faith promises and those who chose not to. This is a testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit working through the decision to use Kirby-Smith Associates in our efforts, and the fine work that you have done"

Grace United Methodist Church, Hummelstown, PA, Rev. John A. Schaefer "This letter is to thank Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc. and its staff for the wonderful way you assisted us in our Capital Fund Campaign. Many of us felt that if we could achieve a goal of $400,000, that would allow us to develop the building plan our church needed. Thus far, we have pledges that exceed $485,000 and it is still climbing."

First Baptist Church, Cambridge Springs, PA, Rev. Rod Beardsley "We are very pleased with the results, particularly in the area of added involvement of people from within our fellowship. We have done spiritual gift inventories, time and talent inventories, made numerous pleas for additional servants in the kingdom, preached involvement, had Nominating Committees pray for and seek out workers, but we have found innumerable hidden gifts, talents, and ministries latent in our congregation through our Kirby-Smith visitors. We are indeed thankful for all that you have done in our midst."

Christ the Redeemer Lutheran Church, Adrian, MI, Rev. Richard Rentner "This was our first attempt to raise money for the construction of a new church building, and we were all novices... from our first meeting, I sensed in you a genuine desire for the growth of this congregation. You wanted us to succeed, you planned for our success, and you saw to it that we had the resources we needed to succeed. This Sunday we'll be celebrating what I call a miracle. God is doing something amazing here ... something that will launch this congregation into an exciting future. Kirby-Smith Associates, Inc. had a key role in setting the stage for this miracle, and I'm deeply appreciative of your services."

Holy Nativity Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD, Rev. James Bredeson "We had interviewed several other companies, including one agency affiliated with our denomination, before engaging Kirby-Smith Associates. We were impressed with the professional skill and knowledge evidenced by the Kirby-Smith representatives. But more importantly, we were impressed by the spiritual depth and approach which Kirby-Smith uses. I would highly recommend Kirby-Smith Associates to any church considering a capital campaign."

St. Leo The Great Church, Lincroft, NJ, Rev. James Clark "The visitors you sent contacted every parish family, expertly touched them and brought many back. In large fluid suburban areas like ours, the opportunity to put a human face on an understaffed church is an opportunity not to be missed."

Peace Lutheran Church, Port Charlotte, FL, Rev. Edward Struebing III "Not only did your team exercise professional skill and achievement before, during, and after our successful campaign, but you also helped us to recognize the many new ministry gifts with which God has graced us."

Holy Family Parish, Harrisburg, PA, Rev. Bernard McGinley "I want to thank Kirby-Smith and their representatives for the great help they have given us. It's well planned, it's not rushed, and everything is assisted by their representatives who come to our meetings and help us, the people of the parish, who are working on the various committees. It's a very good system. I recommend it most highly to all of you."

North Hunterdon United Methodist Church, Hampton, NJ, Rev. William Kirby "Kirby-Smith customized the program for us. We raised 25% more than Kirby-Smith had projected we would raise, and we raised seven times the cost of having Kirby-Smith come in and do our visitation for us."

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