As one who came to stewardship campaigns reasonably late in the game, and from a background in educational administration and music, I count myself fortunate to be associated with J.D. Klote and the company representative I have worked with at Edith Rankin Memorial United Church in Kingston, ON.
The J.D. Klote approach to stewardship is reportedly similar to other companies in the field, with one important exception. A main feature of the J.D. Klote approach is the home visit, a feature that sets it apart from its competitors. It is the home visit that is the single most important factor in the success of the J.D. Klote approach.
It is the home visit that allows for the maximum comfort for prospective donors. It is personal. It features honest exchanges of information and opinion. It can be spiritual. For the visitor who is able to discern that God is with him or her, the visit can be transformative. Much more than a request for financial support, done well it takes on the aura of a pastoral visit.
Another attractive attribute of the J.D. Klote approach is that all support materials and templates are supplied. The advantage here is that the work of the steering committee within the church is simplified to the point where its only real task is to successfully implement a program with a proven track record in churches throughout Canada and the U.S.
Your consultant is a person who successfully brings together an impressive work ethic, a spiritual grounding and effective people and leadership skills. He has a remarkable ability to remember names and faces of people he’s met only briefly, a valuable asset in a position like his. He is a pleasure to work with, always upbeat and encouraging of others efforts.
Our experience at Edith Rankin is that this campaign is an opportunity to do something very significant in the life of our church, an opportunity that won’t likely come again anytime soon. In this quest to accomplish great things, J.D. Klote, through their representative, has been an invaluable ally.
Steering Committee Chair
Edith Rankin Memorial United Church
Kingston, Ontario