As a 20-year-old church in picturesque Wimberley continued to experience growth, adding an extra row of chairs to an already crowded worship space was not enough to provide seating for a multiplying congregation. This fortunate situation prompted the leadership of Wimberley United Methodist Church to resurrect a plan to build a new sanctuary and raise more than three and a half times the church’s annual budget toward the goal.

Wimberley UMC’s commendable effort in accepting the Building to Be More challenge, reaching a target of close to $950,000 in gifts and committed three-year pledges, was due in part to members taking the time to reach a consensus on the exact needs of the church. They also listened carefully when counseled on how much the congregation could reasonably borrow within safe debt limits and selected a professional campaign consultant, Dick Young of the Texas Methodist Foundation, to guide them through the process.

“We were able to expand the meaning of stewardship within the congregation and do it with no ‘damage’ to the membership,” said Phil Baker, Campaign Director. “Dick played a low key, yet highly supportive role, which fit in very well with our needs.”

Working with a steering committee of 25 church leaders, Young began the campaign in February 2003. While applying their own brand of “Wimberley style” and following Young’s lead through a prayer-based campaign, the outcome this congregation sought was ultimately delivered.

A large part of the success Wimberley saw came through heeding Young’s encouragement to use the Wesley and Giving program or the God and our Stuff curriculum developed by the Texas Methodist Foundation in all Sunday School classes during the campaign. Both series of lessons encouraged members of all ages to examine their lives and individual blessings so that they might contribute joyfully to building the new sanctuary.

“Seeing not only success in a campaign like this, but the way it transforms the lives of United Methodists in the process, well, there’s just nothing like that,” Young said. “Wimberley UMC proved that having a mega budget isn’t paramount when it comes to conducting a productive campaign, and it was a real blessing to witness that as well.”

Members of Wimberley UMC celebrated God’s love and gave thanks for their achievement with a candlelight dinner and worship service held in the Dripping Springs United Methodist Church gymnasium/fellowship hall in late May.

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