In a recent article about Lourdes in France, Lori Erickson wrote that “people need to know that miracles are possible even when the darkness seems overwhelming.” Not only do we believe that the new CHM Healing Center will be just such a place where miracles take place, but it will also serve as an international center for leaders to be trained in healing. Tom Tewell (of Panas, Linzy and Partners) recently gave an encouraging presentation to CHM’s National Advisory Board. He stated that, in their feasibility study (a study to find out the likelihood, or feasibility, of raising the funds necessary to build the healing center), they had interviewed over 70 people and found that virtually everyone they spoke with was excited about the project and was willing to contribute. Panas, Linzy is confident, even at this stage, that CHM can raise the $23 million to complete the project. Most people interviewed were also impressed about our plans to place up to $5 million in an endowment fund, to ensure that the center will be properly maintained and operated for generations to come.
It has taken years to find the right piece of land (a process that was quite frustrating at times), but as I stepped onto the heavily-wooded 60 acres that CHM purchased last year, my first reaction was, “Wow! God knew just what He was doing when all those other parcels of land didn’t work out!” What struck me, as I walked underneath the canopy of magnificent live oaks that dot the property, was how peaceful and remote the site seemed – almost holy – even though it is less than ten minutes from the Jacksonville Airport.
While it is important and encouraging to know that a national firm believes we can raise the necessary funds to complete the healing center, we realize this will be a challenging campaign. I read recently that Senator Obama’s fundraising committee raised over $40 million in the month of March alone. That is a staggering amount of money to raise in a single month, of course, but what is really interesting is the unprecedented manner in which it was raised. This money came from over 400,000 people, and the average contribution was only $96!
We believe that a similar scenario is possible with the new healing center. If this is truly going to be a healing center that all of us will feel a part of – where thousands or even millions come to be healed or come to learn about healing – it seems only natural that we will raise the necessary money from thousands of people. Every gift is important and we would like nothing better than to turn the traditional campaign pyramid (in which 80% of the funds comes from only 20% of the donors) upside down and raise the bulk of the money from our many faithful givers! One woman whom Tom Tewell interviewed was retired and living on a fixed income. Still, she said that this healing center was so important to her that she would pledge $10,000 over a five-year period. If only 2,000 people took the same action, that would nearly raise the amount we need!
