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Case Study

Ascension Grows the Gospel by Growing Giving

Lutheran Church of the Ascension

Location:

Northfield, IL

Denomination:

Lutheran - ELCA

Weekly Attendance:

120

Staff Members:

8
0 %

attendees active on Realm

0 %

gifts given online

0 %

increase in annual giving

Ascension Video Poster

History

Since its founding in 1959, Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Northfield, IL has been creating faithful servants of God. The church’s vision is to be a vibrant, progressive church that welcomes all who want to work in Jesus’ name. Its members are united in that vision, and they live out that calling by serving the community.

Challenge

Ascension was thriving through their community outreach program, but they were having some difficulties effectively reaching their church body and bringing people in. Ascension’s staff and congregation needed to stay connected throughout the week and have a vehicle for tracking attendance and the overall health of their ministry, all in real-time.

Solution

The people of Lutheran Church of the Ascension needed a place to not only connect their members but also a way to go outside of the church walls to do ministry whenever and wherever they were called to go. With the Realm Connect mobile app, they’re now able to both build their church family and serve their local community.

Unexpected Benefits

Ascension moved to Realm with the goal of improving connection and communication. What they weren’t expecting was the immediate benefit of having integrated eGiving. Since they began using Realm in May of 2015, they’ve seen a 35% increase in the total giving each year and they now receive more than 30% of their gifts online. This bump in annual giving allows Lutheran Church of the Ascension to increase their ministry efforts and use the extra resources to further their mission.