By Louis P. Barbarin, CPA Remember a few years ago when a gallon of gas was about $2? Or when the average round-trip airline ticket cost about $300? Those days seem long gone as Americans must now pay over 25 percent more for gas and 20 percent to 40 percent more on airline tickets. Prices […]
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By Rev. James R. Cook, CFP®, RICP® According to Macrotrends.net, the current life expectancy in the U.S. in 2022 was 79.05 years, a 0.08% increase from 2021. People are living longer, which means more and more, younger baby boomers — who might not be prepared for the wide-ranging considerations of eldercare — are faced with […]
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By Mike Schueler Out of space and out of time, Sunnylane Church needed a loan to grow. But the promise of an ultra-low interest rate turned into a financing nightmare for this Oklahoma City congregation. Drew Sanford was frustrated. He’d already wasted too much time working to secure a loan for Sunnylane Church, the Southern […]
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Making the most of do-it-yourself workflows really works for CityBridge Community Church. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh For Dan McHugh, becoming operations director at CityBridge was a natural fit, both for himself and for the church. When Watermark Community Church in Dallas decided to open a campus in Plano, Texas in 2015 — called CityBridge — McHugh […]
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A lending veteran’s perspective WatersEdge began lending to churches in 1953 and has since partnered with more than 1,600 congregations looking to grow or refinance. During that nearly 70-year span, we’ve seen it all: boom years, recessions, and everything in between. So, as churches ride the waves of yet another tumultuous period in our nation’s […]
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3 strategies that will take you from start to success By Jeremy Moore Your church has not only survived a pandemic, but it’s actually growing — how amazing! As a church family, you’ve emerged from an incredibly disruptive and uncertain season and now find yourselves needing to build or expand. If this scenario resonates, you’re […]
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At one of the fastest-growing churches in America, a favorable refinancing agreement is essential for propelling ministry forward. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh When Greg Petz and his wife, Donna, moved to San Antonio in 1996, they found their church home — Westover Hills — even before their physical home. The Petzes’ dedication to Westover grew along […]
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By Rev. Dr. Perry J. Hopper, MBA After two years of doing ministry and worshipping with the uncertainty of the pandemic, most churches have returned to in-person worship. Church attendance at mainline churches had been experiencing a steady decline before the pandemic, and that has been exacerbated because churches were forced to worship online for […]
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What is the insurance carrier looking for? Abuse claims have become increasingly frequent and highly publicized. Expansion of statutes of limitations has resulted in insurance carriers defending claims from activity alleged to have happened decades ago. As a result, insurance carriers are asking for more documentation to allow the carrier to better defend against […]
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As a church leader, you would, of course, be horrified to learn that someone in your congregation is suspected of abusing or mistreating a child. But are you required by law to report this abuse to the authorities? At what point does clergy confidentiality prevent you or the pastors at your church from reporting […]
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