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 […]
Read More >
Using Vision To Ignite Church Growth The new year is the perfect time to set resolutions for your ministry and, for many, the one at the top of the list is church growth. We understand why. Gallup reported that in 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, which is down from 50% […]
Read More >Designing a user experience that supports the vision and ministry of the facility — on a budget By Ravi Waldon, AIA, LEED AP Looking at the really amazing spaces in church design magazines certainly can make one drool. It’s all wonderful if the church has a vast budget, unconstrained land, and a lot of resources. […]
Read More >
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 […]
Read More >
Many things have changed in ministry over the last 2 years, leading to some new and exciting opportunities. Construction activity slowed during the pandemic and now appears to be on the rebound. Lending requests for new projects, renovation and expansion have increased and churches are primarily investing in three different types of venues: #1: Retrofitting […]
Read More >
By Alina Parizianu, CFP®, MBA, RICP® The days when Americans could count on pensions from their employers are long gone, as fewer and fewer organizations offer them to their staff. While pensions are becoming an endangered species, Social Security remains the primary source of guaranteed lifetime retirement income for many older adults. In addition, unlike […]
Read More >
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 […]
Read More >
When I was growing up in a pastor’s home, I remember the building fund appeals and public declarations of how much we had raised for the new sanctuary. I remember watching the magic of construction progress over the next few years. Behind the scenes, however, there were meetings with bankers, bond brokers, and large donors […]
Read More >
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 […]
Read More >
Infinite growth, invariable expansion At the nation’s premier multisite church, two financing needs take precedence above all: flexibility and simplicity By RaeAnn Slaybaugh North Coast Church in Vista, Calif., is one of the 20 largest churches in the United States. It also consistently ranks among the country’s fastest-growing, most influential churches. But it all started […]
Read More >