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 […]
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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 […]
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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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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 […]
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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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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 […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Back in 2017, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix had already contemplated adding covered parking, in the form of solar structures, to its campus for some time. It was (and still is) a forward-thinking move not only for a house of worship, but for the area-at-large: when finished, it would be […]
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For the past 14 years, we’ve been experiencing near-historic low rates, and it appears those days might soon be gone as rates have risen over the past several months. The wonderful news? Many churches were able to take advantage of the low rates either by refinancing, purchasing a new property, or renovating or building a […]
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Before you talk with any lending group, your church will need to fully understand the ups and downs of its last three years of financial statements. Church lenders will always focus on undesignated income, cash flow, debt and equity trends. The first thing churches really want to know, however, is their borrowing capacity. Determining this […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Perhaps better than anyone else in the United States, Arizonans know the value of being able to park in the shade. It’s a major perk. And now, Scottsdale Bible Church — which has appeared on lists of the largest churches in America (and is certainly one of the biggest churches in the […]
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