A panel of financial professionals — who serve churches every day in the areas of lending, banking, accounting and financial technology — offers practical insights and strategic guidance to help your ministries thrive. Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a new church administrator stepping into financial leadership? Sandy McClure: Evaluate where you […]
Read More >
Despite massive roadblocks and missteps early on their building path, Brad Wilkerson and the Rock Creek Church team are thriving in a brand-new church home. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh In June 2007, Brad Wilkerson and his wife, Sarah, started a Bible study in their living room. Little did they know it was the start of […]
Read More >
By Dan Mikes Whether your church is planning a construction project or a relocation, it might be helpful to review some of the topics your leadership team should be prepared to address in order to set appropriate financial parameters — and in anticipation of discussions with lenders. When planning the project, churches often form a […]
Read More >
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh In 2016, a strategic assessment of New Work Fellowship identified — and removed — roadblocks to growth in its facilities. Today, as a result, the church enjoys the modern curb appeal it wanted, plus twice the room for worship and fellowship. And it all happened without missing a single Sunday service. […]
Read More >
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh First Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark., has a lot to celebrate. Most recently, it finished a new, 1,800-seat sanctuary — twice the size of its previous worship space. Now, leaders and members alike are excited for the original single-level sanctuary to be reimagined into a two-story administrative and education building, as […]
Read More >
As leaders at First Baptist Cleveland know, the best-laid plans can go awry. That means going back to the drawing board — sometimes, with even better results. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Senior Pastor Jordan Easley was called to First Baptist Cleveland while leading a church of 3,000 (and growing). “I thought I’d be there for […]
Read More >
A major building project is something typical pastors undertake only once or twice in their careers, if ever. Many potential pitfalls loom without the right guidance, and far too many pastors are essentially “flying blind” when they start out. It can even lead them to burnout … and leaving their churches behind. To this end, […]
Read More >
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh After more than a decade meeting in a school, and then in a leased warehouse, Faith and Victory Church in Auburn, Wash. — a suburb of Seattle — was enjoying significant growth: 30 percent, year over year, for several years. The need for a more permanent (and suitable) church home was […]
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 Jerry Vaughan “Debt” isn’t a popular word in churches. As church lenders and people of faith ourselves, we understand: it’s difficult to preach about being debt-free and then turn around and borrow money for a building project. So when cautioned against committing too heavily to raising funds ahead of construction — compared to financing […]
Read More >