By Chris Lewis Over the last year, a dramatic shift in interest rates has served to stall a large portion of refinancing efforts. The difference in the rate a church is currently paying, and the existing market rates, is substantial in many cases. This is creating an appropriate pause in ministry refinancing because the […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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BILL AANESTAD / EXECUTIVE PASTOR / ORCHARD CHURCH / MURRIETA, CALIF. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh As Executive Pastor Bill Aanestad and his team at Orchard Church neared completion of their construction project, they were looking for a long-term fixed-rate loan. With interest rates on the verge of a sharp increase, they wanted something predictable. Something manageable. […]
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For ministry leaders, ‘estate planning’ isn’t a priority; plus, a lot of misconceptions surround the process. To ensure your wishes are carried out and to protect your loved ones, it’s crucial to have a deeper understanding of what estate planning involves — and to get started now, while you can make the best possible […]
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By Rev. Dr. Perry J. Hopper For any church to effectively carry out its ministry to faithfully serve God, it needs many lay leaders and volunteers with diverse gifts. All believers are called to be servant leaders, including the pastor and ministerial staff. While the pastor is often the most visible servant in most […]
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By RaeAnn Slaybaugh Central Peninsula Church in Foster City, Calif., is blessed in many ways — not the least of which is in having land in the highly sought-after Bay Area on which to expand as necessary. “Divine timing” is another factor when it comes to locking in a favorable interest rate for its […]
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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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J.T. ENGLISH / LEAD PASTOR / LINDSAY ACOCELLA / DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY & OPERATIONS / STORYLINE CHURCH / ARVADA, COLO. By RaeAnn Slaybaugh / Photos by Mike Schueler Storyline Church was running out of room. Nestled beneath the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Arvada, Colorado, what had started in 2015 as small church plant […]
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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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