CFS Blog

Should your church purchase more land than is necessary to accomplish its future expansion vision?  By “purchase more land…” we mean buying a site beyond what the church needs. This is done because 1) the church hopes to profit through development/sale; or 2) the perfect site’s seller won’t subdivide. These are legitimate desires that present a tempting option. But read […]

One of the key questions churches face when it comes to facility renovation or expansion is, “Where will the money come from?” If you’re prepared, your church has been saving for this day and has a nice nest egg already set aside. But building projects are expensive and, depending on your specific circumstances, paying cash may not be possible. Therefore, […]

We work on a variety of projects—each custom and unique—but these days we’re especially excited about our new project with Grace Place Church in northern Colorado. Grace Place has outgrown its current facility in Berthoud, Colorado and hired us to lead it through the development of a larger church. But this project will be more than a just a church […]

When Galileo made public his discovery that the earth revolved around the sun, he was excommunicated. People thought in those times that such a thing couldn’t be. The Psalmist clearly wrote that the sun “rises” and “sets!” Therefore, it had to be the sun that moved and anyone who said otherwise was a heretic. Of course we now know that […]

Growing Church Trend: Multisite Expansion We deal with a lot of vibrant, growing churches in our business, and they’re certainly not all alike. But one thing we know for sure: Many churches are choosing a similar way to expand these days. Multisite expansion is an increasing trend among the nation’s fastest growing churches. Several of our clients in Colorado have […]

Advisors works closely with third party organizations to provide a complete service to our church clients. This month, we highlight Capin Crouse. Capin Crouse is certified public accounting firm. But more than that, they are a partner in ministry. Since 1972, Capin Crouse has been serving not-for-profit entities including churches, schools, and international missions agencies. They provide a full range […]

The process of expanding and procuring a new church facility involves the collaboration of church leaders, church staff and congregant volunteers along with a third party professional such as Development Advisors (“Advisors”) as the project leader. Over the years, we have learned about teams and offer you these suggestions for selecting the most appropriate individuals to participate on the steering […]

Development Advisors is pleased to report that Flatirons Community Church, located in Lafayette, Colorado, just completed the purchased the former church facilities of Lookout Mountain Community Church in Genesee (Golden, Colorado). This highly visible property along I-70, will be the second location for FCC and is part of a plan to expand its reach along the Front Range and to […]

The following are selected excerpts taken with permission from Pastor Clay Peck’s recently completed Doctoral Dissertation. Pastor Clay is the Lead Pastor at Grace Place Church in Berthoud Colorado, a non-denominational church, which he and his wife Selene founded in 1996. Grace Place Church builds bridges to the local community and provides a place for fellowship, teaching and recovery for […]

Development Advisors is conducting a study of church growth; specifically quantifying the increase in attendance and giving that result from a relocation into a new church facility. This information will assist growing churches estimate future attendance and giving. Such data is invaluable for future facility planning. Having confidence with future income projections reduces the risk and the anxiety of increasing […]

Development Advisors was featured in a recent issue of the Colorado Real Estate Journal. You may read a copy of the article by clicking here. As a result of successfully performing church facility projects over the past six (6) years, Advisors has become recognized as the pre-eminent full service church facility services organization in Colorado. Advisors has a passion for […]

Does your church routinely save a portion of the income it receives from tithes and offerings? I’m not talking about monies budgeted for Missions. That’s an expense. I am talking about saving some of your precious income for future unforeseen circumstances or perhaps expanding your church facility. It is absolutely critical in our personal lives, but also critical not only […]

Churches have congregants with valuable skills including real estate and development experience. But rarely does a church have volunteers who have developed a fully functioning commercial church facility. Every church needs the guidance of professionals. Development Advisors now have years of learning (and making mistakes) how to execute these church specific projects.

Should a church lease or own its church facility?  Advisors believe that most churches should own their property to build-up equity for future expansion, to lower facility costs, and to avoid paying property taxes.In Colorado, in order to qualify for real property tax exemption, a church must both own the property and also use the property for qualifying charitable purposes. […]