Community starts at the church level

“But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.“
1 Corinthians 12:24-27 (ESV)

At CIF, we are a nationwide financial institution that serves the local church in multiple ways. It’s kind of like a larger community of smaller communities, each serving the Lord and also helping one another by partnering with us.

Yet the local church is the core unit, the fundamental building block that supports a community of believers. People invest their time, energy and resources in their church home, and blessings result for those who get involved.

People gain a lot from church
The list of church benefits is substantial – Bible teaching, prayer support and meetings, small groups, fellowship, a helping hand and being a part of something far bigger than what we could do on our own.

Despite overall church attendance being down in recent years when compared to generations before, there are positive numbers to report. Of all church attendees, American evangelicals rank near the top for service attendance numbers.

A 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study by Pew Research found that 50 percent of evangelicals attended services at least weekly and 71 percent monthly or more often.

God’s people and their buildings

Many churches we serve often talk about a sense of community and a sense of place. They want to be a beacon of hope to the lost world around them. A building or campus provides that central hub from which the spokes of ministry branch out to do God’s work.

Though many people often think of church as a building, we know it is really God’s people who meet together. We also know that financial plans and decisions affect his people first. Any financial partner with churches needs to keep this in mind.

We know well that we are outside of the local churches we serve, and yet we are also inside as believers in Christ. As we share the same beliefs and priorities, we also bring a fresh perspective looking through the lens of financial expertise.

For loans, we only serve churches and related ministries. Many are buying their first building or updating the building they have, and some are holding a capital campaign to raise funds. In every case, the information is analyzed well, and recommendations and financial tools then emerge to strengthen ministry.

Preparing, partnering for His Kingdom

Much like a building protects people from the elements outside, our work assists churches to avoid the financial pitfalls they may encounter by helping them plan and prepare for real estate related costs and benefits. We want to set the stage for finances to serve the people who love and honor God in ministry, not the other way around.

There are ways to partner with CIF and to enjoy these benefits as a church while also supporting our work to provide them. Many individuals also support our work by investing with CIF.

Your participation in the “CIF community” helps ministries to continue and thrive. We serve churches and individuals very well, and it is a joy to work to further the Kingdom together. We hope you will get in touch with us soon to learn more!

Scott Achterling
President and CEO

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