When the time is right, your reliable partner is ready

“There are funds at CIF, impactful investments that are waiting to be deployed for church loans. When the time is right, we will move forward with delight and accuracy. “

In the business world, organizations come and go. Those that go may be lacking in their mission and vision, looking more to immediate gains than long term service and staying power.

I would describe CIF as taking the opposite approach. Our ministry is in this for the long haul, as evidenced by our nearly 70 years of history. There are strategies to follow and wisdom to share. To remain faith-based in our financial services, we must value the people and churches we interact with and maintain our relationships, often over many years.

When the answer is wait

In a recent column and video, “Preparing together for building hopes and dreams,” I addressed the times when we have to tell a church to wait on financing for what may be their dream project or building purchase. That can be difficult, but we hope it’s just the beginning of the work God wants to do.

Fast forward a few years. The church has done its homework, saved funds over time and made plans to incorporate the mortgage payment into their budget. They’re getting serious again about expansion. They may also be thinking about a capital campaign, revising their building plans and having a far better feel from the congregation for what is truly needed.

Details matter

We love being a part of these church conversations along the way. It’s great to catch up. We don’t suffer from TMI, or “too much information,” not in the least! We enjoy hearing all the details and sharing suggestions on timing, financing and what may be possible.

There are funds at CIF, impactful investments that are waiting to be deployed for church loans. When the time is right, we will move forward with delight and accuracy.

Whether in life or in church lending, it’s all in the how you approach it. We are reasonable, and strive to be good listeners as we assess each situation. There is no favoritism or subjectivity to our loan underwriting, only detailed and careful analysis, to determine risk and what we can offer.

Deep dives, dual benefits

As we work through underwriting, there is much to learn, and churches often pick up on many details they didn’t know about their finances. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it because the result is making a sound lending decision with the highest chance of success for both the church and for us.

Buckle up, it’s really happening

It is beyond satisfying when the time comes to make the loan offer to a church or related ministry. We send a commitment letter with the terms and conditions and await acceptance from leaders.

Once we get the go ahead, a new stage begins. This is where the rubber meets the road, we gain much traction and press forward as the church’s advocate and financial partner. We’ll be talking more about our role in financial project management in the coming months, an invaluable service we provide to help move projects to completion.

Whether you are an investor, church loan or capital campaign customer, or all three, we are thankful to have you with us. And, if you’re just learning about CIF for the first time, or the first time in a long time, we want to thank you for taking an interest in us. As always, we look forward to our continued partnerships. To God be the glory!