True partners offer options

“I can’t tell you how many times we have said to a church: here are three or four options from us you can choose from for your financial situation.”

A product or service that is customized to us is most always viewed as more special, tailored (like a suit) and more relevant to our individual needs and preferences. We all like having choices.

The online world of shopping and purchases has only expanded the almost countless options we have, from furniture to vehicles to what we are having for lunch on a restaurant’s mobile phone app.

But someone might say, “Hey, Scott, you guys are relational, not retail – you don’t have all those custom options to pick on a screen. CIF is more of a service than a product.”

The relational part is spot on, but when talking about property-related church loans, we have many customized options, excellent ones that our churches often choose from. These are an element of the CIF Difference that helps define how we operate.

As we analyze risk factors, budgets, costs and building plans, there are always things that come up. COVID-19 was a prime example, as it caused project delays, eventually increased costs and brought other hardships for churches.

I can’t tell you how many times we have said to a church: here are three or four options from us you can choose from for your financial situation. Churches need to pick a path that best fits their needs and what they are trying to do. We enjoy figuring out those details, which is par for the course for any true partner.

Are we more of a service than a product? On the church loan side, I would say yes, because that’s what really counts when it comes to the overall experience for churches. We have always been on a mission for ministry and have never lost sight of it.

On the other hand, our for-profit financial friends sometimes work the angles with churches on the front end to try and compete with us. Their experience with church loans is often limited, so they’ll take a typical commercial or business loan and try to “make it work” for a church.

But “make it work” is far from a long-term financial strategy for ministry. We simply say what we do. We’ve seen churches through all the seasons of life and ministry, and we want ministries to continue and thrive.

You see, ministry isn’t a profit center that needs to be milked for maximum returns. I’m not saying that profits are immoral or wrong. But I am saying that they don’t center on ministry. For-profit institutions like banks exist to make as much money as possible for their shareholders, and their loan terms and conditions reflect that reality.

At CIF, we know very well that ministry is a vehicle through which God’s Kingdom expands. Church loans are one tool in the box to achieve that goal.

We not only support ministry, we cater to it. How else could we offer so many customized options, which are solutions, to our church customers?

We are thankful for the opportunity to do this, and for the trust that churches and individuals place in us as they make impactful investments for Kingdom expansion.

It all works together, and God gets the glory, as each of us serves Him in our work.