Strategic Service Provider - Capin Crouse

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 of audit, review, tax and advisory services. Capin’s unique advantage is that they prepare our church and non-profit clients for debt financing. Most of the lenders that Advisors work with recognize the Capin Crouse name which gives our church clients instant credibility. This is one of the strategies we deploy to give our church clients the best opportunity to qualify for a loan.

Recently, Capin Crouse released their periodic non-profit issues newsletter (Fall 2013) highlighting the requirement of a non-profit to have an audit committee (Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002). An audit committee provides recommendations to the board of directors for financial management and accountability.

Advisors provides A to Z services for churches seeking to expand their facilities. This includes strategic planning, financial feasibility, site/building selection, capital campaign (as owner rep), financing (as owner rep), project team selection, land entitlement, project management and construction management (as owner rep), FF&E and AVL procurement. If you would like more information, please visit our web site or contact Mr. Scott McLean at scott@developco.com or at 303-534-3344 x103.

Assembling Your New Church Building Team

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 committee (“Committee”) for your proposed new facility project.

Formation of the Committee
The Senior Pastor and the Elders (or Board or Trustees--whatever you call them) have the responsibility for targeting Committee candidates. Once a candidate is identified, an informal interview should be conducted in which the candidate learns about the Committee responsibilities.
 
The Purpose of the Committee is to:

1. execute the Vision articulated in the Phase 1 Report;
2. render either timely decisions or decision recommendations to the Trustees;
3. assign and account for the completion of project tasks;
4. formulate the messages to be communicated with the larger congregation body; and to
5. create finance, communications and other subcommittees as necessary (see below).

The Committee operates as follows:

• Advisors lead the new facility project in collaboration with you.
• You approve the meeting schedule and location.
• You provide input into the agenda for each meeting.
• Along with the Committee chairperson, Advisors will facilitate Committee meetings
• Advisors will take notes, monitor tasks and follow-up with Committee members to ensure that the project moves along smoothly.
• Meetings will be held as needed but usually every 2-4 weeks during Phases 1-3 and usually every week during Phase 4.
• The best-sized Committee can be up to 7 persons.
• An ideal Committee would include both men and women; young and old.
• There must be a Committee subgroup of no more than 3 persons (“Core”) who can respond quicker than the Committee.
• The Core may gather periodically by telephone as necessary to timely render decisions.
• The Committee and the Core must have a chairperson who will be Advisors primary point-of-contact throughout the project.
• You add or remove individuals from the Committee as necessary.

The best congregant candidates possess one or more of the following:

• have a passion for the church relocation project;
• have been involved in other projects and ministries for the church;
• have been involved with oversight of church operations;
• have or had ownership of their own businesses;
• have useable skills in real estate, development, construction, design, finance; or
• have evidenced a willingness to consistently donate financial resources.

Committee candidates must be:

• members of the church for an appropriate amount of time;
• team players;
• listen as well as they express themselves; and are
• action-oriented (make things happen).

Committee responsibilities:

• Members must intend to participate for the entire project duration.
• Core members must be willing to commit to the entire project duration to ensure continuity.
• Members must be able to attend most meetings.
• Members must be willing to read emails to stay abreast of the project.
• Members must be willing to commit several hours a week (not always every week). Advisors estimate that approximately one-half of Committee member’s time will be spent in meetings.

In addition to the Committee, the project will rely upon the input and collaboration of the following:

• Trustees/Elders/Board (whatever you call it):  who make the final recommendations and decisions for the church. Advisors expect to meet with these church leaders on a regular basis—typically monthly or quarterly.
• Staff Executives:  consisting of the Lead Pastor, Executive Pastor, Adult Ministries Pastor, Youth Pastor, Worship Arts Pastor, Children’s Ministry Director, and Office Manager, and others that lead the church operations. Advisors expect to meet with these staff executives on a regular basis-typically bi-weekly or monthly.
• Finance Sub-Committee:  composed of a member of the Committee as well as “numbers” people, who are already involved with church finances, who can assist with setting-up and maintaining the project’s accounting and who will oversee the project budget and cash flow. Advisors expect to meet with finance committee on a regular basis, especially prior to construction to set everything up and during construction when disbursements are made.
• Communications Sub-Committee:  composed of a member of the Committee as well as the Senior Pastor, other committee members and Advisors for the purpose of planning the timing of and dissemination of information to church congregants. Advisors expect to meet with this committee on a regular basis-typically bi-weekly or monthly.

If you would like more information about Advisors church real estate and church development services, please contact Mr. Scott McLean at 303-534-3344 (x 103) or at scott@developco.com.

Development Advisors Brokers Large Church Sale

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 relieve some of the congestion at its Lafayette facility. FCC is one of the fastest growing churches in America according to Outreach Magazine.

Advisors represented the Reliance Trust (Seller) who, as trustee for the bondholders, took the property back in January, 2012 and faced expensive carrying costs (including property taxes). Mark Young, representative with Reliance Trust, commented “we are thankful and impressed with the church marketing campaign effort you conducted.” Advisors specialize in church real estate and church facility development, maintain a comprehensive church database, and routinely connect with churches in the Denver metro area.

FCC purchased three buildings for $5 million, including the  main church building (24,887 Genesee Trail Road) comprising 51,200 SF for $4.1 million ($80.08/SF); along with two adjacent office buildings (526, 534 Commons Drive) comprising 17,752 SF for $900K ($50.70/SF). 

If you would like more information about Advisors church real estate and church development services, please contact Mr. Scott McLean at 303-534-3344 (x 103) or at scott@developco.com.