Readiness to Build or Purchase a Facility / 05-07-10 Page 1

READINESS TO BUILD

OR PURCHASE A FACILITY

Information for Directors for Evangelical Missions and Congregations

Eligibility Guidelines

Steps

Readiness Memo (2 Parts)

CONGREGATIONAL AND SYNODICAL MISSION UNIT

MISSION INVESTMENT FUND

NEWLY-ORGANIZED CONGREGATIONS

8765 W. Higgins road

Chicago, IL 60631

(773)380-2930

Revised May 7, 2010
READINESS TO BUILD OR PURCHASE

A FACILITY INFORMATION

Definition:

The Readiness to Build or Purchase a Facility is a document prepared by a Director for Evangelical Missionand congregation for the purpose of setting in motion steps towards a congregation having its first facility. It is designed to help the congregation and its partners chart a course towards the congregation's own building. The Memo's submission and approval precedes any other steps toward a building or purchasing a facility. Approval is valid for 12 months. Normally, congregations considering building are beyond their first year of organization, are healthy, have attendance over 100 and a vision for its ministry.

Basic Eligibility Guidelines:

  1. That the congregation's mission support giving is at least 15% of its regular giving.
  1. That the congregation's regular giving is at least 3-4% of its total membership income. The formula for calculating this is on the Readiness form.
  1. Projected staffing in line with projected growth (1 FTE program staff for every 100 in worship and ½ FTE program staff for every 50 in worship, not including administrative/support staff (i.e., secretarial, janitorial staff, etc.);
  1. Average Worship Attendance of at least 100;
  1. That the congregation has 50-60 Average Giving Units (AGU). The formula for calculating that figure appears on the Readiness form.
  1. That the congregation's total outside support (Mission Partners, Synod, CSM Unit) for the ministry budget is no higher than $10,000 or 10% ofits budget, whichever is lower.

Related Principle:

With each congregation’s readiness memo, there is flexibility and consideration of that particular ministry context. The narrative questions provide written opportunity to share information related to specific circumstances.

Next Steps:

1.When a congregation and Director for Evangelical Mission agree that the appropriate time for the congregation to have its own facility has come, they cooperate on completing the Readiness to Build or Purchase a Facility statistical form and preparing a supporting narrative. These two documents are submitted to the appropriate CSM executives (Ruben Duran) who confers with MIF executives.

2.When the Readiness Memo is approved, the CSMinforms the Director for Evangelical Mission in writing. (If the Readiness Memo is not approved, a letter with suggested follow-up is also sent.)

3.The Director for Evangelical Mission transmits this information to the congregation, and encourages early contact with a capital fund-raising firm(s). A frequently used resource is the Church Building Consultant who is called in to meet with the congregation and Director for Evangelical Mission.

4.The congregation will hold the outside-directed capital fund campaign. Pledging for building is expected and usually needed to be at 2% of total membership income. Separate campaigns and budgets are needed for ministry and building.

5.Following the campaign, the MIF Church Building Consultant will visit to work with the congregation in development of the Church Building Proposal (CBP). The CBP will layout what is to be built, how much it is expected to cost, and how it will be financed.

6.MIF Staff Architect will also visit after the CBP approval has been given by the congregation, CSM Unit, MIF and synod to begin developing schematic designs for the building. The congregation will engage a local architect to work with it beyond this stage.

7.MIF staff will be the congregation' s primary churchwide partner in building development from completion of the capital campaign through to completion of construction

8.The Director for Evangelical Mission will continue to provide guidance and coaching in outreach, ministry development, stewardship, planning and partnership support needs.

READINESS TO BUILD OR PURCHASE A FACILITY NARRATIVE

The Readiness to Build or Purchase a Facility Memorandum is a document prepared by a congregation and Director for Evangelical Mission for the purpose of setting in motion steps toward a congregation having its own facility in –CSM Unit related ministries. It provides for mutual planning between the activity executive, deployed/shared staff, and congregation to arrive at a prescribed course of action appropriate to each congregation's situation, needs abilities, and potential.

The Readiness Memo is sent to the appropriate CSMexecutives (Ruben Duran). The Memo's submission and acceptance precedes any other steps toward building or purchasing by CSM/MIF staff, or by the congregation.

The more accurate the information, the more appropriate the planning can be. The information is requested in two forms, statistical and narrative. The statistical form is attached. The narrative information requested is:

1.Situational analysis -When was the development of the congregation begun, when organized, membership at organization, membership growth since organization, type of community, type of opportunities for ministry .

2.Ministry program developed -A brief description of the ministry program that is being carried on by the congregation at the present time as well as the type of facilities that are now being used.

3.Leaders -Evaluation of the pastoral and lay leadership.

4.Climate of the congregation -A brief description of the general climate or mood of the

congregation. How is communication handled? How are decisions made? How is conflict dealt with? Are the lay people involved in leadership or is it predominantly pastor-oriented?

5.Financial ability and willingness to give -information regarding the present percentage of total membership income received from members and the future stewardship plans.

6.Other pertinent information- Under this category, the deployed/shared synod staff person may add other items that need to be considered in developing a suggested plan of action for this particular congregation. It is in this section that a recommendation of the deployed/shared synod staff is needed.

It may be helpful to review the “Readiness to Purchase Vacant Land” or “Request to Purchase Land” if one was completed.

Readiness to Build or Purchase a Facility / 05-07-10Page 1