LCEF Services

LCEF offers many services to assist congregations beyond lending and investments. We have worked with numerous churches and schools in the areas of ministry clarity, strategic planning, capital campaigns, worker wellness, and real estate and construction management. Additionally, we have significant demographic resources at our disposal to assist congregations with understanding their community.

Most of the congregations we speak with are looking for ways to grow in membership and searching for opportunities to reach the community around them. The LCEF has a straightforward approach to assisting churches in the Missouri District with this effort that is as much a science as it is an art. It starts with a review of demographic information—we can identify everything from household income to education levels and family structure within a specified radius of a congregation. This can be done by their unique zip code or simply within a certain amount of travel time. Additionally, the information available to us can provide details about the typical religious beliefs and practices for groups that mirror the makeup of said community. We then plot all the members of the church on a map to help identify the reach of the church beyond the sanctuary and campus.

In addition to the hard data found in demographics, LCEF can work with congregations to help identify the right approach in learning the needs of each community and identifying how the ministries and resources at their churches can best influence those around them. This is not always an easy task, but it is one that I encourage congregations to undertake. All of this is provided to our district churches—at no cost—as part of our effort to help build ministries in the Missouri District and beyond. If your congregation is interested in reviewing demographics for your area or exploring ways in which you can better understand how to serve your community, please reach out to Mike Wadley at 314-885-6489.

Lastly, I would like to encourage you during this season of Advent to invite someone to worship with you. People are most likely to join a church or participate in worship when they are invited to do so. My prayer is that God will put someone in front of you that desires a relationship with Jesus, and that you will have the courage to simply invite them into God’s house.

Peace,

Mike Wadley - LCEF Missouri District Vice President