The congregation at St. John, Kimball, Minn., used Capital Funding Services and an LCEF loan to build a new contemporary country church. There were two characteristics of St. John’s ministry that members wished to be carried out in the design: a passion for the cross and a desire to build relationships with Jesus Christ and each other. The interior and exterior windows were designed to create a central alignment between the front door and the altar and draw people to the cross. The shape of the sanctuary windows and ceiling also leads one to the cross, and natural light shines on one’s path to the altar. This new structure reminds congregation members of their purpose every time they enter.

Though attendance at St. Paul Lutheran in Brandon, Minn., averages 15, the congregation is determined to grow. Established in 1900, the current building has the same amenities it always has, which means no running water, kitchen or inside bathrooms. A loan from LCEF helped the congregation build all of this and a fellowship area. The congregation is excited and restarted its vacation Bible school last summer. The congregation’s positive energy is a good example of how rural congregations can begin work on revitalization and renewal.

The congregation of Acts Church Lakeway recently met a crossroads in its history. Members had met in five different locations in the seven years since it was launched, and certain milestones in attendance had not been reached. But God recharged the congregation with a new pastor, Rev. Peter Mueller, and an opportunity to purchase a former retail building, saving time on construction.

To raise the funds needed to purchase the property and building, LCEF’s Rev. John Kieschnick led this small-but-mighty group through a Capital Funding Services campaign. Mueller said the “testimonies spurred people to make even greater gifts than they would have otherwise.” The congregation set a goal of $800,000 for the three-year campaign, a sizable sum for such a small congregation. By Celebration Sunday, commitments totaled just over $1 million.

When the auctioneer’s hammer fell one day this summer, Christ Lutheran Mission of Perry, Ga., was declared the successful bidder on nine acres of land. Christ Lutheran is the three-year-old daughter congregation of Mt. Calvary, Warner Robins, Ga. LCEF acted quickly to provide funding for the purchase and looks forward being Christ Lutheran’s partner as members plan to build a worship facility, preschool, and retirement community. Until then, members continue to their outreach ministries, including providing home-cooked meals free to families in need every Friday.

Our Savior’s Way in Ashburn, Va., is in one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties, and the congregation’s Open Arms center has grown along with the rest of the population. So much so, that there had been a waiting list to enroll and a need for new classrooms. When the congregation built to meet that need, it considered the ministry needs of the children’s parents as well, adding a dedicated sanctuary and fellowship space with the help of an LCEF loan. The new space can accommodate 500 children and more than 500 in worship.