Reach

First, make an intentional, relational investment by building a friendship with one local person who has not encountered the life-changing love of Jesus Christ – our “one”.

Second, commit to praying regularly for our church, our community, and the mission God has given us. Pray for spiritual growth in each of our lives and the lives of those we touch. And, pray that God will use each of us through REACH to be even more effective for Jesus.

Third, make a financial investment to help address the challenge of reducing our mortgage debt. Reducing our mortgage will help us weather an interest rate increase in 2024 and allow future dollars to be invested into direct ministry.

The property was purchased in 2014 when we were part of the larger Grace Church. In 2021, Grace Fishers was given the property and assumed the mortgage when we launched as an independent church. While the mortgage was a challenge, we saw far more positives including doing ministry in such an incredible building at a prime location in Fishers.

The interest rate on our mortgage recalculates in late 2024 and will likely increase. Paying down the principal proactively before the rate increases will help us minimize the impact on our operating budget and ministry operations as we care for our church family. It will also reduce the overall time we’re paying on the loan. This is an important step for the long-term health of our congregation.

First, we’ll be able to care for our church family and the new people God is bringing here more effectively. As needs arise in our local community and around the world, we will have the ability to respond more generously. And we’ll have increased freedom to explore new ministry opportunities God shows us.

Put simply, debt is a burden, and it needs to be serviced. It requires attention, energy, and resources More importantly, it limits one’s ability to be fully responsive to God’s calling. Proverbs 22:7 states, “…the debtor is a servant to the lender.” Our goal is to serve God alone.

In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus tells the story of a poor widow who gives generously. In it, He reminds us that giving is first a heart issue and second a financial issue. Jesus commends the woman and her sacrificial gift of two small coins. To reach the goal of two million dollars, all of us must consider what God is asking us to sacrifice and grow in generosity. This is about equal sacrifice, not equal gifts. And it will take all of us doing our part to reach our goal.

Pray and ask God how He is challenging you to sacrifice uniquely - and be creative! Explore together ways that you and your family can give toward REACH. Commitments to REACH should be above and beyond normal giving to the church. While tithing is an ongoing spiritual discipline, sacrificial giving like that to REACH is a temporary sacrifice.

Sacrifice will look different for each of us, but could be as simple as cutting back at Starbucks, dropping a streaming subscription, postponing a planned purchase, or taking on some extra work. God may have blessed you with other assets or resources (e.g., stocks, real estate, cars, jewelry, or other tangible property) and may be calling you to donate that blessing in sacrifice and generosity.

Please let us know if you need assistance with facilitating gifts of stocks, real estate, or tangible property. Contact Pastor Joey Christianson for assistance with these gift types.

A commercial loan is typically on shorter terms (e.g., three to seven years) than a personal mortgage (e.g. 30 years). Our loan was financed with the Wesleyan Investment Foundation, a ministry that lends to churches, with significantly more flexible terms than a typical bank. Interest rates on their loans reset every three years. Our current interest rate is low at four percent but will likely increase in late 2024.

Yes. This is an option being explored by a sub-team of the Grace Fishers Financial Oversight Team.

This year, our mortgage is 30% of our monthly budget. This is not atypical for the community in which we live. While we have a large mortgage, Grace Fishers is financially healthy. We have significant financial reserves and have been paying additional principal on our mortgage each month. Proactively paying down our mortgage allows us to be better prepared for any interest rate increases, shortening the life of the loan and allowing us to invest future dollars into direct ministry.

If you are in a place where you’re struggling financially or have encountered a disruption to your income (e.g., job loss, divorce, etc…), Grace Fishers wants to come alongside you. We encourage you to schedule a Financial Care Appointment with one of our trained volunteers who can help you assess your situation, come up with an action plan, and connect you with additional resources.

Any member of the Grace Fishers Leadership Team or the Governing Board would be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.