Is spring coming early this year? Leading economic indicators and expert opinions on church design and building are pointing in the direction of a sunnier outlook. The teeter-totter that is the Architecture Billings Index (ABI), reported by the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Architects (AIA), notes that the month of November (2010) posted the highest incidence of activity in requests for architectural design services since 2007 (see a News report in WFM's Jan/Feb 2011 issue, page 10). In September 2010 as well, if you remember, the ABI showed an increase, but dipped back down again slightly in October. Maybe spring is simply shy to catch on. But evidence leads one to believe that the days of absolute recessionary chill are numbered.
Take, for instance, what Marianne Berlan of Walnut Creek, Calif.'s Bank of the West says about what churches that made it through the recession can expect now, in terms of potential bank loans for construction. "Churches that adjusted their expenses in light of a decline in giving, and now are seeing their giving leveling out or even coming back, are typically the ones that qualify for debt," she reports. "One of the big things lenders look for today is a church that can demonstrate it can support future debt service from current revenues." Yes, the lending climate has changed, but it still leaves some breathing room for churches. Find writer/reporter Martin Sinderman's full report on page 46 of WFM's Jan/Feb 2011 issue.
I am also struck by the encouraging tone of a blog on the website of Atlanta's Charis Group, a financial consultancy that specializes in helping churches maximize capital campaign efforts. Charis Group's Mark Brooks writes in "How the Current Economy Will Impact Churches" at www.thecharisgroup.org that "if the economy was a season right now it would be early March across the United States. For much of our country March means warmer weather and the promise of spring and new growth. For other parts further north it simply means that there are several more weeks of cold weather before any green growth appears."
Brooks continues, "For many, this economy seems like the winter of our discontent. The cold ice still lingers and spring seems still in the distant future. They look out their economic window and cannot see the yard for all the snow that has piled up. Many churches feel the same way. Yet the economy is on the rebound."
Are you beginning to see signs of spring yet where you live? Send us an email at editorial@worshipfacilities.com with an update.
