MARCH / APRIL 2026 | CONTENTS
ON THE COVER
10 BUILT TO SERVE. DESIGNED TO GROW.
Milestone Church’ s growth from a former grocery store to a thriving multisite ministry reflects strategic land acquisition, careful planning, and future-focused campus design built to support long-term ministry impact.
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
10
SERIES
14 YOUR FINANCIAL WELLNESS
CHOOSING BETWEEN ESTATE PLANNING APPS & ATTORNEYS
Estate planning apps offer convenience and lower costs, but they often lack the legal nuance needed for complex situations, making experienced estate planning attorneys the safer choice for protecting one’ s legacy.
By Alex Kim, CFP ®, MBA, CPA
13 TECH BYTES
VIRTUALIZATION VOLATILITY: a tech shift churches can’ t ignore
After Broadcom’ s acquisition of VMware triggered massive price increases, churches and nonprofits must reassess their server infrastructure and consider alternatives such as Hyper-V, Proxmox, or cloud hosting.
By Jonathan Smith
16
FEATURE ARTICLES
16 JOURNEY TO A SAFER MINISTRY: Moving from awareness to protection
Preventing abuse in ministry requires more than good intentions. Church leaders must understand grooming behaviors and implement comprehensive safety systems to identify risks, close gaps, and better protect children and vulnerable individuals.
By Kimberlee Norris and Gregory Love
18 VETTING YOUR LENDING OPTIONS
Before launching a building project, church leaders should understand borrowing capacity and consult experienced direct lenders to gain clearer financial guidance and avoid unnecessary intermediary costs.
By Dan Mikes
19 AN EARLY ADOPTER FOR SEAMLESS CONNECTION
By beta testing a new workflows feature, Catalyst Church unified scattered data and streamlined followup processes, helping staff save time, strengthen connections and guide people more clearly through discipleship pathways.
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh
18
20 CHRISTIAN CAMPING: Camp Leaders Taking Steps to Protect Kids
Christian camps provide meaningful experiences for children, but leaders and parents must recognize abuse risks and implement comprehensive safety training, policies, and open conversations to better protect campers.
By Kimberlee Norris and Gregory Love
DEPARTMENTS 6 FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF 20 CHURCH TRENDS & STATISTICS
8 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | MARCH / APRIL 2026