I started my career in real estate development right out of college, working in my family business across a wide range of property types, including affordable and market-rate housing, hotels, offices and other commercial development. Over the years, that work expanded beyond Southeast Wisconsin and Minnesota and eventually took me around the world consulting with organizations on commercial real estate.
As I got older, I found myself wanting to work closer to home and increasingly with community-based and faith-based nonprofits. That transition eventually led me to AbleLight, formerly Bethesda, where I worked on housing projects that included supportive housing for people with developmental disabilities. It was through one of those projects that I was first introduced to Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), which was serving as a lender. I loved the organization and the people I had the opportunity to work with, and ultimately, I made the move to LCEF to lead its real estate work.
Today, our Real Estate Solutions team provides commercial real estate expertise to congregations, schools and other ministries within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). LCEF’s core is lending, fueled by investments from faithful Lutherans; when a school needs to expand or a congregation wants to build something new, we can provide the financing to help make that possible. Our real estate work complements that mission by helping ministries make informed decisions about their facilities and projects from the very beginning.
For me personally, it has been a blessing to take the experience I gained throughout my career and now use that vocation for the church.
Don’t Just Build it, Put the Math Behind It
One of the most important things we tell ministries is that a construction project should not begin with a shovel in the ground. It should begin by understanding whether the project makes sense.
When a school tells us it is experiencing capacity issues and needs to expand, for example, our first step is what I call the feasibility side of the process. Don’t just build it. Put the math behind it.
That is the same approach I would take in commercial real estate. If I were developing a housing project, I would want to understand the market, absorption and competition before moving forward. We apply that same discipline to schools. We look at the competitive environment, enrollment and tuition forecasts, and then build a financial model around what growth could look like. From there, our team can assist with space programming, concept design, preliminary costing and ultimately help the ministry determine the right path forward.
As projects advance, we can also serve as the owner’s representative, helping a ministry select and manage its architect and contractor. We do not perform the construction ourselves. Our role is to represent the ministry throughout the process and help its leaders navigate decisions that they may only encounter once or twice in their lifetimes.
That distinction is important because construction is complicated, and there are decisions made very early in the process that can have significant consequences later. Ministries need people around the table who understand the business side of real estate and construction while also understanding the organization they are there to serve.
Faith-Based Construction Is Different
Churches and schools have dynamics that are different from a traditional commercial development. There may be pastors, school leaders, boards, committees, congregation members and donors involved in decisions, and the people leading the project are often balancing those responsibilities with their primary ministry roles.
That is one of the things I appreciate about Catalyst Construction. They understand the dynamics of faith-based organizations. Catalyst knows how to navigate those dynamics because they are willing to put themselves in the congregation’s shoes. There are contractors that simply do not understand that environment, even if they want to. Catalyst does, and I think there is tremendous value in that.
My history with Catalyst actually predates my time at LCEF. Years ago, through my family business, I hired Catalyst to build a homeless shelter in Waukesha. I also knew Catalyst founder, Matt Burow, through the Lutheran community, so my relationship with Catalyst has developed over many years and in several different capacities.
Today, our organizations continue to work together on faith-based projects and having been on both the development side and now the owner-representation side, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand what differentiates a strong construction partner.
Don’t Design in a Vacuum
One lesson I have carried throughout my career is to onboard a contractor sooner rather than later. When you hire an architect, do not design in a vacuum. Design with a contractor at the table.
There is enormous value in having construction expertise involved during design development, when there is still time to evaluate costs, constructability and alternative solutions. Catalyst is very good at that. Their team is willing to get involved early and work collaboratively with the architect, owner and other partners to help move the project toward a solution that is realistic for the ministry.
That collaborative approach matters because a construction project naturally involves negotiation. In our role at LCEF, we help ministries understand different contractual relationships and work through negotiations with contractors and architects. We understand industry standards, general conditions, requirements and the many other components that go into the cost of a project.
From that perspective, I have found Catalyst to be incredibly reasonable to work with. There simply is not much that has to be negotiated with them because they approach the process fairly from the beginning.
Honor and Integrity Breed Trust
If I had to identify what really sets Catalyst apart, though, it comes down to something much simpler: doing what you say you are going to do and having honor and integrity.
I have seen that play out firsthand. There have been instances where Catalyst has made a commitment to support a ministry beyond what was negotiated in a contract. Months later, when that commitment came back up, there was no attempt to renegotiate it or walk it back. The response was essentially: Yes, we agreed to that, and yes, we still stand behind it.
When you can work with an organization that operates that way, it changes the relationship. Catalyst is willing to partner with ministries and with organizations like LCEF and give more than what you can simply sit down at a table and negotiate. That takes some of the stress and tension out of a construction project because you know the people on the other side of the table are approaching it in good faith.
Honor and integrity breed trust, and that trust extends beyond one individual. I have experienced it with Matt, Adam Arndt and the broader Catalyst team. When those values are consistent across an organization, you know what kind of partner you are working with.
Finding Partners Who Understand the Mission
When LCEF evaluates construction partners for the ministries we serve, we look for honor and integrity, a good reputation and continuity of the team. Continuity may not be the first thing an owner thinks about, but it matters. I have worked on projects where the project manager or superintendent presented at the beginning was replaced once construction began, sometimes even midway through the project. That can be incredibly disruptive. On my earlier project with Catalyst, one of the things that stood out was the continuity of the team all the way through.
Ultimately, churches and schools should be looking for more than a contractor that can construct a building. They need partners who understand why that building exists in the first place.
Everyone on my team at LCEF came from the for-profit world. They are real estate professionals who spent their careers developing expertise in this industry and made the decision to use that experience to support the church. The same is true across LCEF, including commercial bankers who spent much of their careers in banking before choosing to bring that knowledge to the ministries we serve.
It is a blessing to be able to use your vocation for the church. That is a significant part of who we are at LCEF. Because of that mission, we recognize when an external partner shares those values. There are not many contractors that are truly mission-aligned in that way, and that is a differentiator for Catalyst.
I have worked with developers and contractors throughout the country, and Catalyst is unique. They are the real deal.
Planning a construction or real estate project for your LCMS ministry? LCEF’s Real Estate Solutions team brings decades of commercial real estate experience to help LCMS congregations, schools and ministries evaluate opportunities, plan with confidence and navigate projects from feasibility through construction. Learn more about how LCEF can support your ministry’s real estate needs.
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