Success Stories

It is not often that a church plant buys their first facility during a global pandemic, but Rock Harbor did just that. Located in Melbourne Beach, Florida, Rock Harbor was planted by Pastor Kevin Diamond in late 2018. Melbourne Beach is on the southern end of Florida’s Space Coast, and right on the Atlantic Ocean, making land for churches extremely scarce and very expensive.

Luckily, Rock Harbor was able to rent space from a local, multi-site Lutheran church that had a campus in Melbourne Beach. Even with a less than ideal Sunday service time, Rock Harbor was able grow from 83 in average attendance in 2019 to almost 200 by 2021. This rapid growth created some challenges for Rock Harbor as they struggled to fit their expanding ministry into the rented space.

After looking at various options in the community, Rock Harbor entered into discussions with the Lutheran church about buying the building that they were renting in. In the end, the Lutheran church agreed to sell the property to Rock Harbor and relocate its congregation to another campus.

Rock Harbor then turned to NCP Real Estate Services for help and guidance. “When we were just a two-year-old church facing the daunting challenge of purchasing the property we had been renting for $2 million, NCP didn’t just provide a loan—they walked with us every step of the way,” said Pastor Kevin. With coaching from Rob Hall, a committed facility team at Rock Harbor, and a loan from NCP, the church was able to purchase the property in early 2023. The benefits of owning and having full control over a facility were almost immediate.

Owning their own facility gave Rock Harbor the opportunity to expand to two services, allowing them to grow to an average attendance of over 500. This growth has more than doubled their budget – but more importantly, expanded their ability to reach more people with the love of Christ. Rock Harbor likes to say that they do not have members; they have ambassadors who demonstrate the love of Christ to a hurting world. With the facility as a base camp, the ambassadors of Rock Harbor are not only serving those who come to the church, but are also reaching out and serving the community by partnering with other like-minded organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Young Life.

The tag line for NCP is “You Invest, We lend, Ministry Grows.” LifeChurch Southfield, illustrates how NCP investors enable ministry growth by making loans possible. It also shows how finding the right facility can help expand ministry and impact for the Kingdom. The partnership between NCP and Rock Harbor further demonstrates that the Covenant is better when we are in it together. “For most of our church, NCP has been the most tangible expression of the greater Covenant community, demonstrating what it means to stand together in ministry and mission. We are profoundly grateful for their partnership and faithfulness,” said Pastor Kevin.