Church in a Bowling Alley?

100 Years Old & Still Investing

Adopting a 90-Year-Old Church

Summer 2017

A publication of CDF Capital

The Cornerstone

Brands have always been of interest to me. When I was a

kid, there weren’t nearly as many brands in the marketplace

as there are today. We didn’t think much about the labels of

our clothes—but when it came to cars and trucks, now that

was a big deal. We were a Ford family. My best friend grew

up in a Chevy family, so we had many arguments over that

one. My dad and I sighed in relief when they fi nally came to

their senses and bought a Ford truck!

Perhaps my most striking memory of a brand is the branding

iron my dad used to mark cattle and other property. The

“R” family brand made a statement. When people saw this

brand, they knew who it belonged to and where it belonged.

But more than that, they knew who stood behind this brand.

My dad was known for keeping his word and for taking good

care of all that God had entrusted to him.

My dad passed away six years ago. I keep his branding iron

on my fi replace mantle as a reminder of him. It is one of my

most prized possessions.

A brand has the ability to carry a great deal of meaning.

It marks ownership. It tells the world something about

the qualities and character of the service provided. In the

simplest of terms, a brand is a promise which lives far longer

than the product or service it represents.

When Church Development Fund changed its name to

CDF Capital last year, the thoughts of my dad’s brand were

clearly on my mind. I wanted to ensure we stayed faithful to

who owns us and what we are called to do in His Kingdom. I

care about our brand because of the promises it represents.

We promise to:

• Be a trusted partner committed to growing Christ’s church.

• Provide sound fi nancial advice and services through our Financial Capital team.

• Invest in the dreams of church leadership teams through our Leadership Capital team.

• Keep spiritual things fi rst through our Spiritual Capital initiatives.

• Focus on the transforming power of God’s work in our churches and our lives.

You can see the evidence of our brand in the stories of

this issue of the Cornerstone. From the life of a 100-year-

old investor (who is a dear sister in Christ) to a church

redeeming a bowling alley. From caring for widows to

helping advance church adoptions. The CDF Capital brand

is alive and thriving. And we remain focused on the special

mission God has called us to fulfi ll.

We love this work—and we live this brand.

Visit Dusty's brand story here: CDFcapital.org/brandpromise

Dusty Rubeck

President, CDF Capital

A Brand Is a Promise

Church in a Bowling Alley?

You cannot turn a bowling alley into a church—that was the

attitude of the local banks when Life Bridge Church

approached them for a loan. They wanted to turn Taylor

Lanes, a locally renowned 48-lane decommissioned bowling

alley in Taylor, Michigan, into a house of worship.

“Our objective wasn’t just to buy it and turn it into a church, but

to keep six of the lanes as a gift to our community Monday

through Saturday,” said pastor Grant Agler. “This worked

perfectly with our vision to reach people who don’t go to church.”

Life Bridge began in 2012 as a mobile church plant, and

by 2016 the young church had outgrown the building they

were leasing. Bowling alleys do not usually make sense

for churches. They have elevation changes built into the

foundation, the ceilings are low, and the buildings tend to be

awkwardly long. (You need a lot of space for all those side-

by-side lanes.) But Life Bridge had a growing sense that the

bowling alley was where God was calling them to do church—

it had tremendous outreach potential.

Life Bridge showed CDF Capital their plans. Where other

lenders saw a problematic building type, CDF’s Chris

Davenport saw high ceilings and only two fl oor levels—

unusual traits for a bowling alley. “The bones of the building

were ideal for how Life Bridge wanted to do church,” Chris

remembered.

But the renovations the church wanted couldn’t be done

in their budget without an army of volunteers—and that

was exactly what Life Bridge had. “There are plenty of

places looking for business transactions,” Chris said. “We’re

looking for ministry partners.” Thanks to the church’s

unifi ed leadership and committed team of volunteers, they

completed construction on the church and preserved six

bowling lanes for the community to use for recreation.

Three nights a week Life Bridge opens their bowling lanes to

the public for free, attracting local residents who otherwise

wouldn’t set foot in church. On a given night, up to 40

unchurched people show up to bowl—and about 30 of these

bowlers will show up again on Sunday.

“God is doing big things,” Grant said with a smile.

Read more and watch a video from Life Bridge:

CDFcapital.org/bowlingalley

Adopting a 90-Year-Old Church

The Unlikely Backers of God’s Work

Last year Beaverton Christian Church came to terms with

a harsh reality: the 90-year-old church had experienced

a decade of decline. But Beaverton’s elders were still

prayerfully pursuing God’s mission for their community.

There were 330,000 people within fi ve miles of the church,

waiting to be reached. While Beaverton had room for more

in their sanctuary, they did not have the staff to get them

there. They had the space they needed but not the team.

Just over 20 minutes away, Willamette Christian Church

was rapidly outgrowing its 60-year-old campus. The church’s

leadership team scoured locations in search of a place to

plant a new church. They had the team they needed, but they

did not have the space to grow.

CDF Capital took the opportunity to introduce Beaverton

to Willamette Christian Church, and a deep spiritual

connection took root. “When Beaverton realized where they

wanted to go, they wanted to mobilize their impact quickly

and with people who would share their vision,” said Chris

Yarco, executive director at Willamette (and member of the

CDF Capital Leadership team).

The elders of the two churches met and prayed until it was

clear they were meant to partner in ministry together. They

decided that Willamette Christian Church would adopt

Beaverton Christian Church, lending its leadership team and

forming a group of elders from both campuses to oversee

their “one church in multiple locations.”

This was not a merger—while each campus serves under the

same leadership, they have distinct plans with how to serve

their communities. It was a unique relationship—it was an

adoption.

Read the whole story at CDFcapital.org/adoption

We often think of God’s work being funded by God’s people.

We’re used to generous Christians providing the means by

which other Kingdom workers take the ministry of the gospel

to their neighbors and to the ends of the earth. It would be

easy to assume that all the fi nancial support for God’s work

comes from those who serve him and are highly regarded in

the culture.

But the Bible paints a different picture. Throughout

Scripture we discover that God isn’t above using anyone—

even those who directly oppose Him—to fulfi ll his vision.

We read about fi ve unlikely (yet signifi cant) fi nancial

supporters of God’s work: Terah, whose wealth extended

to his son Abram; Pharaoh, whose resources saved Joseph’s

family; Darius I, King of Persia, who funded the rebuilding

of the temple; Artaxerxes I, King of Persia, who facilitated

Nehemiah’s wall repair; Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and

Susanna, who supported Jesus’ ministry.

God seems to delight in fi nding ingenious ways to meet

challenges and overcome obstacles. This means that He’s

willing to use people from a variety of backgrounds to

complete His work.

Read more on the Cornerstone blog: CDFcapital.org/unlikely

God Provides for Widow & Five Small Children

Why Every Christian Needs a Budget

Alex Garcia had served the Spanish-speaking communities

of Missouri and Southern California for years alongside her

husband, Gil. They, along with their fi ve children, had made

great personal sacrifi ces to serve the Kingdom.

Then they discovered that Gil had leukemia—and he

didn’t have long to live. They had no insurance. No safety

net. No plan B. Until Alex received a phone call from the

Kairos Benevolence Fund. Because of the generosity of

benevolence fund donors, Alex and her family transitioned

to a new home. They received grants to cover many of their

living expenses for an entire year.

Faithful Kingdom workers often fi nd themselves in fi nancial

and health crises without a safety net. KBF provides for

vulnerable ministers and missionaries when they need it most.

If you would like to help people like Alex Garcia, please

visit Donate2KBF.com

A Note from the Ministry Field “I stay awake at night dreaming about

reaching the 1% of the 5.8 million people

who live within 20 miles of our campus.

Because we have the resources, because

we have the partnership with CDF, we

can move forward aggressively in our

vision. And more and more people will

fi nd hope. More and more people will

fi nd Christ. Our homes, our community,

and our world will be transformed.”

—Gene Appel, Eastside Christian Church

We all have the best intentions when it comes to our money,

but life often has another agenda. Without a fi nancial

plan, we’re at the mercy of our impulses and whatever

circumstances life throws at us.

Good stewardship rarely happens by accident. It’s

important to have a strategy in place for how you’re going

to use your resources on behalf of the Kingdom. The

smartest way to do this is to make a budget.

Some think that budgets are for people who struggle with

their fi nances or are simply bad with money. But every

Christian should have a budget—here are some compelling

reasons why:

1. A budget helps you give to God right off the top.

2. A budget creates breathing room in your fi nances.

3. A budget helps you plan for your future.

4. A budget helps you plan for your loved ones’ futures.

5. A budget can help you grow your portfolio.

6. A budget helps you set an example of stewardship.

Read more about this topic on the Cornerstone blog:

CDFcapital.org/budget

CDF Capital is able to meet the needs of churches because

of thousands of individual investors like you. You serve the

church while your investments compile interest. Who else

invests with CDF Capital? You might be surprised.

Meet 100-year-old Lois McMindes. She was born into a

strong Christian family at the end of World War I. From a

young age, Lois wanted to serve as a missionary nurse, but

after one college semester Lois returned home to care for

her mother.

Lois met her husband, and they were married for nearly 53

years. After his passing in 1988, Lois ended up in a retirement

community in Seal Beach, California. They’d been living on

social security since 1970, but infl ation went up and interest

rates dipped, forcing Lois to get by on a meager allowance.

She would still put away a few dollars when she could.

All this time, Lois had maintained her enthusiasm for

the church, dedicating herself to her prayer groups and

missionary correspondence. In 2007 Lois was stricken by

CDF’s vision, making a small personal investment.

Eventually Lois saved up $5,000 and knew she wanted to

invest this additional money with CDF Capital also—not only

would her money serve the church but she was earning a

great interest rate. At 100, she’s still serving the church and

watching her legacy—and investment—grow.

“It’s very little that I can do,” Lois humbly said. “But it sure

makes me happy when I hear about new churches that are

being fi nanced with funds from all over. It’s such a privilege

to be a part of it.”

CDF Capital can serve churches because of investors like

Lois—and investors like you.

Visit Lois' story here: CDFcapital.org/stillinvesting

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100 Years Old & Still Investing

This is not an offer to sell our securities to you and we are not soliciting you to buy our securities. We will offer and sell our securities only in the states where authorized. The offering of our securities is made solely by our Offering Circular. The purchase of our securities is subject to terms, conditions and risks, which are described in our Offering Circular. CDF securities are not F.D.I.C. or S.I.P.C. insured nor are they bank deposits. The CHURCH DEVELOPMENT FUND, CDF CAPITAL, CDF CAPITAL and DESIGN and DESIGN ONLY trademarks and/or other identifi ers referenced herein are trademarks of Church Development Fund, Inc., and may be registered in certain jurisdictions.