CDF Capital

Sometimes, in the hurriedness of our lives, we miss obvious things.

Maybe we miss the keys we are holding in our hands as we rush about, looking for them. Or perhaps we grab two different colored socks and only realize it halfway through the day. These small lapses might cause us to laugh, but what about the bigger things we might be forgetting?

For those of us caught up in a jam-packed calendar, the rush of a churning news cycle, and the whirring of days passing like minutes, let’s ask ourselves: What obvious truths do we need to be reminded of today? Here are a few to ponder.

1. God is with us and is our provider.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

This is a reality we need reminded of regularly. Many of the messages we receive each day tell us that we have to look out for ourselves first—if we don’t prioritize our happiness, our needs, or our desires, who will? But the truth is that God knows us more intimately and loves us deeper than we can fathom. The Lord loves to care for His children.

2. People are in need, and we can help them.

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:17–18 ESV).

As followers of Christ who are committed to living generously, we will likely become more aware of opportunities to serve others. How can we seize those opportunities today?

3. This life, the one we are busy flying through, is not meant to last forever.

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV).

Not one of us will live forever on this earth. Making a plan ahead of time for the care of our loved ones and the distribution of our estate can bring peace now and provide great comfort later.

Living lives of good stewardship.

As we grow in stewardship—managing the resources God has lent to us—let’s choose to act on these three obvious truths. Let’s dwell on the truth of God’s care for us, seek to share from the abundance we have received, and make plans to care for our loved ones after we are gone.

CDF Capital is heading to SpireConference with the Spire.Network in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 29 through October 1.

For CDF Capital, it is an opportunity to meet with church leaders and hear what God is walking their churches through and talk through what may be next.

If you will be at Spire and your church is thinking about a building project, church financing, or another significant next step, come find us. Our team understands ministry, not just finance. We will walk with you every step of the way.

We all need to be regularly reminded of how loved we are, especially when the busyness of the calendar tends to take all of our attention. When we feel like we are constantly putting out fires or running from one challenge to the next, we can forget that we are children of God and deeply cherished.

Pastors, ministers, and church leaders are as susceptible to this as everyone else.

Join us in praying for ministers, church leaders, and pastors as they head into the weekend.

Pray this: Lord, we pray for Your strength to be upon our pastors and leaders of Your church. May they develop a healthy rhythm of seeking Your provision and praising You for blessings. We speak against the enemy's lies that busyness is the only road to success. We pray for our leaders that they may rest in Your presence and the reminder of Your love for them.

Ministry was never meant to be done alone. At CDF Capital, we are praying with you.

Tag a pastor or church leader who could use this prayer today.

Discovering that one of your accounts has been hacked is unsettling. It is also increasingly common, even for people who practice good security habits.

At CDF Capital, we believe wise digital stewardship is part of protecting what God has entrusted to you. That includes knowing exactly what to do when something goes wrong. If you think one of your accounts has been hacked, here are seven steps to take.

1. Change your passwords, starting with your email account, since it controls password resets for many of your other accounts. Set up multi-factor authentication wherever you can.

2. Review your account settings for changes you did not make, then sign out of any active sessions you do not recognize.

3. Contact your financial institution directly if a financial account was affected. Their fraud and security teams handle this every day.

4. Warn your contacts. A hacked email or social account is often used to target the people who trust you.

5. Report what happened at IdentityTheft.gov, or to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center for cyber-enabled fraud.

6. Start monitoring your accounts. Review recent transactions and dispute anything unfamiliar.

7. Set up a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus if your personal information was exposed.

Responding well to a breach is part of paying attention to what God has placed in your care. If you ever have questions about the security of your CDF Capital account, reach out to us directly. We are here to walk with you every step of the way.

Stay alert. Stay wise. Stay CyberSmart.

A resume from a well-known church tells you what someone has done. It does not tell you whether they belong on your team.

Hiring the wrong person is costly and time-consuming, and letting someone go is always harder than passing on them in the first place. Here are five mistakes to avoid when hiring your next staff member.

1. Focusing on experience over cultural fit.

A resume from a respected church or seminary is exciting to see, but do not let it cloud your judgment. You want to hire someone who resonates with your mission and gels with staff and volunteers.

2. Skipping the background check.

Many churches fail to do their due diligence. Check references. Call previous churches and speak to more than one person there. Negligence creates opportunities for your staff and members of the congregation to be harmed by those who would prey on the vulnerable.

3. Elevating someone for their gifts alone.

Every church should have a plan for recognizing potential and discipling individuals toward maturity. But someone’s talents are not an automatic license for leadership. Leaders must be developed and refined.

4. Building too large a hiring committee.

Keep the team small and agile, or finding agreement on a candidate becomes its own painful process.

5. Forgetting to check their virtual footprint.

These public accounts can give you insight into potential hires—insight that their resumes or the interview process may not reveal.

The right hire can improve morale, enhance processes, and help grow your church. The wrong hire can do the exact opposite.

Your Backstage Pass for a conversation with Derwin L. Gray, Hosanna Wong, Carey Nieuwhof, Dharius Morshun Daniels , and Steve Carter.

Gain a practical, tactical roadmap for how to choose and maximize innovation, manage your energy, navigate the future, and communicate effectively across new media.

This is a casual, highly interactive discussion with some of today's leading communicators, built for church leaders who want real tools, not just inspiration.

Enroll for free here: https://cdfcapital.teachable.com/p/backstage-pass-craft-character

At CDF Capital, we believe strong church leaders build strong churches. This conversation is one way we invest in that mission.