March 1, 2024
The Solomon Foundation’s Impact
A bottom line measured in outreach, church attendance, and baptisms . . .
Articles for tag: Church Development Fund
CDF Capital Announces Leadership Transition
CDF Capital has announced a leadership transition that will see president and CEO Dusty Rubeck retire from those roles and longtime CDF board member Eric R. Schroeder replace him on July 1.
TSF, CDF, CFR Helping Partner Churches to Weather COVID-19
The three church extension funds that provide loans to independent Christian churches and churches of Christ have been working to accommodate and help their partner churches during the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Solomon Foundation has thus far helped 34 churches secure $8.4 million in SBA Payroll Protection Program forgivable loans through its bank partnerships. TSF also initiated a special program for those unable to obtain PPP funds which has provided grants totaling more than $425,000 to 26 churches and organizations. (TSF and 13 partnering churches provided funds for this endeavor.) Additionally, the TSF Tithe program disbursed
SPOTLIGHT: Sunbury (Ohio) Christian Church
Church changes its DNA through service projects and grows, with room to expand. By Darrel Rowland Ten years ago, Sunbury Christian Church spent $500,000 to buy 11 acres at the edge of a village in central Ohio. The church knew its old facility less than two miles away was inadequate, despite renovations that added a gym and got rid of the 1960s-era green paisley carpet. Still, half-a-million dollars for a congregation of about 300 as the Great Recession struck? “We swallowed real hard,” remembers senior minister Mike Bratten. “The need outweighed the fear.” The parcel wasn’t just randomly selected.
June 5, 2017
Urban Churches, Creative Solutions
By Brent Storms Where to meet presents special challenges for new congregations in expensive, congested cities. Urban churches are finding solutions that offer lessons for anyone”s church building decisions. One of the biggest challenges of starting a church in a city center or urban context is finding the right facility for Sunday gatherings. Space is limited. Landlords are skeptical. Prices are (often) outrageous. One example of the challenges: hotly contested lawsuits have bounced from court to court over whether churches should be allowed to rent New York City public schools for religious services. Some churches have been in public schools,
August 19, 2016
Church Development Fund Announces Name Change to CDF Capital
IRVINE, CA””Church Development Fund, a ministry of Provision Ministry Group, announced this July a new name and logo. Debuting at the North American Christian Convention, in Anaheim, the new name, CDF Capital, was met with great enthusiasm. This change was made to better reflect the ministry and its long time mission: “Helping Churches Grow.” CDF Capital, originally established in 1953 as the Churches of Christ Building and Loan Fund, was founded with the express purpose of removing obstacles that hindered church growth. In 1953, the most significant obstacle was access to financial capital to purchase land and build new churches. In 1972, the
April 7, 2016
WHAT’S NEXT?: Get Rid of Three Spiritual Diseases
We asked several Christian leaders, “What should churches served by CHRISTIAN STANDARD strive to be or do or look like in the next decades?” ____ By Dusty Rubeck I would like to see our churches focus on eradicating three crippling spiritual diseases in the next 20 years. 1. Biblical Illiteracy I”ve been involved in ministry leadership since 1983. Over that time I have seen a steady decline in basic biblical knowledge. While it is most pronounced in our youth, it is evident at all age levels. This must change. We must move from biblical relevance to biblical revelation and transformation. Active study and
November 1, 2014
3 Funds Committed to Growth
By Darrel Rowland We like to tell people that our brotherhood is among the fastest growing in America and contains far more than its share of megachurches. But there”s a unique factor in how God has blessed the Christian churches/churches of Christ that often gets overlooked: a trio of loan funds that now have a combined $1 billion-plus in assets. “I think it”s just a testament to our movement that it has three strong, vibrant funds,” said Doug Crozier, CEO of the Solomon Foundation and former head of the Church Development Fund (CDF). “As far as I know, there”s not
July 15, 2014
Suffering All Around
By Dusty Rubeck (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) About 15 years ago a wise older man on one of my boards told me, “Dusty, never underestimate the level of human suffering that exists in our world.” Then he repeated it. Again and again and again and again. Obviously, he could see this young leader wasn”t getting it. Now I do. Don, wherever you are, “Thank you.” I wish I”d listened more carefully back then. I see it now. You cannot turn in any direction without running into people who are suffering unimaginable pain (physical,
March 14, 2014
Which Do You Perceive as the Bigger Danger? . . .
By Darrel Rowland Which do you perceive as the bigger danger: Christian churches and churches of Christ being overly exclusive and thus missing out on opportunities for real service and growth available by greater interaction with other Christian groups, . . . or brotherhood churches losing their scriptural distinctive, especially on baptism and weekly observance of the Lord”s Supper, by interacting with other Christian groups? Bob Russell, Retired minister, Louisville, Kentucky Twenty-five years ago I would have answered that the greater danger was that we were too exclusive””we isolated ourselves too much. Today I think the greater danger is we
December 12, 2013
Church Development Fund Announces Presidential Transition
IRVINE, California ““ Provision Ministry Group CEO Larry Winger, along with the PMG and Church Development Fund boards, announced today a transition in the presidency of CDF from Brad Dupray to Dusty Rubeck. The news follows several months of reassessment related to the ministry”s current status and needs, which resulted in the identification of a directional shift in the essential leadership qualities needed for future growth. “Brad Dupray stepped in at a critical moment in the history of CDF to assume the role of president and provide much-needed stability during the worst economic recession we have experienced in years,” said
September 9, 2012
Spreading the Gospel, Unleashing Compassion
By Justin Horey This summer, as Eastside Christian Church celebrated five decades of dynamic ministry in Southern California, senior pastor Gene Appel emphasized “Eastside”s second 50 years” as much as its first. Later this year, Eastside is scheduled to complete one of the largest, most expensive, and most ambitious relocation projects ever undertaken by a Christian church””with a total project cost of more than $50 million. The church”s leaders believe the project will “carry forward the congregation”s spiritual passion by positioning Eastside for exponential impact in its second 50 years.” Shortly after Eastside Christian Church began meeting in 1962, the
May 23, 2012
Impacting Canada
By Kent E. Fillinger Toronto, Canada, is the most ethnically diverse city in the world. On the west side of Toronto, where Churchill Meadows Christian Church meets, 55 percent of the population speaks a language other than English in their homes. All totaled, more than 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city. People of Muslim and Hindu backgrounds outnumber the people with any form of Christian background. Additionally, only 4 percent of the population is churched, which means the majority of people have no frame of reference for Christianity. Culturally, Canada resembles Western Europe more than the United
February 28, 2012
“˜Commissioned”: NMC Becomes ICOM
By Chris DeWelt The National Missionary Convention became the International Conference on Missions at its gathering last fall. The conference seems set to continue what it does best: challenging thousands with the opportunity and needs for world missions. From the moment I heard that Wing Wong of China was the 2011 National Missionary Convention president, I knew it would be a great gathering. My anticipation grew when Wing visited Ozark Christian College a few months before the convention and immediately endeared himself to hundreds of students. Wing”s unique combination of humor, passion for Christ, and humble spirit connected with more
January 4, 2012
Interview with Don Hamilton
By Brad Dupray Capital Area Christian Church in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, has connected with its community in a far deeper way than most churches. In addition to its heavy involvement with community organizations, the church recently raised more than $600,000 in donations from local businesses, organizations, and individuals for construction of a large playground that continues the church”s efforts at making its campus a key part of its community. From the start, the church has worked at using its 53-acre campus to benefit the community and connect people to Christ. Don Hamilton ministers with Capital Area Christian, the only congregation he
August 18, 2011
Interview with Keith Poletiek
By Brad Dupray As a boy, Keith Poletiek lived the life of “Johnny Lazarus,” the namesake character in a book series Keith devised to encourage young people toward evangelism. As a popular children”s conference speaker and author, Keith has also connected with children through Project316 (pronounced three-one-six) to motivate, train, and encourage young believers to take the message of John 3:16 to the world. Keith grew up at First Christian Church of Huntington Beach where he learned the beach culture of Southern California; he now uses that as a means of telling the message of Christ. In addition to his
July 14, 2011
Solomon Foundation Offering Church Loans
By Jennifer Taylor The Solomon Foundation, a new church extension fund for the Christian churches and churches of Christ, launched several months ago with headquarters in Englewood, CO. Doug Crozier, formerly president of Church Development Fund (Irvine, CA), serves as chief executive officer of the new organization. Crossroads Christian Church (Grand Prairie, TX) and Christ”s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) worked with Crozier and his team to fund the development and launch of the foundation. Leaders from Mount Pleasant Christian Church (Greenwood, IN), Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, ID), The Crossing (Quincy, IL), and Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Toronto,
July 1, 2011
A Church Planting Milestone in Canada
By Jennifer Taylor According to Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church and director of Impact Ministry Group (both Ontario, Canada), the area is home to only six other Christian churches””and their combined attendance is less than 500. So CMCC”s new building””and the more than 1,200 people who attended the opening services in March””is a milestone for Canadian church planting. “Churches are closing faster in Canada than any other area, including Western Europe,” Tune says. “Church just isn”t on the radar. In fact, people assumed our building was an industrial complex or school because they don”t have
March 30, 2011
New Building for Churchill Meadows
This past Sunday, Churchill Meadows Christian Church (Mississauga, Ontario) celebrated the grand opening of their new building. Senior minister Jim Tune and his wife, Claudia, planted CMCC in 2001 and the church broke ground on the building in June 2008. The project””Church Development Fund“s first international loan””will provide the first permanent facility for Churchill Meadows, which has grown to be the largest independent Christian church in Canada.
February 11, 2011
Dupray Named President of CDF
On Feb. 4, Brad Dupray was named the new president of Church Development Fund (Irvine, CA). Brad has served CDF for nearly 22 years, with roles including senior vice president of ministry development, chief operating officer, and national marketing director. Brad holds a bachelor”s degree from Pacific Christian College (now Hope International University) and an MBA from National University. He is also an ordained minister and the writer of the monthly “CHRISTIAN STANDARD Interview.” You can read Brad”s blog about his new role with CDF.
