Into the Future and Forward

As I sit reflecting on the year past and in hopeful anticipation of the year to come, it is easy for me to view things through the evaluator’s lens of the present. I see decisions that were made and form impressions of them based on the outcomes I know. I begin to think, pray, and hope about what this year will bring. For me, that is not enough. When hindsight is no longer 20-20 and mice and men give up making plans, I have no choice but to look into the future and move forward.

Our mandate at CDF Capital is to help churches grow, which we have done for more than 65 years. As the pandemic hit, the Church was forced to change. What the Church became resembles little of what it used to be, and none of us can prognosticate what the Church will need to be tomorrow. What has not changed is the need for Church and for the gospel message. The need for men and women to put themselves aside and take up the cause of Christ for a hungry and thirsty world.

For CDF Capital, the events of 2020 meant doing things differently—not because we like “different,” but because it was necessary. Late in the summer of 2020, we partnered with other like-minded organizations to push the conversation about the future of the Church. What we created was different. Instead of replicating a conference online, we built an on-demand event for church leaders we called FutureFWD. We did not know if it would fit the CDF Capital model, but we had conviction that thousands of church leaders should be part of that conversation.

Over several months, we gathered short, poignant talks from influential voices in the Church focused on the future of church. We reached out to our partners to curate resources and tools to help leaders think, dream, and pray about what tomorrow holds for their ministries. Along with our key partners, Leadership Network and Exponential, over 40 talks from leaders and influencers of every age, gender, and ethnicity were gathered to be part of this one-time event. Our preparation was sound. Our plan, while not infallible, was good.

We understand that the Church tomorrow will not look like today and may not resemble yesterday.

As the November launch date of FutureFWD neared, the gift of 2020 kept on giving with a polarizing Presidential election and the onset of winter. And with it, the looming threat of a resurgent pandemic. We—the world, the Church, and its leaders—faced a season of distractions unparalleled in many of our lifetimes.

Despite the competition for attention, our efforts to reach more church leaders in a singular effort than we ever have bore fruit. Over 3,000 church leaders registered for FutureFWD and thousands joined the conversation on November 18 and 19 because they longed for answers about what the Church will be.

But that is where the rub is in life. We don’t know. Just as we do not know who will live or who will die—we do not know when our gracious Lord will provide, and when the famine will come. As Matthew says in his gospel, “No one knows the day or hour.” (24:36) The mystery of God is made manifest by our experience in life, and there is no panacea or cure. Just faith.

The FutureFWD speakers, as wise and insightful as they are, do not know the answer of how to “do church” in a mid- or post-pandemic world. None of us have insight or clarity of thought sufficient enough alone to pierce that shroud. Yet time will show that some were closer to truth than others. But that is not what is important.

What is important is that we do not stop being the Church. That ministries like CDF Capital continue to endeavor to help churches and pour into church leaders. That leaders of influence use that influence to help others. That we understand tomorrow will not look like today and may not resemble yesterday.

Looking back, while necessary, is no longer sufficient to predict what is in front of us.

We at CDF Capital have embraced that. We embraced the uncertainty and did what we could to meet the needs of the leaders we serve. We hold true to who we are and make undaunted strides to ensure our churches remain open without putting our organization in jeopardy. We make bold choices, seeking to pour into the people that lead our network churches. But we do not do it alone.

Over 3,000 church leaders were reached in 2020 because of the investors who believe in our vision. Men, women, and families like yours. We will continue to serve churches through investments and loans. Those are always needed. We will also seek out new (and sometimes old) ways to meet the needs of the leaders of those churches—however we can, when we can, with other ministries joining us along the way.

With uncertainty comes change. But for CDF Capital, our mission remains absolute.

We help churches grow.