CDF Capital

We are excited to introduce George Flint, CDF Capital’s Vice President of Ministry Development for California, Oregon, Alaska, Utah, and Hawaii.

George is a Southern California native; he grew up in Oceanside and studied Business and Economics at San Diego State University. He has spent much of his career as an entrepreneur, including owning and operating a commercial painting business at the age of twenty-one and later working in real estate private lending. As he enters this next stage of his career, he is motivated by CDF’s purpose and impact.

Outside of work, George enjoys spending time with his wife, Becca, and their daughter, Jasmine. They are active in their church community, and they love to connect with family and friends, especially through outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, surfing, trail running, and playing ping pong.

Mark Briggs, CDF’s Executive Vice President of Lending, noted, “While George has developed a passion to help churches reach their goals, he gets just as much joy in the journey with these churches toward the destination. His love of the church is contagious and shows in how he goes about his work.”

When considering his new role, George observed, “In this next stage of my career, I am eager to join a dynamic and mission-driven team while having purpose in what I do. I can’t think of a better way to wake up each day, with the goal to be a trusted partner for churches as they impact their communities.”

George’s favorite Bible verse is Joshua 24:15: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (NASB). It is a fitting commitment for someone whose work is to help churches do exactly that.

If you know George, drop a welcome in the comments.

The clubhouse nobody wanted became the church home they needed.

Muskegon is a beautiful small town situated along the shore of Lake Michigan. It’s a virtual playland, boasting three state parks and plenty of opportunities for boating and hiking. The challenge for a church in Muskegon is finding a permanent place where it can grow.

Since planting Genesis Church in 2009, Jamey Newstead has helped his congregation develop resilience. Starting with 29 people meeting in a local park, Genesis Church grew modestly to around 150 members.

As a portable church that had met in multiple locations, the road to finding a permanent home wasn’t easy. In 2022, after being rejected twice on potential properties, they finally discovered a peculiar but perfect location: the clubhouse of a shuttered golf course.

Because of the faithfulness of our investors, CDF was able to step in and take a chance on the smaller congregation when other lenders wouldn’t.

“We never dreamed we would be able to do something like this with a church our size,” Jamey shared. “CDF Capital has allowed us to pursue our dream of reaching more people simply by providing us with a larger facility. Our launch Sunday was hugely successful and we have continued to see growth since then. We’re excited about what the future holds. Thank you, CDF investors, for believing in us!”

Since 1953, we've served hundreds of churches and thousands of investors who want to grow God's Kingdom with wisdom and care. This is what that looks like. Learn more at cdfcapital.org/investments

The coffee is good. The Wi-Fi is free. And somewhere between checking your email and logging into your investment account, a stranger on the same network could be attempting to gain access to your credentials.

Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but it is also a common entry point for cybercriminals targeting financial accounts.

At CDF Capital, we believe wise digital stewardship extends beyond your investment decisions. It includes how you handle your financial information in everyday moments, including where you connect to the internet.

When you connect to a public network at a coffee shop, airport, hotel, or library, you are sharing that connection with everyone else in the building. Two of the most common threats:

1. Man-in-the-middle attacks.
A cybercriminal positions themselves between you and the network, intercepting your data as it travels. Passwords, account numbers, and session information can all be captured without your knowledge.

2. Evil twin networks.
A criminal sets up a fake Wi-Fi hotspot with a name nearly identical to the legitimate one. Once you connect, your activity may be visible to whoever set it up.

Treat all public Wi-Fi like a whiteboard in a crowded room.

Everything you write on it is visible to everyone around you. With that in mind, avoid the following on any public connection:
➡Logging into financial or investment accounts, including your CDF Capital account, banking apps, or retirement platforms.
➡Accessing email tied to financial services.
➡Entering passwords or sensitive personal information of any kind.
➡Reviewing documents containing account numbers, Social Security information, or tax records.

A few practical steps that make a real difference: use mobile data or a personal hotspot instead of public Wi-Fi, enable a VPN, look for HTTPS before entering any information, turn off auto-connect on your devices, and set up multi-factor authentication on your financial and investment accounts.

Protecting what God has entrusted to you requires vigilance beyond the physical. A few thoughtful habits around Wi-Fi can prevent significant harm to your accounts, your identity, and your peace of mind.

Stay alert. Stay wise. Stay CyberSmart.

cdfcapital.org/security-pitfalls-on-public-wi-fi

According to new Barna Group data, 24 percent of U.S. senior Protestant pastors seriously considered leaving full-time ministry in the past year.

That is one in four.

The pressures pastors face weigh heavily on their shoulders and in their hearts, including congregational expectations, staffing, the spiritual weight of leading, and, for a growing number of church leaders, the burden of a facility that no longer fits or a building project that feels too large to navigate alone.

That last one is where we come in.

Most lenders just see a loan application. We see a church trying to grow, a pastor trying to lead well, and a congregation counting on both of them. We have walked this road with churches since 1953. We structure loans with ministry realities in mind.

It is challenging to find a financial partner who shares your values. Our team understands ministry, not just finance.

If a facility question is part of the load your church is carrying right now, we would be glad to have that conversation. Send us a message to get started.

When it comes time to look into loan options, it can be overwhelming. Where should you start? Should you just go down and talk to your local bank? What kind of preparation goes into securing a loan? Which lender would be a good fit for you?

Since lenders are assuming greater risk with church loans, commercial lending often requires a lot more money upfront. Depending on the market, lenders can require a down payment of anywhere from 20 to 35 percent.

And while lenders see your church as a commercial enterprise, your church is not a business. Banks and commercial lenders that do not have a history of dealing with church loans often end up shoe-horning churches into one-size-fits-all loans. Instead of finding a loan that fits your ministry, you end up trying to fit your ministry into a loan.

Knowing the difference before you walk into a lender's office changes the conversation entirely.

Our team understands ministry, not just finance. If your church is thinking about a loan in the next year or two, it is worth reading “How to Shop for a Church Loan” before you start making calls.
cdfcapital.org/how-to-shop-for-a-church-loan

This holiday weekend, we celebrate the freedom to worship, to gather, and to build spaces where people can encounter Jesus.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” – Galatians 5:1

Since 1953, that freedom has been the reason behind everything we do.

We are grateful for the freedom to worship, but even more grateful for the freedom that Jesus made possible.