Perceptions and realities can both drive us

“At CIF, we want to do all that we can to help ministries thrive. We are a Christian nonprofit that is accountable to the Lord and to our mission of Kingdom expansion.”

Sometimes the obvious isn’t as obvious as we might think. Each of us has the ability to convince ourselves that something is different than what it actually is, to sort of place our own reality on top of what is in front of us.

For example, if you’ve ever coached sports or served as a teacher, it’s easy to get fixated on something you’re trying to help someone improve. This has happened to me as a baseball coach. I can get really focused on correcting something a player continues to do that isn’t necessarily what the team needs in that game.

Grasping the situation

In reality, it might be the actions of several players on the team working together (or not), that are hindering our ability to get the runs and outs we need.

Similar things can happen in financial services.

Sometimes churches and individual believers can look at a for-profit option and sort of gloss over the fact that the financial service exists to maximize returns for shareholders. There’s nothing wrong with being a for-profit financial institution, but it is certainly a mission, and one that doesn’t seek first to benefit a church or ministry as its goal.

What makes us different?

At CIF, we want to do all that we can to help ministries thrive. We are a Christian nonprofit that is accountable to the Lord and to our mission of Kingdom expansion. The CIF Difference explains this, and we hope that you’ll take a look.

I am pleased to say that we are in the second half of our seventh decade of service, which means we have a proven track record. It is so encouraging to see people’s interest in our history has been growing over the last few months.

Who we are and what we do

In the here and now, we recently completed our CIF Core Values video series, which will soon have its own page on our website. We are stewards who communicate, collaborate and are curious in our work. I believe these values make us better at what we do.

I’m also happy to announce that we have nearly completed our revamped church Capital Campaigns program. There are now more cost-effective and flexible options to deliver this service based on the comfort level and capabilities of each church.

Lastly, relating back to the idea of what’s obvious and reality, I’d like to draw your attention to our logo. Did you ever notice how the cross is central to our identity? Our guess is that some have not, so we are going to be drawing this out visually this upcoming year.

I am so thankful for all of our partners and for those who may be considering CIF. There is joy in the journey as we work to expand God’s Kingdom together!