COVID-19 SPURS RECORD BIBLE PURCHASES; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TIMOTHY HEAD COMMENTS ON THIS

Duluth, GA - April 13, 2020 - (God Inspires News) -- Since the COVID-19 outbreak, there have been a record number of Bible purchases as people are looking for hope during this time, according to top Christian publishers. Companies such as LifeWay Christian Resources and Alabaster have seen large percentage increases in their Bible purchases since last year. In addition, there has been a dramatic increase in searches on Google about the word “prayer” in the last month when COVID-19 went global, suggesting that people are turning to prayer. Faith & Freedom Coalition, a faith-based organization, rejoices over this news and releases the following statement from Executive Director Timothy Head.

“In the midst of this horrible pandemic, there is hope that is found in the Word of God,” said Faith & Freedom Coalition Executive Director Timothy Head. “People are longing for comfort and clarity during these uncertain and difficult times. The Bible is the living Word of God and is the way the Lord speaks to us and gives us that comfort and clarity. It’s no surprise that in hardship we turn to our Creator and cry out to Him. But my prayer is that people will continue to seek God even after this pandemic passes because He truly is the source of life and the only one who can fulfill us. We are grateful for an administration that values the Christian faith and believes in prayer and in the Word of God.”

To learn more about the Faith & Freedom Coalition and President Trump’s responses to COVID-19, click HERE.

Initiator of School Prayer Guidelines, A Professor, Calls for National Day of Repentance

Source: William Jeynes

Huntington Beach, CA - April 1, 2020 - (God Inspires News) -- Professor and Harvard graduate William Jeynes is organizing a National Day of Repentance for Easter, Sunday, April 12th. He is contacting governors to announce the proclamation for their states, and religious leaders to make the proclamation for their houses of worship and denominations. He is hopeful that President Trump will make the declaration for the country. Jeynes asserts, "Government leaders are trying to limit the number of coronavirus cases, and especially the number of deaths. Nevertheless, many experts are predicting that the number of deaths could exceed the number of Americans killed in the entire Vietnam War and perhaps even the Vietnam- and Korean- Wars combined. That is a tragedy no one wants. God is real and our nation's sins are many. As a nation, we need to call out to God and ask Him to intervene to help us and spare lives. The National Day of Prayer that President Trump proclaimed for this past March 15th was a major step in the right direction. However, we need to do more than that. In the Bible, for example, in Nehemiah Chapter 1, Nehemiah asked God to forgive the sins of the Israeli people. We need to do much the same for America."

Dr. Jeynes, along with another colleague, were the ones who first wrote to Secretary DeVos, in early March 2017, asking that the Trump Administration update federal guidelines for prayer- and religious liberties- in the schools. In that request, Dr. Jeynes and his colleague wrote up the first draft of those guidelines. Trump signed the final draft on January 16th of this year. Jeynes adds, "Humans are spiritual beings and prayer as a nation reawakens us to the need for God in our lives. We need His love. We need to cry out to God to inspire us to act out of love.

As a society, we have lost too much of our compassion toward the hurting and especially the unborn. When we lose our compassion, we also lose our humility and our ability to relate to others and their struggles. Yes, God may be angry at our self-centeredness, but whatever is going on spiritually we need to realize that we need Him. God created humans with the need to rely on Him. Even if we have run away from God, He will come running to us."

Dr. Jeynes is a professor at California State University in Long Beach and a Senior Fellow at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton.

CDF Capital to Offer Over $5.25 Million in Relief to Over 150 Churches

Source: U.S. Representative Brett S. Guthrie (R-KY, 2nd)

Irvine, CA - April 1, 2020 - (God Inspires News) -- On Tuesday, March 31, CDF Capital will offer in excess of $5.25 million in relief to more than 150 churches across the United States. With over $550 million in loans, every network church with a loan in good standing is eligible to receive payment deferrals in the form of six months interest-only or six months of payments reduced by 33%.

The Church Assistance Program (CAP-19) from CDF Capital, will enable any church with a current CDF Capital mortgage or construction loan to obtain penalty-free financial support in one of two ways: 6 months/interest only or six months of payments reduced by 33%. This unprecedented program during an unprecedented time is a first in CDF's 67 year history.

The COVID-19 outbreak has left many Americans wondering how long they will have jobs, and be able to pay their bills. As a result, charitable giving is usually one of the things that people cut back on during a crisis. 58% of churches across the country reported a decrease in giving on March 15, 2020. About one-third of churches refrained from disclosing giving details, but the majority of churches experienced what they described as an "abnormal change" in their weekly offering.

Church giving decreased by an average of 13%. Churches that average below 500 in weekly attendance experienced a decrease of about 15%, while churches averaging over 2,000 reported a decrease of about 5%. Growing churches in the 1,000–1,999 range were hit the hardest, with an almost 22% decrease in weekly offerings. While this disruption will end, it has created a few turbulent months to navigate through.

Jonathan Hanson Lead Pastor of Rolling Hills Christian Church shares, "Amidst this challenging time while people are making cuts to their budget and laying off employees, CDF Capital has provided churches like us with hope. We will not only be able to continue our efforts as a church, but we will also be able to serve our surrounding community during this challenging season."

The only requirement for CDF Capital's borrowing churches to participate in CAP-19 is that they must complete and submit a CAP-19 Financial Contingency Plan that describes the impact of COVID-19 on their congregation, as well as how they plan to respond. Churches participating in the assistance program will begin to see relief starting with their May payments.

"This is not a time for the church to retreat, it is a time for the church to advance. And we intend to help them do that. As the world adjusts to the spread of COVID-19 and Americans adjust to the realities of social distancing, the need for the church and for spiritual strength is magnified. Our commitment is to provide transformational capital to churches because our mission is to help churches grow." - Dusty Rubeck, President, CDF Capital

During this time of crisis nationwide and around the globe, CDF Capital is encouraging individuals who are in a position to help churches, to do so directly through their local churches. CDF Capital is also asking everyone to join them in praying for the church and government leaders as they navigate COVID-19.

For more information about the CAP-19 program and ways which you can be involved, please visit: www.cdfcapital.org/cap-19/

CDF Capital was founded in 1953 with a single mission to help churches grow. At that time, the most significant barrier for church expansion was access to the financial capital needed to purchase land and construct buildings, so we stepped in and provided loans and investment options to help fund these projects. Since our founding, CDF Capital has assisted with the expansion and growth of more than 1,000 churches and ministries across the United States. Thanks to the thousands of individuals who have invested millions into our mission, CDF Capital is a national ministry with more than $600 million in total assets.