A CONVERSATION WITH CRIS DOORNBOS
PRESIDENT & CEO, DAVID C. COOK

"Transformation" is obviously important to David C. Cook. Why has that become your theme? The Spirit of God is at work in the world and His Church today, as always. We want to join with Him and the church—the Body, together—to help shape disciples. We feel we have a vital role to play by providing resources that can help bring about true transformation, with the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

You're known for Children's curriculum. Are you going to continue to focus on this area? You bet! We are very excited about the desire we see among young parents to be responsible for nurturing faith in their children. We believe they want to partner with their local church to do this together. We are going to continue to be strong in this area but believe it's time for a new generation of discipling resources to assist families in meeting their God-given responsibility. We are working to create those resources.

What other audiences will you try to reach? We would like to be known as the pastor's best friend. We would like to equip leaders and grow teachers. We would like to provide tools that believers can use in discipling others. We want to provide resources for the generation that will create the church of tomorrow. We believe a lot of good things are accomplished in small groups. Basically, we're anxious to reach everyone who plays a role in shaping disciples of every age.

So who was David C. Cook? He founded our company in 1875 because of his passion to teach the basics of the Christian faith to street children who were displaced by the great Chicago fire in 1871. At the time he had prayed, "God, make all you can of my life." I look back on that prayer by David Caleb Cook as a disciple asking God to use him to the greatest degree possible for Kingdom work among his generation. It's the exact same prayer we have today as an organization. We are continuing his legacy as a "great commission" organization. Our passion—as it was his—is to produce remarkably relevant, tested discipleship resources to equip today's generations for Kingdom work in all of life.

How is David C. Cook as an organization being transformed? Well, I see it as a journey. I can tell you we have begun this journey but we expect it to take some time. Like anything with lasting permanence, it takes a while to forge a new image from our ongoing, respected one. Persistent shaping, re-crafting, failing, and then trying again, until what you had originally hoped for begins to emerge. We're committed… now it's one step at a time. The first step is our new name: David C. Cook.

Any closing comments? Of course! We are both humbled by and proud of the amazing legacy established by Mr. David C. Cook. It is our honor and privilege to use his name to continue the work he began so long ago.