CBMCI - CHRIS SIMPSON REKINDLING FAITH GIVING BACK TO GOD
TAKING THE GREAT COMMISSION LITERALLY GROWING IN BUSINESS & LIFE
As we embrace the spring season, I am reminded of the beauty of renewal, growth, and transformation These themes resonate deeply with our Christian faith and remind us of the transformation that occurs when we place our trust in Jesus Christ
As we experience this change, we are called to help others do the same This is where CBMC comes in, as we present Jesus and develop businessmen
We believe that connecting every businessman to a group of trustworthy men who point them to Christ can lead to tremendous growth and renewal This is particularly crucial for new believers who may be unsure of where to go after giving their life to Christ
CBMC is dedicated to standing alongside these new believers and helping them understand what comes next in their walk with Christ.
One practical way we disciple others is through Operation Timothy (OT) For over 50 years, CBMC has used this powerful tool to help men grow spiritually and pass on what they have learned to others, as we are commanded to do in Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If you or someone you know has never had the chance to experience OT, I urge you to talk with your local CBMC leader and start today Let's seize every opportunity to connect businessmen to Christ and help them grow in their faith
In this issue of The Connector, you will find inspiring stories of how CBMC is transforming lives through the power of discipleship and community across the street and around the world These stories highlight our mission to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the marketplace and encourage us to become more involved
Serving with you,
David Meyers CBMC President
PS As we continue to work towards our goal of transforming lives, we need your support Please consider becoming a financial partner of CBMC to help increase our impact here and around the world
Visit cbmccom/give today to learn more
God can use CBMC and its ministry strategies in many ways, touching lives from every point along the spiritual spectrum It can reach men who have never been inside a church or read the Bible, and it can reach those who once embraced faith in Christ and have drifted away
Jacob Stoltenberg is one of the latter He had committed his life to the Lord early in life, but it wasn’t until well into adulthood that Stoltenberg rekindled that relationship
“I experienced an undeniable coming to Christ at the age of 13,” he said “It was at a youth conference event in Minneapolis I really didn’t know what to do with it at that point, even though I never doubted or denied my belief in God But it was always like, ‘I’ll talk to You when I need You.’”
The next 25 years, Stoltenberg admits, were “lived for self and the world I was deep into alcohol, pornography, and marijuana, and then went through a divorce After enduring a lot of pain, I started re-evaluating my life and embraced again the faith I had left behind Thankfully, I had a foundation I could build on – I had learned a lot of Bible stories and gone through confirmation as a boy Suddenly it was like the Holy Spirit igniting a fire within me ”
CBMC served a key role not only in re-establishing his faith in Christ but also developing and strengthening it
“Jim Carr, the godfather for my two sons, had been consistently inviting me to a CBMC Bible study that met every Thursday morning He must have invited me at least a dozen times before I finally agreed to attend in 2017”
Stoltenberg began attending those Connect3 meetings, but what really captured his attention was the Trusted Advisor Forum he learned about one year later. As a commercial banker, men in the TAF group became instrumental in teaching him what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the marketplace
“I was going through some huge life changes, realizing what’s most important in life I was questioning what I was supposed to be doing with my life, even wondering if I was to remain in banking Through the counsel and encouragement of guys in both the Connect3 and TAF groups, I became convinced that I was supposed to stay where I was They told me, ‘God can use you in amazing ways right where you are, ’ being a witness for Him to my customers and coworkers”
"Suddenly it was like the Holy Spirit igniting a fire within me.”
After his spiritual reawakening, Stoltenberg said his interactions with long-time customers, even those he had known for more than 10 years, began to change “When I’d see someone and they asked, ‘What’s new with you?’ I would respond, ‘Let me share what’s new with me How much time do you have?’”
One of those individuals is a man nearly 20 years younger with whom he had worked for several years Both had moved to different banks during that time, but now they again worked for the same financial institution For a time, Stoltenberg would invite him to a voluntary Bible study he was leading at their bank and share various resources to encourage him spiritually
After their most recent change of banks, the two began meeting on a weekly basis Most recently, at a CBMC outreach luncheon Stoltenberg’s young colleague affirmed his commitment to Christ “Now I’m encouraging him to get involved with a CBMC Young Professionals group in our area, and I’ve invited him to go through Operation Timothy with me. We go to lunch together about once a month to talk about faith questions”
Stoltenberg can’t speak highly enough about the impact TAF participation has meant for him “We meet over the lunch hour, 11:30 to 3 o ’clock, once a month, and those times have played a huge, integral part in developing my faith,” he said
Most of us are in our 30s and 40s, but one of the members, Ric Olsen, is in his 60s and drops wisdom bombs on us all the time It’s powerful to have someone with his experience and spiritual maturity to speak life into us and share his insights on various topics”
What has his growing faith meant to Stoltenberg personally and professionally? “Previously, my life was all about striving – trying to be successful by my own actions alone Now I realize the Lord provides, even while you ’ re sleeping, as it says in Psalm 127:2"
“Today, I approach my work and my relationships with clients from a win-win perspective I’m working for God’s kingdom, my customers, the bank, my family (he and his wife, Miyay, have a blended family with four children) – and myself I’ve realized that every day the Lord presents opportunities in front of me, people a pastor would never meet in a church"
“As Alan Smith, one of our CBMC staff men here in the Twin Cities likes to say, when you pray for opportunities to be a witness, God puts those people at the front of the line”
Jacob Stoltenberg with his wife Miyay and their four boys
"Most of us are in our 30s and 40s, but one of the members, Ric Olsen, is in his 60s and drops wisdom bombs on us all the time. "
Devotional writer Oswald Chambers observed, “A need does not constitute a call” He meant that awareness of a need doesn’t necessarily mean God is calling us to meet that need. However, often when He meets a need in our lives, that leads to His call for us to serve others in similar ways
This has been the case for John Gamades, owner of OrangeBall Creative, a marketing company in Minneapolis Fellow believers gathered around him as he was going through two high-stress times in his life – the end of a marriage and the start-up of his business Their prayers, encouragement and counsel kept him on track emotionally and spiritually, and now he’s striving to offer the same support for other men
At his church, Gamades is leading men ’ s Bible studies He also has written a book entitled, WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men, in which he writes about challenges men are facing on what he views as a spiritual battlefield
A third component of his ministry – in which he is both contributor and beneficiary – is his Trusted Advisor Forum (TAF), a CBMC group he had been introduced to about nine years ago by David Meyers, a friend who was attending the same church
Meyers (now President of CBMC) had been a Forum member for years and knew of its value firsthand Gamades recalled, “David came up to me at church and said, ‘You’ve just launched a new agency, and as a small business owner you’ll need some guys around you to keep you on track'
Gamades had no idea how much impact that group would have in his life “The men God has planted in my circle have been there for me whenever I needed them, personally as well as spiritually,” he said. “When I was going through a divorce, my Forum group gathered around me They encouraged me and helped me stay on course so I would not go off the deep end"
“Today, my best friends have come from that group One of them calls me every Friday morning so we can hold each other accountable, check up on each other, and to pray for one another”
Part of Gamades’ motivation for leading the men ’ s Bible studies and for writing his book have come from what he’s learned and experienced while participating in the monthly Forum meetings
“I’ve discovered that each man thinks he’s the only one that doesn’t have his life together Now, at the age of 47, I’m working with 20 and 30-year-olds who are going through challenges daily that I’ve been through I’m able to share understanding and insights I wish I’d had when I was their age ”
In WAR, Gamades asserts there are three kinds of men: those who have no idea they’re on a spiritual battlefield; those who realize they’re in a battle but don’t know how to fight; and those who know they’re on a battlefield and are winning some battles – but not all His desire is to help other men understand the battles they’re fighting
“The men God has planted in my circle have been there for me whenever I needed them, personally as well as spiritually,”
“They need to understand their enemy, Satan, the one Jesus said in John 10:10 has come to steal and to kill and to destroy They also need to know the tactics and weapons God has given us to fight back And lastly, they need a group of men around them to support them, as my Forum group has done for me They need to know they’re not in the fight alone”
His 12-member TAF group has become a highlight each month as they gather for several hours to study and discuss the Scriptures, hear from one another about the business and personal issues they are confronting, and offer their unique perspectives, all grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ
“Every month, leading up to the Friday we ’ re having our meeting, I always get very busy, and it would be so easy for me to make an excuse not to go, ” Gamades said “But when I go, God always shows up – without fail It’s one of the most valuable times of the entire month, those hours I spend with those guys"
“Invariably, the one hosting the meeting leaves with a completely new way of looking at what’s in front of him The level of wisdom and counsel I get from the group is incredible, both professionally and personally It helps to remove the sense of isolation you can get from being a Christian in the workplace”
Now remarried and the father of two 16-year-old twins, Gamades strives to incorporate biblical values he has learned through his TAF group as a husband and father, as well as a business leader
He and his team at OrangeBall Creative have adopted six core values, including “Right not easy ” that he said “has grown out of my Forum involvement There are times when living out ‘right not easy ’ definitely isn’t easy – the pressure of having to make difficult decisions But if we ’ re committed to it, how do we handle situations when tempted to compromise? It has been a great help to see how other guys live and run their businesses"
“Without the Forum group, I’d just be trying to grind it out on my own But I’ve learned that as a business leader and owner, I’m not responsible for the results I show up and do my part, of course, but I can let go of my need to make things happen – trusting God will bring about the right outcome”
The first chapter of 2 Corinthians speaks of “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” Without question, Gamades is seeing that truth played out in his life
“The Lord has given me a heart for men, and the young guys I see in our studies are hungry It’s a joy to share with them what God has been teaching me And I’ve found my clients are very open to what I have to say about my faith There’s a lie Satan feeds us that people don’t want to hear it Presented the right way, I’ve found, people are very eager to hear about the difference Jesus can make in a person ’ s life”
Your gift allows CBMC to present Jesus as Savior and Lord to business and professional men and to develop these men to carry out the Great Commission.
When considering Jesus Christ’s Great Commission to “ go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), we understand this doesn’t necessarily mean having to travel thousands of miles away A potential disciple
might live next door or work in the next office
However, sometimes going to another part of the world is exactly what the Lord has in mind for us This has been the case in recent years for Kent Kusel In January, he completed his seventh trip to Bangladesh, helping to take CBMC’s vision and strategies to aspiring business and professional people in that densely populated South Asian nation
Kusel, who served for seven years as CBMC’s Director of Trusted Advisor Forums and Area Director in Boston, took five other businessmen with him on the journey of 8,500 miles to Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka Part of their mission was to present Building Spiritual Reproducers (BSR), CBMC’s video training series on making disciples
Response to the training was “fantastic,” he said, with a dozen men and women participating Kusel and his companions spent seven days in the city of more than 23 million people, also building relationships and identifying individuals to begin discipling through Operation Timothy
The national language is Bengali, but since many of the citizens speak English, language did not present a significant obstacle for Kusel and his team. Having a major developing market economy – including being one of the largest textile manufacturers in the world –Bangladesh is very much pro-business Marketplace training is welcomed
“Lots of people in Bangladesh want to get involved in business, but have no idea how to get started,” he said “Even though the nation is predominantly Muslim, it’s open to any religion and as we presented business principles, it was acceptable for us to talk about God”
This adventure had its beginnings in 2013, when Kusel’s church sponsored a missionary couple to go to Dhaka. Then in 2016, he was one of three businessmen traveling there with the goal of establishing marketplace connections
“Not long after we arrived, I received a phone call from the pastor of a church in Dhaka, saying he had heard I was with CBMC He told me a CBMC group had been there at one time and asked for help in getting it started again"
“When I went back in 2017, the pastor brought a couple of business guys to meet with me and we got CBMC relaunched We began discipling men and women in 2018, and my first Timothy was a man with the interesting name of Roderick ‘King Kong’ Roy, an official middle name he had received while still in the womb At one time he had served on the staff of Campus Crusade in Bangladesh” When he finished OT, he then began discipling Titu, the first local Timothy to be discipled by a local Paul.
With the availability of video communication resources like Skype and Zoom, being separated by thousands of miles did not presented a problem as they continued through OT
The growth of the ministry in Dhaka has been enhanced by interactions with other CBMC leaders In 2019, Kusel and several men from Dhaka attended a CBMC Asia conference in Cambodia, where they met with CBMC staffers Mark Hofert and Paul Johnson, along with Jim Firnstahl, then President of CBMC International
“This helped to build vision for the impact CBMC could have in Dhaka and other cities, and enthusiasm grew for using Operation Timothy as a discipling tool,” Kusel said “And in 2020, with the help of a man we met from Bangalore, India, we collaborated to open a business development training center "
“Basically, I have been trying to do the same thing I did as Area Director for CBMC in Boston, introducing ministry tools like Operation Timothy, Living Proof and Building Spiritual Reproducers”
"Classes at the training center are all taught by Christians," he said, "although they are careful to avoid any appearance of proselytizing" “When a person there converts from Islam to Christianity, it’s at a high cost They can be disowned by their family
or worse The material we present is all based on biblical principles, however.”
Seeds planted back in 2016 have been growing steadily, according to Kusel “King Kong and I finished going through OT, and he’s now the coleader – the secretary – for CBMC in Dhaka We now have about 75 people involved with CBMC, and three Connect3 teams meet regularly
“On our last trip we picked up seven new Timothys, and some of the men in Dhaka are starting to disciple others We have awarded 10 people with certificates for completing OT, and 14 more are now in the process of being discipled The impact has been phenomenal – the people are so committed, so transparent”
One byproduct of the relationships built in Dhaka has been helping Michael ‘Arko’ Roy – King Kong’s 18-year-old son – come to the United States and enroll in Gordon College, located just north of Boston “A number of people from our church have been involved,” Kusel said, “including assisting to raise money for Arko to get here in January"
“At age 17 Arko was discipled by Dave Roccia, who was on our CBMC Boston area leadership team before he moved to Texas, but they have stayed connected by phone and Zoom” They completed OT together in late 2021, our first next generation spiritual reproducer from Bangladesh
Kusel said the plan is to continue expanding the ministry in Dhaka in years to come In March 2024 he expects to be joined by 3-5 Gordon College students and a professor who heads the college’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
“We have also been considering translating OT into the local language of Bengali, but we haven’t seen enough momentum to get that accomplished yet”
“On our last trip we picked up seven new Timothys, and some of the men in Dhaka are starting to disciple others."
hris Simpson knew that God was orienting him and his wife Ana (an accomplished artist from Nicaragua) down a new path but the destination, had he been asked years before, would have been surprising
The new president of CBMC International brings a history of service to both the Church and the nation A father of three, this Tennessee native spent the first thirty years of his professional life traveling the world in public sector leadership positions
As an officer in the Marine Corps and then subsequently as a Senior Special Agent in the United States Secret Service, he learned first-hand the meaning of servant leadership and the power of the Gospel His winding career path took him from the jungles of Colombia to the right hand of the most powerful men in the world Yet this new chapter with CBMC International has him more excited than ever
He has a dogged enthusiasm that comes through clearly when you hear him speak as he insists the global CBMC ministry family is set for an abundant future “God has been working on business and professional men and women in every city on earth They are ready to serve That is where CBMC comes in We are their path of obedience, but we can’t whisper it to them The culture is too loud; we ’ ve got to shout it”
One would naturally sense the weight of the responsibility by surveying the landscape of a culture that seems to be moving further away from a Christian moral framework combined with declining church attendance But Chris Simpson’s spirit of optimism is infectious “I have seen too many Christians worldwide ‘back on their heels’ out of a fear of the culture I’ll have none of it I see a thousand lights on a thousand hills, and when the Lord returns, I want the men and women of CBMC to be remembered as shining bright”
In Chris’ first three months on the job, he has seen donations increase and travel surge as he has determined to create a clarity of vision and mission for the 96, and growing, CBMC countries worldwide “To understand who we are as a ministry is essential,” he says, “to strengthen what God has blessed for 93 years ” When asked about our identity, he responds without hesitation, “We network, but we are not a ‘networking group; ’ we talk about leadership, but we are not a ‘leadership forum with a sprinkling of Christianity;’ we are a ministry of Jesus Christ whose marching orders are Matthew 28:19-20 The moment we do anything else, it becomes an exercise in selfinterest, we become lukewarm, and Christ takes our lamp-stand”
There is no doubt that CBMC International has a distinctive tenor now To find out more and to connect with Chris and the CBMC International team, message them at csimpson@cbmcintorg or jmarple@cbmcint.org.
CHUCK SCHERER:
Some might perceive discipling as a one-direction ministry, an older more mature believer imparting biblical knowledge and wisdom to a newer believer or seeker However, many have found disciplemaking as a mutually
beneficial relationship for both the “Paul” and the “Timothy”
That has been the case for Chuck Scherer and the man he fondly regards as his “spiritual father,” Fred Bills. The two first met more than 26 years ago in Grand Rapids, Minn when Scherer applied for a leadership role in the company Bills owned, Nelson Wood Shims During the interview, Bills stated a condition of employment would be to go through a Bible study together called Operation Timothy
“That would be highly illegal now, ” Scherer observed, “but Fred sensed we had a lot of differences and thought doing Operation Timothy together would get us on the same page since it has a lot to say about business, money, dealing with employees and other things"
“As we started going through it, reading and studying the Scriptures, I learned the Bible does say a lot about business – and everyday life But most important, I discovered how to have a genuine, growing relationship with God I had gone to church my entire life and knew about the Lord but had never heard anything about truly knowing Him"
“About a couple months in, meeting with Fred at a local restaurant, that’s when my life changed I stopped living for me and started living for Christ as best I could I went from a mindset of ‘he who dies with the most toys wins’ to laying up treasures in Heaven"
One element of Operation Timothy is developing a life purpose statement, and Scherer eagerly took on that challenge Today he states his purpose is, “To live my life to the fullest by honoring Christ so that people may see, seek and find Christ as their Lord and Savior Romans 12:1-2 talks about living for Christ, being a living sacrifice, and that is my desire”
In addition to their weekly discipling interactions, Scherer helped Bills in one special way more than 20 years ago At a CBMC conference in St Louis, Scherer attended a workshop on Trusted Advisor Forums (TAF) “I learned it is designed for business owners and top executives, so I thought it would be beneficial for Fred It was and he became very involved as a Forum member and leader”
At the time, there were five Forums in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, but none in northern Minnesota where they were located Seeing the value of being part of a Forum, Bills and Scherer determined to team with Don Hoffert, their CBMC Area Director, to start groups in communities nearby
“Being part of a Forum greatly improved Fred’s leadership skills, so we decided we should have one in Grand Rapids Up to that point there weren’t any in small towns, but we didn’t know it couldn’t be done so we went ahead and did it anyway Actually, we know it was all God’s doing – He just let us be part of the process ”
Following an informational meeting for a number of local business leaders, a TAF was started in Grand Rapids, followed by several others in the surrounding area In 2004, because of his executive role with the shims manufacturer, Scherer became a member of a Forum himself It has proved to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
“It has become the most important part of the month for my business and family,” he said “It’s like having a godly board of directors In 18 years, I have never come out of a monthly Forum meeting and said, ‘That was a waste of time’ It’s extremely valuable – I really don’t want to miss a meeting I’ve probably missed only two meetings during all those years"
“We talk about income statements, competitors, employees, our marriages, multi-million-dollar business decisions, just about everything and anything What’s said in the room stays in the room We pray for each other over the course of each month, and sometimes meet individually as well”
Now Scherer is a satisfied customer “When I tell other business leaders about Forums, if they say they don’t have time for it, I urge them to try it for one year I know they’ll find it the best investment they can make for their business As has often been said, it’s lonely at the top, so having all these guys to bounce stuff off of, it’s not so lonely”
In November 2019, Bills sold his business to the employees, hoping to see it continue as a Christianbased company Scherer assumed the role of president, adding another layer of importance to his TAF participation.
His involvement in CBMC goes beyond his Forum group, however Following the lead of his spiritual mentor who guided him through Operation Timothy, Scherer began taking other men through OT
“I’ve met with businesspeople, but also electricians, mechanics, linemen, policemen and firefighters I never know when God has a divine appointment for me – it might be in church, someone I meet at the auto repair shop, people I encounter each day"
“I had been deceived for 33 years; I didn’t know the truth. When people ask me about it, I tell them I used to be religious If they ask, ‘Well, what are you now?’ I tell them I’m just being faithful to the Gospel”
Operation Timothy is available in multiple formats, including digital But Scherer prefers OT Classic, since that’s the version Bills used with him, and he feels comfortable with it
“I keep Timothy studies in the trunk of my car. It’s a spiritual battle and you can’t persuade everyone to go through it, but I’m going to try to that end Most of the people I meet with are unchurched, so toward the end I try to get them into a good Bibleteaching church. It’s been my observation that when you reach the dad, you can reach the entire family”
This is a truth to which his wife of 36 years, Sue, and their sons, Ben, Josh and Zach, can attest.
“It’s like having a godly board of directors."
“I had been deceived for 33 years; I didn’t know the truth."
CHATTANOOGA, TN 37414-0009
800566CBMC
