"GOD USED CBMC TO HELP REKINDLE MY FAITH"

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”

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”