CONNECTOR THE
FALL NEWSLET TER
CHRISTIAN BUSINESS MEN’S CONNECTION
IN THIS ISSUE:
FALL 2021
• LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT • SCOTT RASMUSSEN – LIFE 2.0 • LEVITES: STAYING CONNECTED
WWW.CBMC.COM
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, God is on the move! There is a stirring of the Spirit among the next generation of men. Young men entering the workforce today are a unique breed. They want to be led, but they are also entrepreneurs. They don’t play by the rules, but they seek good advice. So, what do they really want? What makes them tick? A recent study from the Newport Institute outlined three top priorities for today’s young professional. 1. A sense of meaning and purpose – This generation is less focused on ambition and materialism and more on the things that really matter. 2. Authentic connection – With the challenges of COVID and mental health issues coming to the forefront, this generation is beginning to see the value of human connection. 3. Opportunities to grow and learn – The next generation values personal growth so much so that one-third of them would take smaller pay increases in order to learn and be mentored. More and more, as I talk with young men who are just beginning their careers and starting families, the common theme I see is that they simply want to be better. They long to be better men, better husbands, fathers, and better in their work. In 2020, Barna Research uncovered what Millennials want to accomplish in the next 10 years. 36% want to start a business and 25% want to become more mature spiritually. Young professionals crave the business know-how and the spiritual insight that the older generation can pass along. They want to make a difference. But who will equip them? CBMC is uniquely positioned to reach this generation and help them develop personally, professionally, and spiritually.
2021 BOARD MEMBERS Dirk Block (Chairman) Roger Emerson Jeff Goldfarb Steve Goss (Secretary) Don Hargadon (Treasurer) Todd Hopkins Dave Melin
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David Meyers Scott Newcomer* Todd Schimmelpfennig (Co-Vice Chairman) David Sparks (Co-Vice Chairman) Mike Winter* *Staff Advisory Member
Young Professionals teams are designed to connect young men in an atmosphere of accountability. But that is only part of it. Accelerated growth happens when a trained facilitator guides these men to the next level. Transformation begins when the men who have already been down that road come alongside these young men and journey with them. Who else will tell them the right path to take? CBMC needs a few good men who will pour into the next generation. Are you willing? Who will step up and help prepare Young Professionals for their calling? You have what a Young Professional needs. Let’s equip them for their calling as Marketplace Ambassadors. Let’s equip them for their calling as men of God. Visit connect.cbmc.com/lead for information about how you can pour into the next generation. Are you ready? Let’s go! Serving with you,
David Meyers CBMC President P.S. Not only can you invest personally in the life of a young professional by visiting connect.cbmc.com/lead, but I invite you to partner with us financially to grow more Young Professionals teams in all 50 states. Please prayerfully consider a gift today that will be doubled for twice the impact. See page 5 for more details.
SCOTT RASMUSSEN – LIFE 2.0
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t was February 11th - a clear, cool morning in Temecula. I wandered into my home office, as I’ve done for the past 20 years and jumped into the daily grind of checking emails and messages, but thanks to a full year of COVID wreaking havoc on my business, I had another pretty light day ahead of me. As an eternal optimist, I enjoyed the free time, and the slower pace. This was not always the case. For two decades, I had prided myself on my ability to juggle the work loads of my freelance design studio and two larger, more demanding virtual ad agencies. Where does CBMC fit into this story? I’ve been CBMC’s unofficial Creative Scott Rasmussen and family Director since 2011. CBMC has always been my avenue for utilizing God’s gifts to the local hospital. Better to be safe… help reach other men in business with the message of They checked me in, took my vitals again, then on to the Christ. EKG. The nurse said, “It looks like you’re having a cardiac event.” I thought to myself “there’s no way. I’m a fit I felt the welcoming hand of God reach down to 46 year old! 8 hours of sand volleyball every week. Golf me. I was ready to join Him. All I had to do was at least once a week. I eat healthy. I don’t drink. I don’t reach out and take His hand. There was no pain. smoke. But I’m having a Cardiac event? What does that There was no panic or fear. even mean?” I was about to find out. Up until COVID hit, 12 hour days were not uncommon. My life was driven by deadlines, contracts, and marketing schedules. With everyone buying my time in bulk, that left very little time for myself. And even less time for my family. Because it was another light day, I strapped on my in-line skates and knocked out a brisk 6 miles. I came panting through my office door, downed half a bottle of water, and began catching my breath – only I wasn’t catching my breath. After 5 minutes, I was still breathing hard. Nothing else hurt. But something was obviously not right. I called my wife JJ, a physical therapist, who was out seeing patients nearby. She was home in minutes. She took my vitals and we both decided that I should head over to
Within minutes, I was laying on a bed with wheels, scarfing down a handful of aspirin, getting poked in both arms and hands. Things were moving fast. The doctors were cracking jokes and keeping me calm. I remember saying a quick and confused “goodbye” to my wife— which I didn’t think of much at the time, but it turns out, could have been our last goodbye. I felt the anesthesia take effect. I felt the cardiologist’s hands on my thigh. I could hear talking. I could see everything around me, and the flurry of movement. I’d seen a million ER television shows where amazing efforts were being made to keep someone alive. And now that someone was me. It was surreal. continued 3
At this moment, I should have been scared. I should have been in pain. But all I could feel was relaxed. At peace. As if 1,000 prayers were being answered in that moment. I was alert for this part of the surgery. Although I could open my eyes, I kept them closed because I didn’t want to see what I was going through. Something occurred in this moment that will stay with me forever. After they had placed two stents, I opened my eyes to see the room bathed in warm light. I noticed the faces of doctors all saying my name in urgent tones. “Scott, Scott!” Then the voices went silent. I lost my ability to hear – although I could still see, then everything faded to white. I was experiencing V-fib. My heart was no longer pumping blood. It was simply fluttering. I was experiencing my own death. I was overcome at that moment by an overwhelming peace. I felt love. I felt the prayers wash over me. I felt the welcoming hand of God reach down to me. I was ready to join Him. All I had to do was reach out and take His hand. There was no pain. There was no panic or fear. Then I had an instantaneous thought. The thought of my wife and two boys eating Valentine’s Day dinner without me. I had already bought my wife of 23 years her Valentine’s Day gift, but I hadn’t told anyone about it or where I’d hidden it. And then I lost consciousness. I woke up in a makeshift ICU (thanks to COVID). I don’t remember getting shocked back to life. I don’t remember the second poke into my femoral artery. I don’t remember getting 3 more stents. I don’t remember getting shocked a second time to stabilize my heart rhythm. But there I was. Alive. After 24 hours in a loud, sleepless ICU, I felt blessed to have a second chance. I spent most of that night trying to drift off to sleep only to be woken up by my own pulse monitor beeping and flashing as my heart rate dropped to around 40bpm. This would always cause me to panic and my heart rate would shoot back up. Ironically, because I was so healthy, I simply had a very low heart rate that would trigger the “sirens.” The effects of the anesthesia wore off quickly. I was feeling good. Mostly thankful and blessed. An angel (dressed like a nurse) brought my cell phone to me and I immediately called my wife and two boys. They were finally able to breathe when they heard my voice. I reached
out to other loved ones. Same reaction: Emotions. Relief. Gratitude. A healthy dose of disbelief. But Scott’s going to be okay. I learned that after JJ had left my side, she started calling everyone she knew to pray. Within minutes, I had hundreds of people praying for me – not fully knowing the extent of what they were praying for – but that Scott was having a heart attack and needed prayers. After 24 sleepless hours in the ICU, I was moved to the third floor. In the moments between face-time calls, texts, and nurse visits, I thought about how this whole event was orchestrated. I thought about all the details leading up to it. I don’t dwell on what-if’s but IF any of the details were just a minute off, I wouldn’t be around today. God sure has an interesting way of getting people’s attention. The doctors said I’d be in the hospital for 5 days. I left after two and a half. Someone stole my wheelchair, so I literally walked out on my own two feet into the outstretched arms of my wife on the very day that I proposed to her 24 years ago. Life 2.0 had begun. In the months since my heart attack, I feel that I have been living on a whole other plain. My thoughts and my actions are very intentional. The worst thing I can possibly imagine is “going back to normal” – back to life 1.0. Not that life 1.0 was bad or wrong, because it wasn’t. But I’d been given an amazing gift. A gift called perspective. I now have the perspective that death is not something to fear. I felt the extreme peace, comfort and love of my heavenly Father, and know that I will experience that once again when it truly IS my time. I have the perspective that every moment is a gift, a gift that should not be taken for granted. How easy is it for a man to shrug off a lunch with his wife or time with his kids because he’s got too much work? How often does a man put his role as provider for his family before his role as a husband or father? Perspective changes everything. So never let a moment pass without telling your wife and kids that you love them. Never miss an opportunity to share your faith and the power of prayer. And lastly, never let an experience like this go unshared.
Scott works closely with the national marketing team and many of the local areas to provide exception graphic design for the ministry of CBMC. He played a key role in the recent rebrand and even created the design of this newsletter. CBMC is tremendously grateful for Scott’s gifts and talents that are being used for the kingdom of God.
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LEVITES:
R
etirement. It’s a word many of us have heard almost from our first day of work. Once established in our careers, we start thinking about retirement planning and invest in individual retirement accounts. However, the Scriptures have very little to say about retirement.
STAYING CONNECTED WITH CBMC AND EACH OTHER
It was in this spirit that veteran CBMC leaders in 1997 created a group simply called, the Levites, that would enable them to stay connected to the ministry.
Roger Erickson had just retired as President of CBMC International, and after decades in Roger Erickson Charles Miller staff and volunteer leadership roles, he was looking for ways The only direct mention of retirement is found in Numbers 8:25-26. he and longtime friends in CBMC as President of CBMC from 1977 to Defining the roles of the Levitical could remain engaged. The Levites 1991. priests, it states, “This applies to the became their solution as they stayed Levites…at the age of fifty, they in touch by phone and on occasion, As men in the Levites grew older, must retire from their regular service gathering for a weekend at central their travels together ended, but the and work no longer. They may assist locations. men remained in contact through their brothers in performing their the quarterly phone calls. During duties at the Tent of Meeting, but Each of the early members had the past year they have added Zoom they themselves must not do the retired from business, but that freed meetings to their agenda. “It’s been work.” some to participate in ministry trips a great blessing to stay in contact internationally. Groups of three or with each other,” Erickson said, “get We could therefore conclude the four men would travel to South reports about what was happening modern-day definition of retirement Africa, Finland, England, Germany in the ministry, and to pray together has little biblical support – unless and Brazil, seeking to help get CBMC for the ministry and for each other.” you happen to be a Levitical priest. ministries established in those counEven in that passage, older Levites tries. Charles Miller, another of the original Levites, also had the desire to remain engaged after years of “‘We may not be as mobile as we used to be, but we’ve got time to service on CBMC’s National Board as pray.’ We’re prayer warriors for the ministry.” well as the local ministry in Elkhart, Ind. “I felt there should be some way weren’t authorized to shuffleboard. On several occasions, they coordito keep our retired guys connected. They were to “assist their brothers in nated CBMC-sponsored golf tournaperforming their duties,” even if no ments in both the U.S. and Ireland. It “We were all freshly retired, and longer in an official capacity. was called the DeMoss Cup, named most of us had cut back on our local after Ted DeMoss, who had served ministry involvement,” he said. “The
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Robert Milligan
Bill McAvinney
quarterly updates were helpful, and we also could share about how we were doing personally. It was the CBMC connection that kept us together over the years.” Even though his CBMC leadership roles were primarily in the U.S., Miller could appreciate its international impact since his first encounter with the ministry was in Australia in 1977, where he and his family lived for two years while expanding his business. Robert Milligan joined the Levites later, in 2005, while he was serving as President of CBMC International. “I was invited initially because my leadership role, and I have enjoyed getting to know the men who contributed so much to the ministry through the years.
Pat O’Neal
Eldon Kibbey
“In addition to staying connected, they could learn about what was happening in different areas of the ministry, get updates about men they knew who had held key roles in CBMC in the past, and devote time for prayer. They had a slogan, ‘We may not be as mobile as we used to be, but we’ve got time to pray.’ We’re prayer warriors for the ministry.” Bill McAvinney, President Emeritus of CBMC, said after learning about the Levites, he had a vision for seeing it expand to include many more men who have been integral to the ministry’s work and history. “We can learn from them, and thanks to technology they can still do a lot for the ministry, even from their homes.” McAvinney said when he has participated in the quarterly conference
Fritz Klumpp
calls, the Levites have been able to “hear about the fruits of their labors and learn how their fruit – their legacy through CBMC continues to grow. ” The Levites are vital members in the ministry of CBMC. These men have stepped up to the plate to finish strong. It is an inspiration to see the Greatest Generation of CBMC men gathering to pray for this ministry and for the ones following in their footsteps. If you are a retired CBMC’er, this is your invitation to continue strong with a band of brothers at your side. The Levites’ next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 16th. Please join by contacting John Cofield at jcofield@cbmc.com or call 423-308-6054.
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2021 UPCOMING CBMC EVENTS CHECK CBMC.COM/EVENTS FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS CBMC Fort Lauderdale Lunch
Leadership Coach Training
YP Dinner
October 19th Fort Lauderdale, FL
October 21st Overland Park, KS (Virtual)
November 11th Omaha, NE
Business Connection Luncheon
CBMC Sporting Clays Luncheon
Men United
October 19th Lincoln, NE
October 21st Medina, OH
Key Man Meeting | Oct 2021
CBMC Latina South Florida Lunch for Businessmen & Entreprenuers
October 20th St. Charles, MO Queen City Leaders Summit
October 21st Charlotte, NC 37th Annual Fredericksburg Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast
October 21st Fredericksburg, VA 30th Annual Elkhart Community Leader’s Prayer Breakfast
October 21st Elkhart, IN
October 26th Coral Gables, FL Annual Louisville CBMC Banquet
November 6th La Grange, KY Called out of the KGB – An Evening with Sasha Tsutserov
November 6th Oklahoma City, OK Hot Dogs at the Hank
November 11th Mobile, AL
November 13th Oklahoma City, OK 54th Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast
November 16th Mobile, AL CBMC Maryland Leadership Retreat
November 19th Middletown, MD Leaders Above: CBMC National Ministry Update with David Meyers
December 1st Virtual Event CBMC Coaching Encouragement Zoom Meeting
December 11th Virtual Event