summer 2018
Advancing Marketplace Ambassadors In this issue: Launching a Legacy of Faith
CBMC, Inc. The Connector Summer Newsletter P.O. Box 8009 Chattanooga, TN 37414-0009 800.566.CBMC (2262) www.cbmc.com
Vision 650 4G Impact
Coming to a Town Near You
Building Upon a Rich CBMC Legacy Dear Friend of CBMC, This edition of The Connector focuses on the power of legacy – the legacy of God’s work through a man, through a CBMC team in a city, and through transformed lives that touch other lives in the name of Christ. As I travel across the United States, interacting with CBMC members in many areas, I feel overwhelmed by what God is doing. During May alone, we had an amazing number of events around the country, some achieving milestones. The Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast celebrated its 40th year. CBMC in Northeast Ohio also had a record turnout for its latest community event. All across the USA, from coast to coast, the response by business and professional men to the life-changing Gospel message is astounding. Please pray for all CBMC leaders and volunteers as they follow up with those who have responded to the Gospel, along with those eager to get involved in marketplace ministry. Despite these glowing reports, there’s no room for complacency. This is why our leadership has initiated what we’re calling Vision 650 4G Impact. You’ll read about it in an article on page 3. This aggressive initiative will help expand CBMC’s spiritual footprint to 650 U.S. communities over the next decade. Already, since October 2017, new CBMC teams have started in 21 cities and towns. As this momentum builds, I am reminded that none of us has the ability nor the power to accomplish all this. We MUST rely on the armor of God and the Holy Spirit to empower us daily. Please be encouraged by this reminder from Psalm 18: “For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. This God – his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.“ For years I’ve been challenging men, young and old, to live lives of significance, asking about the legacy they expect to leave behind. Many are caught off guard; they simply don’t have an answer. They haven’t taken the time to consider what their legacy might be. This edition features stories from faithful, fruitful men in CBMC who are leaving lasting legacies of faith. I hope you will be inspired and challenged by their living examples! Your fellow servant to our Lord Jesus Christ,
William J. McAvinney, III, President, CBMC, Inc. 540.840.8620 P.S. To see Vision 650 become reality will require considerable financial resources to train and equip these emerging leaders. To assist with this initiative, we have received a special matching grant opportunity. You can double your own gift to Vision 650 through this Letter from the President Page 2 matching grant by visiting www.cbmc.com and Vision 650 4G Impact Page 3 clicking the “Give Now” button.
Table of Contents
Four Decades of Disciple-making Coming to a Town Near You
Page 6 Page 7
Vision 650 4G Impact
650 CITIES BY 2028 WITH DISCIPLE-MAKING TO THE 4TH GENERATION There’s a new term you’ll want to become familiar with – Vision 650 4G Impact – since we’ll be referring to it a lot. It’s simple, really. We’re praying for God to enable CBMC to extend its reach, to a total of 650 cities and communities, with our ministry of evangelism and disciple-making to the 4th generation. Since Vision 650 was launched in October 2017, an additional 21 cities and towns have joined the CBMC movement, with more than that number already waiting to be equipped to start presenting Jesus Christ to business and professional men and developing them to carry out the Great Commission by investing their lives in making disciples. Today we have men in nearly 400 cities, engaged in CBMC’s two-fold mission, and we believe God wants us to expand into 250 additional communities over the next 10 years. With CBMC poised to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2030, we’re praying for an increase of: 6,000 men applying Scripture to their lives, 6,000 men praying for the lost using our “10 Most Wanted” cards (meaning they will be praying for a total of 60,000 other men), 600 more outreach events, 3,000 more disciple makers, and 600 more teams.
prayer and discussion on the part of CBMC’s leadership to develop an intentional plan for strategic growth around the United States, including raising up the next generation of young professionals fully committed to serving Jesus Christ in the marketplace. This strategic plan includes praying unceasingly for the lost, introducing everyone in our sphere of influence to Jesus, pursuing men in the marketplace, teaching them to disciple others (to the 4th generation), and to diligently and prayerfully run the race so that many others will come to know and follow Jesus. Vision 650 is off to a great start, but this goal is God-sized, meaning only He can do it. We believe He will. Imagine more and more cities with men living out our twofold mission; actively praying and engaged in CBMC teams, discipling other men, and investing back into the Lord’s kingdom. What an incredible spiritual impact this would have on families, businesses, communities – and our nation – over time! Would you pray for CBMC and Vision 650? Prayer is the power that will sustain us and embolden our feeble efforts, trusting the Lord to guide us and present opportunities for many to join with Him in this crucial ministry to men in the marketplace. Consider this your invitation to join us! n
As we pursue Vision 650, two key verses come to mind. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus instructed His followers to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And in 2 Timothy 2:2 we see 4th generation disciple-making described in a single sentence: “… and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Paul, the writer, is addressing Timothy, telling him to invest in faithful men (3rd generation), who then will teach others. Vision 650 is the product of concerted Bret Wooten with Dave Baliski
The Power of Steady Plodding, and Never Giving Up Across CBMC’s expanse we find men we might call “lifers.” Tom Sommers of Fresno, California is one. Now 75, he’s been actively involved in CBMC for more than 30 years for a simple reason: because of what it’s meant in his life, and the impact the ministry has in the lives of others. Sommers walked a church aisle as a young boy, publicly declaring a commitment to Jesus Christ, but had drifted from his faith. After 14 years of professional baseball, he forged a career as an insurance executive, keeping God on the periphery of his life for most of that time. But in 1985, shortly after recommitting his life to Christ, he attended a CBMC luncheon at the invitation of a friend. He began going through Operation Timothy, which launched his walk with the Lord that continues to this day. Prior to the CBMC outreach, Sommers said, “I had not had a Bible in my hands for over 20 years.” Because of how God touched his life through CBMC, rekindling his faith, he has become a leader in the ministry with a special heart for young men in the workplace. Since 2010 he’s served as an area director for CBMC. “Working with CBMC, I’d call it a labor of love – but it’s not work!” Sommers is particularly encouraged by the influx of younger men into the
ministry of CBMC in Fresno. “We have about 55 ‘young stallions,’ men who are 40 and under, who gather each week at prayer meetings, and seven ‘super stallions’ – between 25 and 40 years of age – who also meet at 6 a.m. once a month for Bible study.”
Mark and Ginger Whitacre with Tom Sommers He said early morning meetings, starting at 5:30, work best for these men since they don’t conflict with work died last year at the age of 90, Sommers responsibilities, and after work they are and the coach came alongside him eager to get home to their families. to offer consolation and support. “I’d known him too, since he was a little boy. When Sommers first became involved We told him about an all-day Bible study with CBMC, it was primarily white, and members were mostly older business and seven of us have been conducting once a month, including other men involved in professional men. Today, participation sports – two coaches, two pro athletes, reflects the mixed ethnicity of the Fresno one umpire and two businessmen. area, along with a much younger crossOne of them, a 50-year-old former pro section. What fires his enthusiasm most athlete, flies in each month from New are the stories of changed lives he could York City to participate. We invited our recite by the score. friend to join us, and he accepted. The Living Bible’s translation of Proverbs “Last November, he prayed to receive 21:5 states, “Steady plodding brings Christ in our CBMC office. He continues prosperity; hasty speculation brings to meet with us every month, and now poverty,” and to Sommers, this is a key we’re going through Operation Timothy. to CBMC’s effectiveness. “This principle He asks very good, deep questions, doesn’t just apply to finances,” he noted. and because of the close relationships As with his own life, when CBMC helped we have in Bible study group, we have him reconnect with God after many excellent discussions filled with respect. years of being spiritually adrift, Sommers This is what steady plodding is all has witnessed countless examples of about.” rebirth and renewal that have rewarded The importance of persistence applies to patience and perseverance. people of all ages, Sommers pointed out. One is a former “Two years ago, a businessman I mentor pro athlete in his asked if I could meet with his 33-year-old 60’s who had not younger brother who was just coming been to church out of an 18-month recovery program. since he was five I agreed to do so, and we’ve been years old and was meeting every two weeks, 6 to 7 a.m. in unreceptive to anything “religious”. our CBMC office. I listen. He talks. He’s accepted Christ and he’s clean, free from Despite that, he had remained close substance abuse for the first time in many over the years to his years. He also attends a men’s Bible study at his church and is experiencing a high school coach, whole new life.” a strong follower of Jesus. When God touches a man’s life, it affects When the one-time athlete’s mother
those around him, including his family, Sommers noted. He cited the example of
Tom Sommers and Bobby Richardson
a man he has known for more than 20 years. “He got married 15 years ago but walked away from the church. About 10 years ago he got into alcohol and drugs, his marriage was terrible, and he was struggling with a lot of anger. “About six months ago I asked him to join our weekly Tuesday morning Bible study with five other men, and to my surprise, he accepted. He’s been with us every week since then, has gone back to church, his marriage is much improved, and exhibits a softness about him that I had observed when I met him 20 years ago. “I gave him a Bible – he had never read the Bible, even though he had attended church for years. He just memorized three verses, the first time he’s ever done that. His dad is a very close friend of mine, and he sends notes telling me about the new person he sees in his son.”
Who the Real Champions Are BY CHUCK BROOKS
Before we know it, football season will be upon us again. But I thought it might be useful to pause and reflect for a moment on last January’s Super Bowl. As you probably recall, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots to win their first NFL Championship since 1960. Soon after the game ended, we began to see posts on social media about various members of the victorious Eagles who proclaimed their faith in Jesus Christ and thanks to Him post-game. These testimonies included Doug Pederson, the Eagles’ head coach; tight end Zach Ertz; and Nick Foles, the quarterback for the game who wound up winning the Chuck Brooks Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player award. Christians often get excited when people in the spotlight, especially those who are on their favorite teams, are not ashamed of Jesus. Obviously, this is not a bad thing to do. When an athlete gives glory to God and deflects the praise and adoration from himself to the true and living God, that’s something in which we all should rejoice.
Effective ministry to men, Sommers said, is not complicated. It’s a simple matter of being faithful, available, and genuine.
But what about all the Christ-followers who do not play football and are not famous, but are “not ashamed of the Gospel” (Romans 1:16) on their jobs and in their communities?
“I reach out to a ton of guys, of all ages, seeking to share the gospel with them. I don’t hit guys over the head, just try to get to know them and let them know I care. All you have to do is listen and let them do a lot of the talking.”
At our Christian Business Men’s Connection’s (CBMC) Leadership Conference, I met men who have been serving Jesus Christ in the marketplace for several decades. These men were not just a “flash in the pan.” They have labored tirelessly over the years being ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
He calls 25-30 men almost every day, people he’s known from the past and hasn’t heard from in some time. “I just let them know I was thinking about them and care for them. If they don’t answer the phone, I leave a message. Sometimes they call back over a year later, asking why I had called them.” Two Scripture passages affirm the steady plodding principle Sommers practices. 1 Corinthians 15:58 exhorts believers to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” And Galatians 6:9-10 offers this encouragement: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” He said, “The lesson is simple: Don’t give up on your friends. Keep connecting – and throwing out seeds.” n
Many of these men have served as a “Paul” in the lives of many “Timothys” over the years, faithfully meeting one-on-one with other men and discipling them in the Word of God, teaching them God’s ways, and encouraging them, after a year or two, to become a “Paul” in the life of another man. In my opinion, these are the real champions. It’s wonderful when championship athletes and award-winning celebrities give honor to God, but we should also be applauding those who work behind the scenes in the Body of Christ while receiving little or no attention. Maybe we should take the time, before our excitement about bold believers on our favorite team wears off, to applaud someone who never receives fanfare but is touching lives for Christ – especially someone that has touched your life. We might even want to post about that on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or our favorite social medium. (Chuck Brooks is a CBMC leader in Baltimore, MD)
CBMC’S Two-fold Mission:
To present Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to business and professional men, and to develop Christian business and professional men to carry out the Great Commission.
More than Four Decades of Faithful Disciple-Making Bill Mattheiss had been a member of CBMC in Chattanooga, TN, since 1970, but in 1984 he accepted a life-changing challenge. “We were studying Operation Timothy at our weekly prayer breakfast, and each man was challenged to start discipling another man through Operation Timothy. “This challenge was worded, ‘From this study, I commit to follow Christ, making one of my highest priorities to disciple men, reaching out to those God puts in my life, and using the Great Commission as my guide, so help me God.’ “I prayed this in November 1984 and began praying for the man God would bring into my life. In 1985, the answer came in the person of Joe Meyers, the owner of a computer business.” Mattheiss’ interest in discipling others grew out of his own spiritual journey. Growing up in Pensacola, Florida, he lived close to the Naval Center and often watched with admiration as the Navy’s famed Blue Angels precision flying team passed overhead. “I watched night and day as young men trained to protect our country from enemy attack. These, along with air raids, blackouts, curfews, searchlights and sirens, served as daily reminders of the realities of war and death. “Often I wondered about things like: Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going?” As a teenager, Mattheiss had a group of men reach out to him and some of his friends, offering to be encouragers, mentors and coaches. “Most of them were businessmen. One of them, Bob, while in the Navy had become involved with The Navigators, a ministry to people in the military that
Mike Lapihuska with an area volunteer
Bill Mattheis with Rick Meadors emphasized discipling and Scripture memory. “Bob encouraged us to join a large group of other teenagers at a week-long camp. For five days he taught from the book of 1 John, one chapter a day. On the fifth day, I asked Bob to go over the teachings from those chapters again. “I had known about God but had never realized a personal relationship with Him. That day I began a genuine walk with the Lord, using the promises, assurances and confidence I found in 1 John.” Mattheiss said he received four key Bible passages to memorize: 1 John 5:11-14, about eternal security; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, about God’s ownership of His children; 1 Corinthians 10:13, about escaping temptation; and Philippians 4:6-7, about prayer and freedom from anxiety. Because of this background, Mattheiss eagerly responded to the challenge to begin discipling other men. Since 1985, he has taken dozens of men through Operation Timothy, meeting with more than 30 of them individually for at least a year. These have included sales executives, restaurant managers, financial professionals, company CEOs, an engineer, a real estate agent, a farmer, and even three Chinese physicians who were in Chattanooga for a year. Mattheiss’ personal purpose statement reflects his zeal for discipling others, including his desire “to reach out to men and win men (to Christ), to disciple them in God’s Word.” Now in his 80’s, Bill Mattheiss has a legacy that truly will last for eternity. n
48th Annual Tampa Bay Leadership Prayer Breakfast with Heisman trophy winner Danny Wuerfell
Coming to a Town Near You Record numbers of business and professional men are attending CBMC events across the nation. On average, there is a CBMC event or outreach being held every single day. Men are receiving business training and coaching, but most importantly, lifechanging tools for integrating their work and faith. Authentic relationships are being nurtured through these various gatherings which is building Godly men of faith and spiritual reproducers. Look at the recent turnout reported: The Tampa Area Prayer Breakfast had 600 in attendance with 20 decisions for Christ and 100 requests for involvement in marketplace ministry. Chattanooga’s Leadership Prayer Breakfast packed the local convention center with 2,200 people where 481 people indicating they had prayed to receive Christ for the first time, recommitted themselves to Christ as Lord, or asked to be contacted about the speaker’s message. A recent weekend prayer retreat in Oklahoma had 40 men in attendance. Northeast Ohio had record participation with over 1,700 people attending the Cleveland Leadership Prayer Breakfast and the Akron Community Prayer Luncheon. 140 people indicated that they prayed to receive Christ. The follow-up resulted in much fruit as it led to many one-on-one meetings, Operation Timothy connections, and new people involved in the local Connect3 teams. Leadercast in Elmdale, KS, saw 150 local leaders from five area cities. Praise God for these tremendous reports! Your event not pictured? We’d love to showcase what’s happening in your area. Email hmcafee@cbmc.com.
Men’s Spring Prayer Retreat in Oklahoma
Leadership Institute New Facilitator Training in Baltimore
Record crowd attends Chattanooga Leadership Prayer Breakfast in Tennessee
Chuck Whitmore and Operation Timothy graduates in Maryland
Eugene Kimble, 5 Timothys at the 2018 CBMC Indiana Recognition Banquet
Cleveland Prayer Breakfast
CBMC, Inc. The Connector, Summer 2018 P.O. Box 8009 Chattanooga, TN 37414-0009 800.566.CBMC (2262) www.cbmc.com