CBMC 2021 Winter Connector

CONNECTOR THE

WINTER NEWSLETTER

CHRISTIAN BUSINESS MEN’S CONNECTION

IN THIS ISSUE:

WINTER 2021

• STEPPING INTO YOUR CALLING • INTEGRATING WORK AND FAITH • FROM DEATH TO LIFE: A COVID STORY

WWW.CBMC.COM

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Hello Friends, I love a good story. Don’t you?

One of my favorites is in the Bible, and it begins with this… “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

God spoke these words to a man by the name of Joshua in the Old Testament, and it was the first of many great stories that told of God’s faithfulness as He used an ordinary man for His glory. (Read Joshua chapters 1-6 for the full, unedited version) God is speaking these words to us today, men! God is ready to begin a work in you that will become a story of His goodness to those around you.

And, most importantly, God is bigger than our fears.

He is bigger than COVID. He is with us, and that is enough.

Like Joshua, we have a front-row seat in God’s story of redemption. He is at work all around us. What an incredible God we serve that we get to witness His mercy, His goodness, His power!

It’s easy for you to submit your story. Choose one of the following: • Submit a written testimony at mycbmcstory.com/written • Share on social media using the hashtag #myCBMCstory • Submit a video testimony at mycbmcstory.com/video I can’t wait to hear your stories!

And then we get the incredible privilege of sharing it with Serving with you, others.

My CBMC Story is just that – an opportunity, a privilege, for each of us to share what God is doing in our work, in our cities, in our families, in our CBMC teams, and in all areas of our lives. There is a long legacy of stories that have been passed down through CBMC’s 90-year history that prove God’s faithfulness to men in the marketplace.

We want to hear how God is working in your life. Tell us how God pulled you out of the pit of despair or when he placed you on a mountaintop to see his amazing goodness and glory.

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David Meyers President, CBMC, Inc. P.S. Why share your CBMC Story? Because we need each other, we need encouragement, and we need to hear of God working in each other’s lives. Here’s the best part - God will get the glory! Let’s glorify God together.

If CBMC has changed your life and you would like to partner with us financially, please visit cbmc.com/ give for details.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS:

STEPPING INTO THEIR CALLING

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s we look back on 2020 and ahead to 2021, one word comes to mind—growth! Young Professional men across this country were stretched this year like never before.

Pushed to limits like never before—personally, professionally, financially, emotionally and spiritually.

Although it looked different than we had imagined, 2020 was a year of growth. Over 30 men were trained to launch and lead a young professional team, 7 different cities added a new YP team, and hundreds of millennial aged men are now engaged in CBMC. Praise God! YP men across the country are getting connected to authentic relationships with believing brothers and to men who have come before them. In our YP team format, these men get to hear five different business principles from a visiting Christian business leader, as well as, key bible verses that have been pillars for these SAGE’s (men who are Seasoned, Action-oriented, Godly, and Executive) throughout their lives. Not only are the YP team members introduced to senior business leaders, but also to CBMC’s library of tools, including the 10 Attribute study and LivingProof Adventure. This team format is

transforming the lives of YP men personally, professionally, and most importantly, spiritually.

As we look ahead to 2021, the focus of the YP movement will be on training both volunteers and staff members to be YP team leaders, launching new teams, and engaging YP team members in Operation Timothy relationships.

We ended 2020 with 24 teams across 13 cities and our goal is to end 2021 with 50 teams across 25 cities.

The future is exciting. God is doing big things through this next generation and the future growth depends on men just like you. Men who are willing to help pray, launch, lead, disciple and host these teams. If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved in the YP movement, please email me directly at jharrison@ cbmc.com. Thanks to all of you for your commitment to the next generation!

John Harrison is the CBMC National YP Coordinator. He and his wife, Whitney, recently relocated to Franklin, TN from Minneapolis, MN. He has been a part of CBMC for 7 years, 5 years as a volunteer. His passion is to equip this next generation of men to be effective disciple makers and marketplace ambassadors for Christ.

HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? WE’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN YOUR AREA. EMAIL HMCAFEE@CBMC.COM.

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LIKE A PALM TREE, CRAIG PRATT BENT BUT DIDN’T BREAK – BY THE GRACE OF GOD

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eople who have witnessed tropical storms and hurricanes in Florida know that palm trees bend in high winds, even exceeding 100 miles per hour, but rarely break. They can withstand extreme weather, anchored by a strong and extensive root system. As Craig Pratt has learned, followers of Christ also can endure serious hardships and adversity, as long as they are rooted in Him, His Word, and fellow believers.

For many, 2020 has been a year to forget. But for Pratt, an entrepreneur in Broward County, Fla. it’s been a year most of us can’t imagine. And it could have been worse if it were not for his CBMC friends.

“My YP group has been a truly God-ordained connection that He is using as a significant help in my restoration – physically, business-wise, and spiritually.”

Pratt began the year seeking to recover from a series of business setbacks. He had been forced to close the group homes he had owned and managed for 22 years, after state funding ran out and contracts expired. “It was an extremely trying time. A lot of people were depending on me, and I was spiraling into despair.”

Then in November 2019 he met Steve Solomon, a CBMC Area Director in South Florida, through his youngest

sister, Rebecca, who was working at a crisis pregnancy center. Solomon had approached her, wondering if CBMC might be able to offer biblically based counsel and support for men whose wives or girlfriends were considering abortions. The first person she thought of that needed help Craig Pratt was her brother, Craig.

“Steve introduced me to other men in a Young Professionals group in Fort Lauderdale, and they began to encourage and pray for me, becoming resources to discuss the problems I was facing. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic early this year didn’t make matters any better, but my brothers in the YP team were continuing to offer counsel and support.”

Then Pratt’s mother died on July 2, at the age of 82, after a series of illnesses. The next day, although he did not realize it immediately, he began coming down with the COVID-19 virus. It nearly took his life.

“The day after she passed, I started feeling weak and had a fever, but didn’t have time to think about that. I was just trying to process her loss,” he said. “Each day my illness was progressing. On July 11, I was admitted to the hospital and put into the ICU. I wasn’t even able to attend the private ceremony my family had for my mother.”

Due to COVID restrictions, Pratt’s wife of 15 years, Jennifer, and other family members were prohibited from being with him. “Jennifer had to drop me off at the emergency room door. She couldn’t even help me with the paperwork.”

Craig Pratt with family 4

Having asthma, his condition rapidly worsened, turning

into double pneumonia and acute respiratory failure. The medical team attending him tried various treatments, including oxygen and medications, but after two days he lapsed into a coma.

“I can remember the first two days, but my recollection ends there. When I woke up from the coma, I was paralyzed. I couldn’t move or talk, and my vision was blurred.

But my doctor was very excited, telling me about how much I had come through – what I had overcome,” Pratt recalled.

The physician explained he had been on a ventilator for 10 days, and during that time had flat-lined – gone into cardiac arrest – three times, requiring him to be resuscitated. The doctor assured Pratt he was lucky to be alive, especially since several other patients had died from the virus in adjacent rooms.

But what about the paralysis and his ability to speak?

The physician said it most likely would take six months to a year for him to rehabilitate. Pratt didn’t relish those prospects. “The first things that came to my mind were my family and my new business. I was just starting to get things together.”

So, he began praying earnestly, believing that God would enable him to walk and to speak very quickly. He was not alone in his prayers. Jennifer, their daughters Brionna and Jordyn, son Craig Jr., and sisters Charlotte, Carla and Rebecca had been praying for him non-stop.

Another part of his prayer team was his fellow YP members, all faithfully interceding for him as well.

“I hadn’t talked with my wife and kids; I didn’t even know what they were thinking. But I felt an incredible sense of peace from God. At times I felt overwhelmed, but also felt the presence of the Lord. The name of Jesus is a strong tower,” Pratt stated.

Almost immediately, he began a stunning recovery.

“Three days later, I walked out of the hospital – without a wheelchair or crutches. The doctors and nurses were astonished, and I began to witness to them, telling them I was a child of God and that I had many people praying for me – my family, friends, my CBMC brothers, all great prayer warriors.”

As it turned out, COVID limitations prevented Pratt from

Craig and Jennifer Pratt

starting the rehabilitative treatment the doctor had originally discussed. He did his own physical therapy instead and is now back to full strength.

He fully understood the gravity of his circumstances. “I was literally in the valley of the shadow of death, as it says in Psalm 23. And in 2 Corinthians 4:8, the apostle Paul wrote, ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair…struck down, but not destroyed.’ That described me, but God had me on His back, He was covering me. As for my recovery and restoration, I have to give all the credit to God.” That led him to consider the palm tree metaphor.

“During hurricane season here, other trees may snap, but palm trees are designed to be able to bend in the wind, growing close to the water that enables their roots to extend deep and broad. As ambassadors of Christ and men of God, we’re also built so that when the winds and pressures of life blow, they might bend us but they’re not going to break us. We’re cast down but not in despair because we have a Savior, an anchor, a God who will keep us from breaking.”

And CBMC remains an important part of his support system.

“My YP group has been a truly God-ordained connection that He is using as a significant help in my restoration – physically, business-wise, and spiritually. No one is exempt from the pressures of life. We’re in perilous times, and we need to support each other in the Lord.”

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THE ART OF BEING READY TO GIVE AN ANSWER

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onversations about evangelism typically center around action.

Even the apostle Paul instructed young Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). However, another apostle, Peter, admonished that who we are is as important as what we’re doing: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).

“We worked together as peers many times, and although we never talked about it, I sensed that some of her social values were quite different from mine. It was after about five years when she approached me one day and asked if we could go to lunch.

During a recent meeting with his She said she wantTrusted Advisor Forum team in ed to ask about my The Hoffman family, Jerod, Alec, Kristin, Anna, Noah Minneapolis, Minn., Jerod Hoffman faith. shared an example of what this has hope” that he had. “I told her the looked like in his own life.

“Over lunch she commented on my only thing I could point to that outlook – my positivity, kindness, makes me different is my personal Hoffman, president and part ownthoughtfulness, and how I always relationship with Jesus Christ, and er of Meyer Borgman Johnson, a treated people with respect. Mary that He wants a one-on-one relastructural engineering firm based asked, ‘What makes you different?’ tionship with each of us.” in Minneapolis, has worked his way She wanted to know why my workup the ranks with his company. He Hoffman explained that as a young place demeanor seemed unlike a lot joined the firm in 1994, right out person he had been a periodic of other people she worked with.” of college as a new engineer, and church attender and had a faith gradually took on roles of greater Hoffman found her questions of sorts, but it wasn’t anchored in responsibility. intriguing. “I had never said Jesus Christ. It was through his girlfriend, Kristin (who would later become his “I had never said Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, and I never wife) and her family that he began walked around with a Bible. She had just observed my actions, and to understand what genuine, saving that led to her asking, ‘Why are you different?’” faith was all about.

“About 10 or 12 years into my career, I began interacting with a female staff member I’ll call Mary. She was a number of years my senior, and I found her to be a very gentle individual, married and career focused.

Mary helped a lot with projects and presentations I was involved with,” Hoffman said.

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Christ is my Lord and Savior, and I never walked around with a Bible.

She had just observed my actions, and that led to her asking, ‘Why are you different?’”

It was an open invitation, as Peter the apostle had said, to “give an answer, to give the reason for the

“I told Mary that at the University of Minnesota/Minneapolis, I started attending Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship meetings and saw regular people worshiping God in a real sense. Through them I realized how much God loved me and how He wanted me to live my life for Him. I told her about the peace I had

Jerod’s Trusted Advisor Forums group

through my relationship with Christ, and that my desire was to live my life as He did. I put it all out there, giving the Gospel in my own words – trying to explain about sin and repentance in a real, human flesh way.”

But it was not a “quick connecting of the dots” for Mary, Hoffman pointed out. “She obviously hadn’t heard that before – it seemed like the first time someone really explained that to her. She didn’t reject it, just took it in and pondered what I was saying.

At the end of our lunch, she said, ‘Thank you. I appreciate it. Now I know.’”

In hindsight, he said, God was using him to plant spiritual seeds that would bear fruit at a later time. “Over the next years I continued working with Mary, just doing what I had always been doing – not asking her what she thought of our conversation, and not overtly trying to share my faith since I didn’t think that was appropriate for our work setting.

“Then, about 10 years later, Mary asked if she could talk with me about something. We went into a conference room where she told me she recently had given her life to Christ, receiving Him as her personal

Savior. She had found a good church where she was learning about applying her new faith and biblical values to every area of her life.

“She told me that over the years since our lunch meeting, things had been going on in her life and she was changing, finally realizing she needed to know Jesus personally. Of course, I was thrilled to hear that. It was like Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6, ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’”

Hoffman said constraints in the workplace can make talking with others about Christ challenging unless, like Mary, they raise questions that deserve a sincere answer. But there are no restrictions on living out our faith by how we conduct ourselves on the job, the things we say, and how we interact with others.

Early in His “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus talked about the importance of being a positive difference in the world around us. “You are the salt of the earth.... You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they

may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

The interaction with Mary hasn’t been the only time that has happened, Hoffman said. “This has repeated itself several times. Not long ago, a guy about 15 years younger than me asked the same exact question. And I was able to give an answer – as the rest of that passage says – ‘with gentleness and respect’.”

And now, through his involvement with his CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums group, Hoffman is not only enjoying camaraderie with like-minded business leaders, but also learning from other seasoned Christians about their own walk with Jesus and how they apply biblical truth in their businesses and everyday lives.

“It has helped me to think more consistently about the impact of bringing a Christian worldview to every decision I make in the business world.”

Do you want to know how to share your faith at work? Interested in integrating your work and faith like Jerod? Check out LivingProof Adventure at advance.cbmc.com.

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