Many area churches and ministries are doing an admirable job of equipping men to grow in their faith and in turn, make disciples of other men. However, most men spend far more time at their workplace than in church or small-group settings.
This is why Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) helps men at any stage of their careers live out their faith at work and home through fellowship and the practical application of godly principles. Recent data shows CBMC has grown to include over 18,000 members in 700 teams across the United States, demonstrating the growing need for workplace ministry.
“One thing has held true for 90 years and still does today: CBMC’s commitment to empowering and equipping men in their personal and professional lives,” said Joe Beckler, vice president of development, marketing and communications. “By recognizing the needs of modern businessmen and providing them with unique solutions, CBMC offers our members a variety of resources to empower and equip men, connecting them with Christ and each other.”
As workplace ministry evolves in 2024, the national organization has deep roots in Kansas City and surrounding areas.
“We have a long history in the metropolitan area and the central Midwest,” Sean West, area director for the Central Midwest Region, told Metro Voice. “The organization started nationally in 1930 in Chicago and in the next few years branched out into other cities, including Kansas City. In 2015, our senior area director reignited the organization’s presence in the Kansas City area. We have expanded to 18 teams in 11 cities across the state of Kansas, the western half of Missouri and the western half of Iowa.”
According to recent workplace ministry statistics, CBMC focuses on two core beliefs:
• Sharing the gospel with those who don’t yet know the good news.
• Going and making disciples of all nations, being intentional about carrying out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
“Our mission is to present Christ in the marketplace and help develop and equip businessmen to be able to carry out the Great Commission,” West said. As Christian business leaders increasingly seek ways to integrate faith with work, “Our daily journey is to be about making disciples, so that vision of spiritual reproduction is what we are about. We are designed to equip men in the marketplace and help them, no matter where they are in their journey. Whether they are young or old, or the position they have, if they are men in the marketplace, we have various programs to meet their needs, from one-on-one mentoring or discipleship to teams of men in various cities.”
Operation Timothy, which has been used by thousands for over 40 years, has been a powerful tool in accomplishing this mission.
“Operation Timothy was created in response to the need for discipleship to help men in their walk with Christ in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s designed for one-on-one application where a mentor, called a Paul, sits down with someone wishing to know more, called a Timothy. Together, they embark on a transformational journey of exploring the word of God and its application to their lives.”
Metro Voice previously reported on the importance of Christian leadership in business, and in the past few years, Operation Timothy has gone digital. Likewise, Living Proof (now called Living Proof Adventure) a reality-based video series, was created to help share the gospel in a natural, caring and Bible-centered lifestyle. As a result of these and other initiatives, 2,936 men are actively discipling others, 6,567 men are actively being discipled and 524 new life-on-life relationships were added in 2024. In the past year alone, CBMC:
• Connected 312,319 people to the ministry;
• Engaged 18,938 men in CBMC programs;
• Enabled more than 19,000 members to complete online courses through CBMC Advance; and
• Ministered to 611 CBMC teams in 351 cities nationwide.
As the workplace continues to evolve, “This is a tremendous time in the marketplace,” West said. “Our vision is for all men to experience the power of God, the value of being in relationship with another man and the leverage of a team, resulting in spiritual reproduction throughout the marketplace. We are meant to be together. Our vision is to connect men first and foremost to God and other men in the marketplace.”
The ripple effect of discipleship continues to transform lives in the workplace, as CBMC has several teams across the metropolitan area, as well as in Topeka and other cities in the region. The organization is eager to help equip men who desire to fully live out their faith in the new year.
“We may not know how to integrate our faith and our work in the marketplace,” he said. “It’s exciting to see the desire among men to integrate their faith with their work to have this authentic vision of their life that connects. Whether it’s on Sunday or during the workweek, they are the same guy, because they are connecting their faith with all parts of their life. We help connect men, help equip them, help them grow in their faith and as a result, be leaders.”
The best way to get involved is to visit the regional website at www.cmw.cbmc.com, which lists coming events planned for 2025. More information about the national organization is available at www.cbmc.com.
“If someone is in the marketplace, a believer in Christ and wants to integrate all of their life fully, we welcome them and look forward to helping them wherever they are in their journey,” West said.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice