Frequently Asked Questions

Since 1930 CBMC has helped business leaders around the world integrate their faith and work. In 1986 we established our first peer advisory group. In 2014 the CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums was established to expand our offerings to senior business leaders. There are many options when it comes to leadership development. However, those who are committed to their Christian values and desire to integrate these into their business have limited choices. The CBMC TAF provides a confidential peer to peer environment where faith and leadership intersect. It is whole life leadership approach, encompassing the multiple roles and responsibilities leaders maintain with their business, family and greater community.

• Creating your own personal board of spiritual advisors
• Accountability
• Expanding your network of Christian business leaders throughout the nation

1. Once a month a group of 8-12 senior business leaders gather in a comfortable location giving a sense of sabbatical with time to recharge, reflect, and sharpen ones focus.
2. The peer advisory group begins with a devotional – Setting the stage for the day – dedicating my business to the Lord - a focused devotion on a business issue
3. Discovering the latest in business thinking– Interactive discussion on best in business principles (may include a guest lecturer who is a noted expert on the subject)
4. Developing my leadership – How does a “Christian Workview” fit with the business principle? Using prewritten theology of work responses, engage in an interactive discussion as a direct application of scriptures to the business
5. Delving into one member’s issue – this is the main event of the time together as we take a key business issue one of the members are facing and building a framework for a path to resolution
6. Discernment for one another - each member sharing an issue and praying for one another
7. Disciple making – using my sphere of influence to interact and influence those around me and encouraging one another to do the same

A CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums member is a business leader who has formally joined and is now taking advantage of some of our services and resources.

Answer these 6 questions

1. Are you a business owner, chief executive, chief operating officer, or president?
2. Do you have a tendency to lead your company alone and sometimes feel in isolation?
3. Do you have a confidential place to share your business, personal and spiritual challenges and successes with other like-minded business leaders?
4. Would a regular exchange of best in business principles integrated with your spiritual values bring incremental value to your business?
5. Do you have a peer advisory group (or like-minded leaders) committed to journey with you for the long run as you lead your business, family and serve your community?
6. Do you have strategies to handle tough issues with employees, customers, vendors, and competitors that incorporate best in business principals integrated with a Christian workview.

If the answer is yes to many of these questions, you are likely a good fit.

If you are a seasoned business leader with a passion for helping business leaders in your community reach their full potential and a sense of fulfillment and purpose, we invite you to consider the rewarding experience of starting a CBMC peer advisory group practice. An ideal candidate would have the following qualifications:

• A solid business background with leadership experience
• A well-rounded understanding of how to integrate the Christian faith with work
• Experience in or an aptitude for playing the role of a “coach”
• A sincere desire to help business leaders become the leaders God has designed them to be
• Sales and networking experience with strong connections within the local business community
• Comfortable leading and facilitating collaborative discussion
• A desire to continuously learn about leadership, business and biblical living
• Excited about living out the Great Commission and passing on that enthusiasm to others

The CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums Facilitator/Moderator is a seasoned business leader with a well-rounded understanding of how to integrate faith and work. In this role, they serve as a a facilitator of the monthly meetings and work with the members between sessions. To determine if you have the qualifications to serve as a Facilitator/Moderator please fill out the “expression of interest form and we will help you determine if you are a good fit.

The CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums offers a variety of options for senior business leaders to gather on a regular basis with some of their peers. We organize these monthly peer advisory groups based on the profile and needs of the leader. A CBMC TAF representative will go through a free assessment with a prospective member to determine the best option to fit your needs.

Member Advantages

I. Godly Counsel
Drawing on the wisdom, giftedness, and experience of the peers in your group. Godly counsel is a major theme of the book of Proverbs, because it is one of the best ways to gain wisdom. Many bible verses speak to this, such as Proverbs 10, verse 17: “He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.” When a problem or question arises in your company, experienced business leaders in your peer advisory group can recount how they may have reacted to a similar problem and how they applied best of business principles coupled with Christian wisdom. By drawing on the wisdom and experience of other leaders with various gifts, you can honor the Lord with your business.

II. Mutual Support
Receiving and giving understanding, empathy, and encouragement when facing both difficulties and opportunities. In CBMC TAF offerings, leaders encourage each other in wisdom from the Bible, listening and praying through the hard times. “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad” (Proverbs 12:25 ).

III. Accountability
Gaining the courage to follow through on tough decisions and issues as they arise. Since leaders will ultimately be held accountable to God for every action and thought, it would be wise to ask for accountability from fellow Christians now (Romans 14:12, Matthew 12:36). Natural leaders are disciplined people. With healthy accountability, the leaders in your peer group can take up the weapons with “divine power to destroy strongholds” and fight your part of the spiritual battle in this world (2 Corinthians 10:4 ).

IV. Prayer
Experiencing the power and ministry of prayer both as a group and with individual members. Just as Jesus prayed over all things, we pray over every detail of our lives. We understand that we are not our own person. We are stewards of our lives, our families, and our companies. Through prayer, we submit to God and seek His direction.

V. Confidentiality
Gaining the confidence in one another that comes with honesty and transparency in a confidential environment. You need people with whom you can discuss sensitive issues from your personal life and your business. The trustworthy peers in your peer advisory group are just such people, peers who will keep your secrets and pray for God’s richest blessing for you.

• Do you call yourself a Christian, yet feel like you fall short when it comes to living out your faith at work?
• Do you feel alone sometimes as you make important business decisions by not having other Christian leaders to support you?
• Do you desire to get connected to other business leaders you could count on for reliable Godly counsel for business decisions?
• Do you recognize the value of making yourself vulnerable to the accountability of others as you act upon your long term goals?
• Do you do an effective job of sharing your faith within the sphere of influence you operate within?
• Do you regularly pray about the daily needs and challenges of your business and your role as a leader?
• Do you see the value of having a confidential place to turn for open dialogue around challenges you face as a business leader?

• It’s a unique environment where 8-12 non-competing business leaders meet monthly to grow as business leaders, without neglecting their family and community responsibilities.
• It’s led by a trained CBMC Trusted Advisor Forums Professional with a seasoned business background and solid spiritual maturity.
• The long term objective is to help business leaders grow into the leaders God designed them to be, while building a business of excellence.
• It creates an environment of confidentiality, trust, friendship, mutual support and long term accountability….like having your own personal board of advisors.

Business leaders have a tendency “go it alone,” but this isn’t always the best strategy. Solomon, one of the wisest leaders in history, maintains that two are better than one: “If one falls down, the other can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.”