THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS IN COMMERCE

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

We began more than twenty years ago. A common desire drew us together. We longed to connect faith in Jesus Christ with our demanding jobs. We knew God was calling us into his service in our occupations. We wanted to bring real change to our workplaces through our perspective, through what we did and how we did it.

Three Efforts Join Together

The creation of Christians in Commerce (CIC) resulted from the joining together of efforts in Minneapolis, MN; South Bend, IN; and Phoenix, AZ. In 1982, the three leaders of these groups, Louis Grams, Bud Rose and John Mooney, met in Santa Barbara, CA, to prayerfully consider what the Lord was asking and how they could work together.

Christians in Commerce Is Born

The result was Christians in Commerce and the Challenge Weekend. Soon, other elements began to emerge. A newsletter was created to provide a way to support one another. Chapters and Challenge Groups were started to provide support and a way to mobilize our efforts for the Lord.

In 1983, the first five Challenge Weekends were held two in Minnesota, two in Arizona and one in Indiana. Today more than 10,000 men and women have attended the weekends. Chapters and Challenge Groups exist in numerous locations with hundreds of members.

Over the years, Christians in Commerce has grown and adapted to better express our call and support local efforts. However, the core elements and our direction have remained constant.

Vision

Expanding the kingdom by being Christ in the workplace

Mission

We encourage and equip Christians to live the life of Christ by releasing the power of the Holy Spirit that is in them. We challenge them to be Christ to the people and circumstances in their workplaces by bringing his truth, love, healing, justice and excellence to the marketplace. We fulfill this mission by:

Proclaiming with clarity the call to be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ
Partnering with churches, organizations and individuals committed to bringing about the kingdom of God
Forming and supporting groups of businesspeople to transform their areas of influence

Values

As Christians in Commerce, we are an ecumenical organization united with the body of Christ to:

Know, love and serve God and others
Embrace the beliefs of the Nicene Creed
Release the power of the Holy Spirit in worship and work
Share the time, talents and resources God has entrusted to us
Enrich member participation in prayer, scripture study, family life and church life