Gamechanger: The Power of a Christian Peer-to-Peer Group
By Barnabas Partner Marcus Bigelow
As a part of Barnabas Sacramento, I have been blessed to share in many different ways. Some of you know I facilitate two Christian peer-to-peer CEO/Owner groups called Convene (www.convenenow.com) . One of the things I like best about Barnabas is that we share a lot of the same methodologies for helping Kingdom Initiatives. Our post-Barnabas-presentation circles at each quarterly meeting that are followed by ideation sessions are the same methodologies we use in Convene to help find solutions for complex problems. We call these opportunity challenges.
Another blessing has been the ability to use business knowledge to help Kingdom causes. There are several Convene members in our Barnabas group. We find energy in helping advance Kingdom causes.
In 2024, Convene members helped Families Set Free rescue over 250 slaves in Pakistan. In addition, some of our Convene members are active in many of the ministries that have presented at Barnabas in the past. It’s great to be Partners with Barnabas.
What are Christian Peer-to-Peer Advisory Teams?
In the fast-paced and often isolating world of business, finding a supportive community can be invaluable. Christian peer-to-peer advisory teams offer a unique blend of professional guidance and spiritual support, fostering a powerful environment for personal and business growth. These teams bring together Christian business leaders for regular meetings. The focus is sharing wisdom and experience. Members offer each other practical advice on challenges, celebrate successes, and learn from each other's journeys. The question I hear most often is from successful business leaders is, “Where can you find a safe, supportive, and competent group to help me walk through my challenges?”
Another focus is accountability and support. Our teams provide a safe space for honest feedback, encouragement, and prayer. This leads to spiritual growth as members integrate faith into their business decisions, seeking God's guidance and applying biblical principles. I often call our Convene team strategy “Business Discipleship.”
This all happens because we build significant relationships. Strong bonds are formed, creating a lasting network of support and friendship. Recently, I offered a member the chance to join a team nearer her office and she said, “I would never leave our team, these are my people.”
The Benefits of Christian Peer-to-Peer Advisory Teams:
The most common reason people join a Convene or other Peer to Peer Advisory team is isolation. Who does the CEO or owner talk to about difficult issues that arise in every business? Convene is one answer. Another benefit of being on a Peer to Peer Advisory team is improved decisions. 15 Smart Leaders, instead of one, help make better decisions resulting in better perspective and decisions. Thirdly, a key benefit of a team is One on One Executive Coaching.
Other benefits include increased accountability through regular check-ins, Improved Work-Life Balance, and Spiritual Growth and Discernment. We like to say we connect Sunday to Monday. We also elevate the godliness of being a business leader. One of our mottos is: “ If God has given you the stewardship of a business, it’s probably (but not always) your primary expression of ministry. When you make great widgets and treat your people as God would, it is worship!!!”
About The Author: Marcus Bigelow
Beginning in 1996, Marcus Bigelow led a rapidly growing non-profit church planting organization. Marcus led the organization from a small regional organization in 7 years to a national organization and ultimately to an international organization. This led to great experiences in managed growth, building scalable systems, and leading a decentralized company. In 2011, Marcus turned his attention to helping high-impact business leaders maximize their lives, businesses, and Kingdom impact.
He is committed to helping Christian business leaders find God’s call through their businesses. He now leads two Convene Teams in the Sacramento area. Marcus’ passion is to help leaders multiply their effectiveness for Kingdom legacy impact and leverage their leadership. Marcus has been married to Jan for over 45 years. They have three married daughters, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, all of whom love Jesus.