On April 4, 2024, David Vander Bloomen was introduced as the interim CEO for the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce. After the banquet, he went home and had a conversation with his dad, Michael Vander Bloomen, who is a deacon at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in De Pere.
They talked about how the De Pere Chamber could grow its membership and his dad mentioned that his ministry included a lot of business owners, but Bible study groups were not the best places to talk about business.
Michael says he blurted out, “What if we had a business group that talked about Jesus?”
It was an idea that bore fruit months later when Vander Bloomen, the interim portion of his title removed, held a meeting in December 2024 that included seven people.
“We decided to meet every month and talk about how our faith impacts our daily business lives,” Vander Bloomen says. It became Business with Christ, a group that meets the first Wednesday of each month.
The meeting rotates between a variety of venues that includes restaurants, churches and meeting spaces. It opens with a prayer and typically Vander Bloomen will offer a discussion topic or they will watch a short video to foster conversation.
Jay Zollar, who recently retired from WLUK‑TV, was invited to a meeting and says, “I was excited just knowing there is a group of business leaders who are Christians who are gathering together.”
Elise Theobald, owner of Covenant Signs and Graphics, says she leaves the meetings feeling enhanced. “People talk about how they apply their faith in their business,” she says.
Zollar says, “My sense is that the principles and values that are part of the Bible and part of being Christian do support your business because it [informs] how you treat your employees, your fairness … your seeking to serve others are faith‑based in general.”
He adds, “I think getting together and talking about how that can be used in business is just a good idea. The more you can gather local businesses together — and talk about the good times and the bad times — is only going to be good.”
Vander Bloomen agrees and says his goals at the De Pere Chamber have been to hold events and form groups that foster deeper connections than a typical networking event. It’s a model that has worked well for Business with Christ.
There are now about 35 people who show up each month, and the email list for meeting notices is about double that number.
“It’s our fastest growing chamber group, and I don’t know of any other chamber that is offering this,” Vander Bloomen says. “It’s been a massive catalyst in our group.”
There have been inquiries, and Vander Bloomen thinks it is possible other groups in Northeast Wisconsin will offer something similar. There also has been an interest in starting a chapter of C‑Suite for Christ in the region.
C‑Suite for Christ was founded in 2018 by Paul Neuberger in Milwaukee after his Christian faith led him out of a personal low point. He started posting about his experience on social media, found business executives who shared his same experiences and beliefs, and they decided to meet.
Neuberger says he was called by God to lead the mission of C‑Suite for Christ, which now has thousands of members in 47 countries.
“I think society is hungry for faith. There are way more business professionals who rely on their faith than we ever knew,” Vander Bloomen says.
The group has talked about how they might be perceived and that in some cases people could turn away from their business because they are open about their Christian beliefs.
He says the support of the De Pere Chamber of Commerce board of directors has been important, and the board understands it is just a part of the chamber’s outreach and member service efforts.
“We don’t force this on anybody,” Vander Bloomen says. “It’s an option, and we are not getting into topics that are going to make people uncomfortable.
“Business is part of our lives every single day and, for many of us, so is our faith.”
