Lee, Collier county C12 Group combines business and Bible

A Christian approach can bring fulfillment and growth in business and in one's personal life.

That's a central theme of the C12 Group, a national organization for Christian business owners and CEOs. C12 offers peer-to-peer business counseling, one-on-one coaching, educational opportunities and more - all rooted in the teachings of the Bible. The organization debuted in Southwest Florida in October 2008, with the start of the Fort Myers-Naples group. A Cape Coral group was added in July.

"We're about managing your business the way God would want and managing your life the same way," said Steve Spring, C12's area chairman for Southwest Florida.

Strategic planning, financial management, ministry in business, sales and marketing and life balance and integrity are among the topics covered at the monthly meetings, which include written materials. Between meetings, members are expected to work on self-selected areas of professional and personal improvement and are held accountable for following through by group members.

Scripture and the Golden Rule provide the basis for achieving that growth.

Spring, 52, of Cape Coral, said area chairmen serve primarily as facilitators at the meetings. "It's really the members helping the members - the conversation, the advice," he said.

Ken Kingon Jr., 38, of Kingon Homes and Remodeling in Fort Myers has been a C12 member since the beginning. He credited his membership with helping him to become a better owner and manager. "I think it's very beneficial to get with a group of like-minded business people who want to run their business in a way that honors Christ and uses principles out of the Bible," he said. "We can bounce things off of each other, talk to each other about how we do things in our business, get ideas - it's been a great experience for me."

The name C12 is based upon Christ's 12 disciples. The group was formed in the Sarasota-Bradenton area in 1992 and began expanding outside Florida eight years ago. There are now roughly 600 chapters found in every state of the union, Spring said. Groups consist of about 10 to 15 members who meet for four or eight hours at a time to give the business owners and CEOs time to immerse themselves in the experience.

The Fort Myers group has eight members, while the Cape Coral group has two and a Naples group will be added soon. Spring said membership growth has crept along because of the soft economy. Dues are $550 to $950 a month, depending on the size of the company.

Patricia Koczara, 64, of MillerMusmar, a Cape Coral CPA firm, attended her first meeting on Tuesday in Cape Coral. She views C12 as an organization that eschews greed and celebrates doing things the right way. "It seems like it's approaching it from the standpoint of the good you can do," she said. "It seems to me like so many companies are looking at how you can make a fast buck. This seems like how you can grow the company using a different concept? It's sharing ideas, but without competitiveness. You're not there to outdo each other."

Jeanne Sweeney, president-CEO of the Christian Chamber of Southwest Florida, praised C12 for stressing accountability among its members. "A lot of time businesses need to work with other businesses because we all can learn from each other," she said. "They work to help each other grow their businesses. We're blessed to have them."

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