Business Seminars
Events that Inform & Inspire
Annual Business Seminar
February 3, 2026
7:30 – 8:00
Registration, Coffee, and Networking
8:00 – 8:10
Welcome & Seminar Announcements
Moderator: Leon Bowman, Mount Forest ON
8:10 – 8:50
Bridging Our Spiritual & Work Lives
Justin Zehr, Dashwood ON
8:50 – 9:30
Overview of Business Planning
Colin Shantz, Listowel ON
9:30 – 10:00
Break Time
10:00 – 10:45
Speaking to the Whole Person
Stephan Gingerich, Brunner ON
10:55 – 11:45
The Salesman—Faithful in the Marketplace
Wayne Brubacher, Elmira ON
11:50 – 1:10
Lunch
1:10 – 1:55
Communication
Matt Frey, Alma ON
1:55 – 2:35
Human Moments—Inside-out Excellence
Carson Baer, Salmon Arm BC
2:35 – 3:05
Break Time
3:05 – 3:20
Business Update
Marlin Gingrich, ABA Board Chairman
3:20 – 4:20
Q&A Period
Moderator: Ryan Martin, Chatsworth ON
Event Speakers: Colin Shantz, Stephan Gingerich, Wayne Brubacher, Matt Frey, Carson Baer
Seminar Venue
This event will be held at
Stratford Rotary Complex
353 McCarthy Rd, Statford ON, N5A 7S7
Event Speakers
Justin Zehr
Justin Zehr is from Dashwood, Ontario and lives with his wife Mary and four children. They are part of Grace Mennonite Fellowship, where he was ordained as a minister in 2024. He is part owner of Zehr's Country Market along with his father, Paul. Besides his career of processing and marketing local beef and pork, Justin enjoys hobbies that take him outdoors. But most of all he enjoys engaging in work directly related to the kingdom of God, including taking time for his family, helping on the leadership team at his church, and working with the team at Strength to Strength, an online podcast/video ministry.
Topic: Bridging Our Spiritual & Work Lives
We often compartmentalize the concepts and realities that shape our lives and thoughts. We understand ourselves as body, soul, and spirit, yet we can easily forget how deeply these aspects overlap and influence one another. As Christians, this can show up in the way we focus on work and responsibilities during the week (the physical, bodily reality), then turn our attention to our families, friends, and personal lives in the evenings and on Saturdays (the realm of the soul), and finally reserve worship and fellowship with other believers for Sundays (the realm of the spirit). But how do we bring these together in a healthy, Christ-centered wholeness every day of the week? Can we use our work as worship and our business as mission? Join me as we explore several ways we can intentionally bridge these realities and live as integrated, whole people in Christ.
Colin Shantz
Colin Shantz and his wife Lisa live near Listowel, Ontario with their five children and are members at Woodlawn Mennonite Fellowship. Colin is a business leader with a passion for inspiring vision and bringing clarity. For 13 years he owned and operated CopperTree Solutions, an IT service management company, where he experienced firsthand the power of a strong team and the transformation that comes from implementing a business operating system. Following CopperTree’s acquisition, he is transitioning into consulting with a desire to help organizations develop clear plans and improve the way they operate. He also serves on the board of Lighthouse Ministries, a nonprofit supporting education, health, and community development programs with a focus on children and youth in Africa.
Topic: Overview of Business Planning
Are you a business leader who knows you would benefit from a better business plan but haven’t found a clear place to start? Many owners feel the need for more clarity and direction, but they aren’t sure how to build a plan that truly works. In this session, Colin will introduce the key components of a written plan using the Pinnacle Business Guides framework. He will walk through how people, purpose, playbooks, and performance work together to form a clear roadmap your team can follow. The focus is entirely on how to build the plan itself, what belongs in each section, and how to turn your ideas into a structured plan you can use throughout the year. Colin will close with a brief overview of what comes after planning, offering a glimpse into the rhythms that turn a plan into steady progress. You will leave with a practical framework, an accessible starting point, and the clarity to begin building a plan your team can actually use.
Stephan Gingerich
Stephan lives in Brunner, Ontario with his wife Brenda and their two teenage children. For 16 years, they served in Guatemala, where they helped establish a Christian school, pastored a church, and raised six boys from broken homes. Since returning to Canada, Stephan has worked in education and leadership, including serving as Director of Training and Development at Horst Systems. He is now principal and teacher at Maranatha Christian School in Drayton, and has also served as a pastor’s assistant at Grace Mennonite Fellowship for five years. As a missionary and public speaker, Stephan is passionate about Christian education, traveling, and investing in people to raise up future leaders and followers of Jesus.
Topic: Speaking to the Whole Person
This session explores the importance of seeing the human behind the function in the workplace. True leadership extends beyond tasks and performance—it requires caring for people on a deep level. Humans are complex, with unique needs and ways of perceiving love. Effective leaders practice the platinum rule—treating others as they wish to be treated—while being attentive to timing, context, and personal situations that may be messy or difficult. By patterning our approach after Jesus, we learn to engage the whole person, fostering trust, growth, and influence that reaches far beyond the workplace.
Wayne Brubacher
Wayne Brubacher and his wife Brenda make their home in Yatton, Ontario, along with their three children. For the past 24 years, Wayne has worked at Horst Systems in Elmira, where he now leads as Director of Sales & Service. Beyond his professional role, Wayne is an ordained Deacon and serves at Crystal View Mennonite Church in Floradale, Ontario.
Topic: The Salesman — Faithful in the Marketplace
Salespeople often carry an unfortunate reputation, shaped by the pushy or self-serving tactics of some in the profession. But sales doesn't have to be that way! As followers of Jesus, we're called to a higher standard - one that transforms sales into an act of service. Instead of chasing numbers, we put people first, listening to their needs and offering solutions that genuinely help. In this session, we'll explore practical sales techniques, but with a deeper focus: how to honor God by serving others through the way we sell.
Matt Frey
Matt Frey lives outside of Drayton, Ontario with his wife Kristine and their five children. Matt has been teaching for 20 years and is currently teaching at MWCE (the Markham Waterloo high school program). He is also serving as a board member for Lighthouse Ministries International and Anchor Christian Academy.
Topic: Communication
Master your message. Manage your mediums. Communication is integral in all relationships, and relationships are vital to our Christian businesses. We will explore the science of communication and the power of para language and body language.
Carson Baer
Carson Baer lives in Salmon Arm, British Columbia with his wife Laurie and their 7 children. Having a father who was a pastor, missionary, and company owner taught him the value of connecting with people at all levels of life. He is a co-owner of a construction management company and fills his days relating to employees and clients. He is also a pastor at the Mennonite church in Salmon Arm.
Topic: Human Moments—Inside-out Excellence
Why has God placed us on this earth and given us the abilities and gifts that He has? Was God envisioning big businesses, smart investments, and healthy retirements? Or rather, are we as kingdom men called to a more noble purpose—a purpose that includes every human God sets in our path, whether that be employee or client? This purpose calls us to create meaningful customer experiences that create an awareness of Christian virtues and a God who fills us with His love and care. In this session we start with the internal, and see how quality within leads to quality connections that speak the Gospel into the lives of those we relate to.