Ministry Impact

“I can play football and go hunting with friends anytime. These questions [from Spiritual Fathers journals] are the things no one ever asks me. This is what I need to think about and work on.”

“When I pray with other men, something happens inside me. I feel the presence of God in a way I don’t feel any other way. Being in a men’s group has changed my whole outlook on life. I feel God changing my heart”.

“I knew this is what I was looking for and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the group. Everyone has been so welcoming. After that first session, I knew it was the enemy telling me that I should be intimidated. (There are elders in that room, people that know many more Scripture verses from memory that I do.) I was wrong, these guys are a gift from God.”

"so it turns out I am hurting, I am not where I need to be. I have been living life in cruise control not really doing much of anything on trying to give my relationship with God a chance. I definitely need help getting back on track. turns out I don't know much about the Bible even though I have been going to church for the past 3 years."

"I have been on that difficult road. but God is faithful...I have so much to be thankful for. Besides my health and sobriety, I have a restored marriage, a great son with an awesome future and a new job. Looking back on my life and the last ten years and more, really, I can see how God has orchestrated the symphony of my life. I am blessed.”

"M", nearing the end of his Army career, joined his church’s Men’s Group because he wanted to be part of a group of believers as he deals with PTSD from several deployments in the Middle East. His struggle is often very difficult and his recovery is even more of a struggle, a battle of the mind and the soul. He has been unable to attend the group in recent months due to hospitalization for a leg injury and continued counseling. He regularly reaches out to his Men’s Group, though, asking for prayer and God’s peace in the midst of the storm. He tells the leader that he is winning the battle and there is hope. Knowing that he has a group of men who care about him on a personal level is what gets him through the tough times.

"K"'s parents were divorced when he was young. He said he felt relief at the time, and thought that his life “would actually turn out better because all the arguing was finally over”. What he realized as he grew into adulthood is that he had no idea how to be a godly man in a stable household. He found himself acting out his insecurities in anger, frustration, pornography and broken relationships. He realized he needed help. A “buddy” told him about Jesus. As he put it, “God showed me a better way. I got the help I needed. I got the counseling I needed. I got the faith I needed. I’m glad He took me to the point where I could surrender everything to Him.”

“I'm thankful for the men's group and what it has done for me...several years ago I would not have reached out to others for help and prayer, I would have just dealt with whatever was going on, sometimes in unhealthy ways...every day I struggle, but with guidance from you and a few other men, I'm confident that I'm deepening my relationship with the Lord and trusting him with my burdens...I wanted you to know that what you are doing matters greatly and I'm thankful... "

"J" had a great relationship with his own father, but lost him several years ago due to illness. Now he is married with two little girls. He was looking for a godly man like his own father, who raised godly kids. He needed advice on how to raise his girls to believe in and follow Jesus. "D" is a recently retired physician with three adult kids and a new grandchild. All 'D" ’s kids follow the Lord closely. He joined with Spiritual Fathers to “be used by God however He chooses”. The two men connected through their men's group and are forming a strong bond of brotherhood.

"I’ve had some significant events/trauma in my childhood that I’ve not properly processed. These events/trauma have had significant implications on my adult life and I just kept adapting rather then addressing. Rather I have built walls, stuffed it, hid it or self-medicated it (never a good thing) and that is no longer working."