It’s been said that what remains hidden in the father lives in the son. Unless fathers speak openly and honestly to their sons about their own life story—the lessons they’ve learned, the struggles they encounter and the mistakes they have made—sons will remain in the darkness of uncertainty about their own journey, and will repeat the same errors of the father.
Passage to Manhood is a hands-on program (and now a book) for fathers and their teenaged sons (between 13–17 years of age) that guides them through life-changing experiences that will help them both understand their calling as Godly men. Small groups of father/son pairs participate over several sessions, culminating in a special ceremony of blessing and celebration with family and friends. As the climax of this event, each father stands before the audience and speaks words of blessing and commitment to his son, as a young man on a significant life journey, and welcomes him to the community of men.
Passage to Manhood is founded on Mark 12:30, 31: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…Love your neighbor as yourself.” These four aspects of God’s design—heart, soul, mind and strength—have the potential for blessing or destruction in the lives of others. It all depends on the choices a man makes, whether they are self-serving, or for the benefit of others.
The following curriculum outlines the lessons to be learned through practical teaching, film clips, father/son discussion, small group interaction and fun exercises that illustrate the point of the lesson. Dads and sons will be guided into a deeper knowledge of the calling God has for them as men who bring blessing to others.
The Characteristics of Godly Men
- Strength: The Courage of a Warrior
The Value of Work, Adversity, & Challenge
Rejecting Shame
Pursuing Purity - Heart: The Compassion of a Lover
Embracing Woundedness
Honoring Women - Mind: The Conviction of a Mentor
Building Character
Building a Band of Brothers - Soul: The Confidence of a King
God Rules; Jesus Saves
Discovering Your Mission in Life
Scheduling Options
One-weekend format: Friday evening, all day Saturday and overnight, celebration Sunday afternoon
Two-weekend format: 1st weekend all day Saturday; 2nd weekend Friday overnight, all day Saturday, celebration Saturday evening
Consecutive weekly or monthly 1 ½ hour sessions
To learn more about this ministry of Peregrine contact Craig at craig@peregrineministries.org or 719.229.8258. In North Carolina contact Jim at jim@peregrineministries.org or 704.201.7935.