When a father abandons his son, he leaves behind a broken boy who will struggle to find his way into manhood. As a fatherless boy I know this reality intimately, which is why I have worked so hard to make sure that Fathers in the Field is an intentional ministry that begins to heal this brokenness.
A strong Christian male influence is the lynch pin of our ministry to fatherless boys, because it provides a role model for the Field Buddy. Mentor Fathers are men who demonstrate what it means to honor Christ in word and deed. They sign a year long commitment to their Field Buddy and hold their Field Buddy accountable for that same commitment.
Recently Mentor Father David Patterson of Flatirons Community Church in Colorado sent me a photo of his first Field Buddy Ben. David traveled to Camp Pendleton to watch Ben graduate from Marine Corps Boot Camp. David began mentoring Ben through Fathers in the Field on July 16th, 2016, when Ben was just 11 years old. I was privileged to speak with Ben about his time in the ministry.
“David helped me out a lot. When we first met, I was only 11 but I had no positive role models and was directionless. David is like family to me, but his biggest impact was being my first real role model. I lacked commitment and had a terrible work ethic; I hated doing manual labor, but it was those opportunities that helped cement a sense of commitment in me. I remember working at a senior housing place in their garden, cutting trees and cooking for the residents. It was a real struggle for me to work hard and serve these people, but seeing how David served them with joy and a generosity that was foreign to me transformed me. Over the years my attitude and work ethic changed, and I found joy in being part of a group where the main objective was to serve others.
Experiencing David’s Generosity towards myself and others impacted me deeply. It is one of the reasons I joined the Marine Corps, to work as a group in the service of my fellow American’s.”
Ben’s life was changed because of the commitment of a Mentor Father who modeled Christ by honoring his commitment and investing in the life of a fatherless boy. Imagine how our country would change if all Christian men would follow David’s lead and invest in boys like Ben.
Contact me today and together we can make that change a reality.
Standing in the Gap,
John Smithbaker
Founding Servant
p: 1-844-472-4241
e: info@fathersinthefield.com
