DTC Stories

Defending the Cause: The Good Shepherd

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.Luke 15:7 ESV

Forgiving another person for the harm they caused you, might be the hardest task you ever undertake.

For the more than 12 million fatherless boys in our country, forgiving their earthly father for abandoning them can be a nearly impossible task.The man who is designed by God to shepherd you through life is gone; the hole he left is now filled with fear, anger and a sense of being helpless among a sea of wolves.

Photo of Frank Pappas, Field Buddy Eaven, Mentor Father Aaron Kafer
Left to Right: Church Champion Frank Pappas, Field Buddy Eaven, Mentor Father Aaron Kafer

As a ministry we work diligently to help Churches place Christian men in these gaps to help protect these boys and teach them about the love of their Heavenly Father, the ultimate Shepherd.

These Godly men invest intentional time in the lives of a fatherless boy, with the hope that they will come to faith in Christ, find forgiveness for their earthly father’s abandonment of them and honor God in all things. Mentor Father’s are Good Shepherds, helping these boys find Christ and in Him forgiveness.

Mentor Father Aaron Kafer committed to being a shepherd in the life of his Field Buddy Eaven, over four years ago. “Through the initial two years of our intentional mentoring with Fathers in the Field Evan didn’t fully grasp the love of God, but enjoyed going with me to church and related with the conversations sparked by the Journey Guide.

He had lots of questions and was willing to work through finding answers by looking through the Scripture and talking with me about them.

It wasn’t just me pouring Christ into Evan’s life though; it was our Church Champion Frank Pappas and the Church body too.

During our third year with Fathers in the Field we started serving at the Flatirons campus in Denver. Eaven would come and work campus security with me and eventually started to volunteer in guest services. He really made lots of connections with people in the church. Through that process with exposure to more church services and longer time spans together Eaven received Christ as his Savior. He came to me in-between services and he expressed that he wanted to put his Trust in Christ.

It was somewhat unexpected, we had lots of conversations about salvation, but he instigated this one. So we took the time to talk through where he was and at the end I encouraged Evan to respond to the call of Christ.

Aaron and the campus Pastor Stefan Guzowski talked with Eaven about Baptism as the next step, but then Covid hit and slowed everything down. Earlier this year Eaven expressed that his desire was to be baptized at Easter, an event that drew people from both the Flatirons Denver Campus and the Lafayette Campus as Eaven had built relationships in both places. So the body of Christ came together to celebrate the baptism of a once shepherd-less boy, who had entered the Kingdom of Heaven with angles and saints rejoicing together.

As a ministry Fathers in the Field helps churches across the country matter greatly in the life of a fatherless boy, but it requires the help of people like you.

Contact me today and join the celebration.

Standing in the Gap,
John Smithbaker
Founding Servant
P: 1-844-472-4241  e: info@fathersinthefield.com