In the spring of 2021, I received an email from Steve Sonderman about attending a new discipleship training program. I was hesitant to accept because I wanted to avoid doubt and having imposter syndrome when it comes to discipling other men. Nevertheless, I stepped out in faith and signed up for the virtual event. I enjoyed what I found; a few dozen men from all over the country invested in growing their faith and establishing discipleship groups in their own communities.
I was assigned to a smaller sub-group for discussion and accountability throughout the training. At first, it was uncomfortable to participate in a Zoom call with three complete strangers, but we got through the awkward first sessions and grew to know each other better. Over three years later we still meet every few months to encourage and pray for each other.
This discipleship training was designed to develop ministry skills and establish a process for starting men’s small groups in our communities. I was overwhelmed with where to begin. I knew however that I wanted to reach men without faith and cultivate leadership skills, especially in young men. Therefore, I decided to start a men’s leadership group in my neighborhood.
Steve often encouraged us to “keep it simple and start with a small number of men.” I wanted to create a foundation of Biblical principles that would appeal to men inside and outside the church. To help with my imposter syndrome, I created a plan and a syllabus to introduce the Bible and who Jesus is, then answer why someone needs a relationship with Him. I enjoyed incorporating book discussions, Biblical history, and videos discussing the Gospel. Ultimately, I wanted to inspire the members to establish their own discipleship groups.
Our first study was the 6-week “33 The Series”, by Authentic Manhood. I created a promotional flier and emailed it to 63 households in my neighborhood. Without knowing how many people would show up, I set our first meeting date on January 4th, 2022. Seven men attended. A couple weeks later, the same group came back for the second meeting. By the end of the video series the group had settled into six men, three in their 50s and three in their 30s; from them, the Nagawicka Men’s Group was born. We created a regular schedule of bi-monthly meetings to continue the momentum of that first six weeks.
We are still meeting and the group has grown to 15 men between the ages of 20 and 50. It’s become a multigenerational community of men mentoring each other and learning how to be better fathers and leaders in their lives.
This fall, I plan to launch an 8-week series at my church titled, Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis. The program is meant to help fathers raise their sons to be Biblical men. I hope and pray some who participate in the series will be inspired to start their own groups and continue the cycle of discipleship.
Although I still have a long way to go in my leadership journey, the line from the Lord’s Prayer “give us this day our daily bread”, helps me fight back the fear of imposter syndrome. I anchor myself in the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power to love, and self-discipline.”
To God be the glory!
Matt Mielke
