Director of Programs, Nate Gruber, recently sat down with Regional Champions Jim Braniff and Brennen Sullivan for two conversations on the No Regrets Leadership Podcast. Together, they talked honestly about the challenges men’s ministry leaders face, as well as the challenges men themselves carry as they seek to follow Jesus. Men want to grow spiritually, but don’t always know what the next step looks like. Church leaders want to disciple men more intentionally, but are stretched thin, short on time, and unsure where to begin.
What’s Keeping Men from the Next Step
Men are trying to be faithful husbands, fathers, workers, neighbors, and church members. Some are showing up to Bible studies and small groups, hoping to grow. Others are carrying a quiet sense that God may be calling them to something more, but they feel unprepared to lead, share their faith, or invest in another man. As Brennen Sullivan shared on the podcast, one of the biggest barriers is fear. “The fear of failure is huge for men,” he said. Many men simply do not feel equipped. They wonder, “How do I do this? I don’t know what it looks like.” For some, the problem is not unwillingness. It is that no one has shown them how to take the next step.
Leaders Feel the Same Tension
Church leaders feel that same tension. Pastors and men’s ministry leaders want to help men grow, but many are already carrying full ministry loads. They are leading services, managing programs, caring for people, and trying to keep ministry moving forward. Brennen named the challenge plainly: many leaders are “just trying to survive,” while also asking, “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know what material to use. I don’t have the time to figure it out.”
That is why No Regrets has developed resources to come alongside men, pastors, and church leaders. The goal is not simply to create another program. The goal is to help churches build an intentional pathway where men are reached, rooted, released, and reproduced as disciple makers.
Nate described the heart behind this when he talked about the need to move beyond information alone. “At a certain point,” Nate said, “there has to be some fishing that actually happens.” Men are not only called to sit in a group and learn. They are called to follow Jesus into their homes, workplaces, churches, and communities.
Jim Braniff, No Regrets’ Regional Champion in the Chicago area, has seen this firsthand. “For most guys, I think just showing up for small group is a big step,” he said. A men’s group can be a powerful place of encouragement, accountability, and spiritual growth. But Jim also warned that the group itself can become a comfort zone. “The second we put a bubble around ourselves,” he said, “we’re limiting what God could do in us and through us.”
Resources Designed for Real Men in Real Churches
No Regrets resources are designed to help men move beyond that bubble.
Basecamp provides foundational Bible studies that help men grow in the core disciplines of the Christian faith. Basecamp helps men become rooted in Scripture, challenged to apply what they are learning, and encouraged to grow alongside other men.
DiscipleMaker 101 is for men who want to make an impact but need the tools and confidence to do so. This online course helps men identify people in their sphere of influence, learn to share their faith story, and take practical steps to invest in others.
DiscipleMaker 201 is for church leaders and men’s ministry teams who want to build a more intentional discipleship pathway. It helps leaders develop a plan and begin building a culture where men are not only gathered but also equipped and released.
Brennen described several churches in Pennsylvania that, after going through Disciple Maker 201, came away with “a unified team, vision, and passion.” Over time, their men began launching new groups, discipling others, and stepping into leadership.
Start Where You Are
The invitation is simple: start where you are. Join a men’s group. Start a group. Go through Basecamp. Take DM 101. Gather a few faithful, available, teachable men and begin asking what it would look like to make disciples who make disciples. Explore DM 201 and begin building a plan for your own context.
No Regrets is here to help. Men and leaders do not have to do this alone, and churches do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Explore the resources on our website, and to talk through the best next step for your church, men’s ministry, or leadership team, reach out to Nate, Jim, or Brennen. They would be glad to help you take the next step toward building men who follow Jesus, are changed by Jesus, and are committed to the mission of Jesus.
