At Village Oaks we have two "Real Men" meetings. One is for the adults on Friday mornings. The second is for the boys on Tuesdays at 5:30pm.
Josh has been spending time on Tuesdays to walk the boys through what it means to be a man. Many of these boys do not know their fathers or never see them. Our time with these boys is an incredible opportunity! So far we have talked about Love, Leading vs. Following, Service, and Making Things Right.
For some of these boys, they come because they want the t-shirt (and we are OK with that!). If these boys come and hear just a few things about what makes a Real Man, we need to celebrate that. Of course, they can't show up just once to get their t-shirt. The boys must show some consistency, a good attitude, and perform community service.
In our leasing office at Village Oaks there is a large, shiny wooden table about 15 feet long. Around the table sit eight burgundy leather chairs on wheels, and there is a sense that you are in a very high-profile board room. We decided to meet at this table, or as we call it "the board room." The boys love it! They feel like they get to make important decisions and be part of something special.
Recently, we decided to add some flavor to the Real Men meetings for the boys. Now, when the boys get ready to head in to "the board room," we hand them a sport coat! For now, this is just to add to the fun of being part of the Real Men meetings. But, our long-term goal is to provide these boys with their first, nice sport coat. Something we hope they will have an opportunity to use as the grow up to become Real Men. Please join with us in praying for the future of these boys!
-- Will Dowell
