"Dear brothers, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves.  Let there be real harmony so there won't be divisions in the church.  I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose."  (1 Cor. 1:10)

"Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose."  (Phil. 2:2)

"It is so easy to think that the Church has a lot of different objects - education, building, missions, holding services... The Church exists for nothing else but to draw ones into Christ, to make them little Christs.  If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time.  God became man for no other purpose.  It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose."  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, pp. 169-170.

Church Partnership Agreement

The Band of Brothers' Ministry is committed to assisting churches in creating vibrant men's ministries - to assist churches in ushering the men into becoming "little Christs."  We have a vision that "image-bearing men" will be released for the sake of the Kingdom.  We believe that God's Kingdom is advancing, and the men are being called to join our King.  We are committed to the church.  All of the leadership of this ministry are  involved in a local church (although not the same one).  We believe God has ordained the church with Christ as the cornerstone - and "all the powers of hell will not conquer it."  (Matt. 16:18)  So we only lead retreats when sponsored by a church.  Our model for this ministry comes from our belief that real life change happens locally, over time, and in community.  Therefore, we can come along side churches all over the country, but the church is responsible for the daily care, encouragement, and discipleship of its brotherhood.

Our hope is that churches will "major on the majors, and minor on the minors," and that there will be "real harmony" as we strive to be "of one mind, united in thought and purpose."     Too often, we in the church can get diverted by disagreements over details regarding doctrine or beliefs.  The Enemy tries to use our disharmony to divide and conquer.  We want to assist churches in uniting!  We believe God wants the brotherhood in churches to unite for a common cause:  to offer the brotherhood of Christ to everyone, everywhere.  What does this mean?  We want men to accept Christ as their Lord, Savior, and King.  We want men then to say "yes" to the call of discipleship and to thereby provide Christ-like leadership in their marriages, families, churches, and communities.  Only then can we be identified by our God-given purpose:  to love God and others well.

How can our ministry help your church today?  We currently provide symbols, branding, and language that churches can use to ignite a passionate men's ministry - one that will call out the heart and strength of a man.  Powerful symbols and material can be used by God to help rally men around a common cause.  Men desire to be part of a noble cause, and they want to feel like an essential part of that cause.  This is because each man was created to be an essential part of a noble cause - the cause of Christ.  But we should not engage alone!  The power of the Holy Spirit has been bestowed on the full body of believers.  We believe it is essential that men find their Jonathan/David friendships as they choose to engage for the causes of Christ.  We desire that men in local congregations meet together and take off their masks, share their true stories with each other in an environment of humility and grace, and then fight for each other's true identity and heritage in Christ.   We currently can assist your church by helping unite the brotherhood of Christ in the following ways:

• Retreats - Please read more about our retreats.  However, we already are booked for 2006.  If you are interested in our ministry team leading a retreat for your men in 2007, please contact us!
• Posters - The Band of Brothers' posters are a great way to promote a grass-roots "movement" of Christ in your church.  Yes, "Aslan is on the move!"  By placing these posters throughout your church facility, it can help build a curiosity in the men about what is going on - and an excitement about getting involved.   The symbolism of the poster can help explain the men's movement that is happening in your church.
• Rings - We cannot fight the battles alone.  Yet few men have authentic Jonathan/David relationships - even though they long for them.  Why don't they have them?  Because such relationships are rarely modeled to us.  The rings provide a great instrument for men to use to call out other men into authentic relationship.  Most men have never been taught how to communicate such a God-given desire of real brotherhood.  The rings come with gift-cards to train men with examples of words to say to call out other men.  The rings then can be used by the recipients of the rings to make a covenant with God to engage as true disciples of Christ - "no matter the cost."  The ring then serves as a monument to remember their covenant with God.  Please read about the distinct purposes of the ring.
• Symbols and logos - The sword-shaped celtic cross  is a symbol that represents a "no matter the cost" decision to follow Christ.  We use the symbol in conjunction with our rings, other jewelry, our retreats, clothing, and our teaching materials.  Just like early Christians used the sign of the fish as a symbol to know who they could depend on during the intense times of persecution and battle, this symbol serves the same purpose.  Unfortunately, the sign of the fish and the basic cross symbol (that have been used by Christians for centuries) have been diluted through the years.  For example, many people wear or display the cross without regard to its true meaning.  We are not trying to dismiss the symbol of the cross nor to disrespect it in any way.  But we have created a symbol (i.e. the sword shaped celtic cross) that symbolizes a "no matter the cost" commitment to follow Christ.  The Band of Brothers' sword-shaped celtic cross is protected under US Federal Trademark and Copyright Laws and International Treaties (the "Symbol") so that we can protect the sincerity of its meaning and the branding of our products.  And we will do everything within our power to keep the integrity of this Symbol and to prevent the dilution of its meaning.  Yet, if certain conditions are met, we will give "approved" churches a limited license to use this Symbol (and our other Band of Brothers logos) and other content from this website to promote their church men's movement in partnership with the Band of Brothers' ministry.  If you are interested in this program and in becoming an "Approved Band of Brothers' Partner," please print out and complete the following Agreement and fax it back to us: Band of Brothers' Partner Agreement ,  The purpose of these requirements is so that everyone truly understands what they are communicating to the world when our logos are used and displayed, and that the explanation of the meaning of the Symbol and the partnering relationship with our ministry is consistent.   
• Content - There is a lot of written content on this website describing the Battle, the need for Brotherhood, and God's ultimate victory.  There are materials that encourage men to become Christ-like leaders in their homes, churches, and communities.  These materials may all be used by the Church if they are an "Approved Band of Brothers Church Partner."
• Merchandise - We also offer various merchandise utilizing the symbol (e.g. t-shirts, hats, gifts to sons and wives, etc.).  The purpose of using these symbols is to promote the heart, meaning, and unity of this movement.   Very soon, for our Church Partners, we plan to offer t-shirts and other merchandise that combines the Band of Brothers logos and symbols with your church logo.  This is a great way to create a sense of community and comradery in your church men's movement. 
• Small Group Materials - We plan on introducing Band of Brothers' small group materials later this year.  However, we believe the first couple of months in a men's small group should be dedicated to each person sharing their story - their testimony.  Typically, we recommend that each person in the group be given at least an entire meeting to begin sharing their story (i.e. 1-3 hours).  At the end of the sharing time the person who shares their story should be surrounded by the other men and prayed for with the spirit of love, grace, humility, and encouragement. 
• Rites of Passage for Sons and Daughters - We desire to help fathers initiate and bless their children through a "Rite of Passage" ceremony.  Our children are becoming men and women who will be the next generation of "no matter the cost" followers of Christ.   We currently have materials to assist a father in blessing and commissioning his son.   And we plan to have similar materials for the commissioning and blessing of daughters this summer.