ABIDING FATHERS

FATHERING 101, INCLUDING FATHERS FORUMS: ABIDING FATHERS' RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE BOOKSFROM FAITH TO FAITH AND HERRAMIENTAS DE PAPA (THE DAD'S TOOLBOX), INTRODUCE MEN TO THEBIBLE'S PERSPECTIVE OF FATHERHOOD, AND PROVIDE TOOLS, RESOURCES, COMMUNITY, AND LOTS OFENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO ENCOURAGE, EQUIP, AND ENGAGE MEN TO BE THE DAD GODCREATED THEM TO BE. ABIDING FATHERS ALSO PURSUES DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIPS IN THE NORTHTEXAS HOMELESS COMMUNITY, MEN OF NEHEMIAH, LOCAL PRISONS, AND MORE. IN ADDITION,MATURE FATHERS PARTICIPATE IN FACILITATOR TRAINING TO BECOME CERTIFIED SMALL-GROUP FACILITATORSTHAT WILL DISCIPLE OTHER MEN WITHIN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND/OR COMMUNITIES. OVER 100 MENFROM THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY WERE DISCIPLED THROUGH THE ABIDING FATHERS' CURRICULUM ATUNION GOSPEL MISSION. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PRISON UNITS THAT ARE IN SOME WAYPARTICIPATING IN EQUIPPING INCARCERATED FATHERS.FATHERS FORUMS ARE TYPICALLY BREAKFAST OR LUNCH MEETINGS IN INTIMATE SETTINGS FOR 10 TO 30MEN ACROSS THE DFW METROPLEX TO GATHER, HEAR A TESTIMONY OR TEACHING BY A FATHER RELATINGTO FAMILY AND FATHERHOOD, AND PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO THE MESSAGE. CURRENTLY,THERE IS ONE FATHERS FORUM MEETING IN THE DFW AREA. MESSAGES FROM THIS FATHERS FORUM ATNORTHWEST BIBLE CHURCH ARE RECORDED AND POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AND DIERENT SOCIAL MEDIAPLATFORMS FOR ONLINE ACCESS BY MANY OTHER FATHERS.4 MEN IN HONDURAS TOOK PART IN A TEST GROUP FOR THE NEW FACILITATOR TRAINING PROGRAM (FTP)FROM OCTOBER TO DECEMBER. THIS MODEL EMPHASIZES QUALITY OVER QUANTITYAIMING TODEVELOP A FEW DEDICATED FACILITATORS CAPABLE OF LEADING IMPACTFUL DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS. THEMEN HAD A DISCIPLESHIP EXPERIENCE AS THEY MET TOGETHER OVER THE 3 MONTHS, SERVING AS AMODEL FOR LEADING THEIR OWN DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS. THIS KEY COMPONENT WAS MISSING FROMPREVIOUS LARGE GROUP WEEKEND TRAINING & AS A RESULT, THOSE FACILITATORS DIDN'T BEAR FRUIT BYFACILITATING DISCIPLESHIP GROUPS. THIS TEST GROUP PROVED IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPSAND PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP THAT ENSURES ONGOING SUPPORT WITHOUT HAVING TO TRAVEL TO ANOTHERCOUNTRY OR AREA. THE MODEL LEVERAGES ONLINE TRAINING, REDUCING COSTS AND EXTENDING THEPROGRAM'S REACH WITHOUT TRAVEL, SAVING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND TIME. IT PREPARES THE WAY FOROUR NEW DISCIPLESHIP GROUP PROGRAM (DGP) LAUNCHING IN 2025 THAT IS EASILY IMPLEMENTED BYCERTIFIED FACILITATORS AND DESIGNED TO TRANSFORM THE COMMON MAN INTO A BIBLICAL FATHER ANDLEADER OF HIS FAMILY, WHO IS MEANINGFULLY CONNECTED AND INVOLVED WITH HIS WIFE & CHILDREN.

INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY- PADRE DE CORAZN (PDC), THE HISPANIC MINISTRY OF ABIDING FATHERS: PADRE DE CORAZN CUBA. DESPITE MANY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND THE INSTABILITY OF THE COUNTRY DUE TO POWER OUTAGES, LACK OF WATER, AND POOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND AND STRENGTHEN THE MINISTRY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CUBAN PEOPLE. PASTOR RAUL GONZALEZ, PDC CUBA NATIONAL DIRECTOR, IS WORKING WITH THREE COORDINATORS (EAST, CENTRAL AND WEST) TO RESPOND TO THE OVERWHELMING REQUESTS FOR WORKSHOPS AND MATERIALS. THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO PROVIDE HERRAMIENTAS DE PAPA (DAD'S TOOLS) WORKSHOPS, TRAIN FACILITATORS, AND COLLABORATE WITH DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS AND THE MAIN PRISON MINISTRY IN THE COUNTRY.PDC CUBA TRAINED OVER 1800 MEN, INCLUDING INMATES IN THE PRISON SYSTEM. IN GUANTANAMO MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON, 17 INMATES WERE SERVED, WITH 4 MORE REQUESTS FOR PARTICIPATION. THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATION AMONG LIFE-SENTENCE INMATES, MANY SENTENCED FOR SEVERE CRIMES, AS THEY EXPLORE BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD AND RECONCILIATION. OFFICERS AND RE-EDUCATORS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND SOME REQUESTED BIBLES.IN MANZANILLO, GRANMA PRISON SYSTEM, 28 INMATES ATTENDED WORKSHOPS, WITH TEACHINGS NOW BEING SHARED BY INMATES ACROSS DIFFERENT PRISON UNITS. A NON-CHRISTIAN PRISON PSYCHOLOGIST PRAISED THE RELEVANCE OF THE DAD'S TOOLS WORKSHOPS AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON INMATES' LIVES.IN HIV/AIDS PRISONS (HOLGUN AND SANTIAGO DE CUBA), ANTICIPATION GROWS FOR UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, HIGHLIGHTING THE EAGERNESS OF INMATES TO MEND RELATIONSHIPS AND FOSTER NEW BEGINNINGS.