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A Changed Life Changes Lives
Rich Babbitt was already involved in leading the men’s ministry at his home church when he was first introduced to Noble Warriors. In fact, he’d been leading in church for years. He and his wife Kathy met as single parents helping to lead a ministry for other single parents. He’d been involved in Bible studies before, but what impacted him through Noble Warriors was the way he learned to dig deeper in relationships.
“As a man and a husband, it really impacted how I dealt with things. It made me take a hard look at how I act and react in relationships.”
Rich and Kathy knew that blended families could be more at risk, but they were committed to growing and maintaining a healthy marriage.
Getting connected with Noble Warriors gave Rich the tools he needed to work through anything, no matter what the issue.
He heard new things about manhood and family, and he recalls how his first study of Men’s Fraternity transformed him.
“Rejecting passivity hit home with me.”
Their marriage has been an example for over 25 years, and now they get to enjoy their three children and four grandchildren as empty nesters committed to serving others. He has served on the Board of Directors of Noble Warriors for 10 years, allowing him to turn around and influence other men and families in the same way. Even when he moved to Tennessee for a time, he took Noble Warriors there with him and launched Authentic Manhoods’Men’s Fraternity and 33 The Series in his church there.
Rich is a key player in our current project to help men create and maintain connection during the isolation of the pandemic.
Serving Up Support
Rich Babbitt has been serving up support for decades. His professional background had him in the McDonald’s Corporation for 23 years. He even remembers them knocking the wall down at his first location to create their first drive-thru.
As a member of our conference team, Rich brought those skills as a ‘systems guy’ into his support for Noble Warriors.
If you’ve been to a Noble Man / ISI Conference and you like being caffeinated and well-fed, then you have Rich to thank for it.
It’s awe-inspiring to see the way he moves hundreds of guys in and out of the lunch line so efficiently.
When Rich first studied Men’s Fraternity, he was inspired by the Great Adventure to make a list of things he wanted to be, do, or experience – like writing a book, and he followed through on that list. Work ethic is part of the fabric of his character, so it only made sense that he would share his experience in his book, From Paperboy to Boomer. (Purchase a copy here.) One of the final chapters is titled “Leading by Example and Leading Others,” and Rich has lived that out by being a servant leader.
COVID threw us a curveball this year limiting in-person events, but Rich Babbitt never missed a beat. There were no conferences to organize and no sandwiches to serve…
But he jumped right into moving furniture, painting, and filling in wherever he saw an opportunity to help with our new venture, The Noble Man Podcast.
Like Rich, every Noble Warriors partner brings their skills, time, talents, and gifts to the table, and it is amazing to see how God brings it all together to build the ministry we get to steward today. Without every single contribution, we would not be as stable.
Part of Something Bigger
Why would a man like Rich Babbitt seek opportunities to give freely of his time and skills?
He leads a full life with work, family, and ministry, and yet he’s always at the ready to lend a hand or just be a blessing in any way. He’s a prime example of living a Kingdom-minded life beyond just paying the bills and taking care of himself.
“Every man has a desire to be involved in something bigger than himself. . . supporting Noble Warriors does that.”
Partners like Rich are part of the bigger mission, helping us impact men for the Kingdom. It’s why he’s pouring his energy into helping us create a versatile podcast studio. What started as a makeshift green screen room in the back corner of the warehouse is now becoming a more fit place to produce quality episodes. As we work, we pray for provision for equipment and production costs.
Men still need connection, and Rich sees The Noble Man Podcast reaching men in their homes and cars, creating opportunities to learn from experts on real issues and challenges they might be facing.
When he connected with Noble Warriors years ago, Rich studied the tenants of Authentic Manhood such as working for the Kingdom and expecting God’s greater reward, and they have stuck with him. Whether behind the scenes, growth-planning, or “gofering,” he works where needed and leads the way for others who want to be part of something bigger themselves.
In the isolation of the current crisis, men are not alone thanks to Rich and partners like you. You make it possible to find new and necessary ways to stay linked together and continue to help churches equip men to walk with Christ and Lead Well.