Part 4 of THE RIGHT NEXT STEP Series
“The state of the family and men is pretty discouraging. We are trying to improve that one man at a time, one step at a time.”
Fred Cox knows that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
He felt unworthy to take THE RIGHT NEXT STEP, but he knew someone needed to do it.
Stepping Out to Fill the Gap
Fred is the director of the men’s group, known better as “the Brotherhood,” at Clifford Baptist Church in Amherst, VA. He didn’t know where to turn for resources when he took on the role about three years ago, but a quick call to the SBC of Virginia led him to Noble Warriors.
Fred’s background is in business where he provides key machines for other companies to run efficiently, but you won’t see his equipment on the floor. It’s a behind-the-scenes kind of operation, the kind that’s crucial to the backbone of others but is not seen out front.
His approach to men’s ministry started from the same place. He wasn’t looking for visibility; he was looking to fill the gap.
“I feel unworthy, but somebody needs to step up.”
Providing Backup
For Fred, Noble Warriors has been his backup, supporting him from behind the scenes since day one. He keeps in touch with Carl Benjamin, our Southwest Regional Coordinator, and that connection has fed him and given him the tools he needed for the Brotherhood. He and the group have even utilized tools like The Manger Build® for the entire church.
Noble Warriors had to take THE RIGHT NEXT STEP in faith when everything shut down. We started 2020 with our first conference in Roanoke, VA, never expecting it would also be the only conference. After over ten years of full conference seasons, we couldn’t have imagined a year or more without one.
Fred and the Brotherhood were there for that conference, taking three full vehicles of men. One man couldn’t stay for the whole day, but he made the trip just to hear from speaker, Crawford Loritts, and then left at lunch.
Fred had been utilizing the resources Noble Warriors pointed him to, and the Brotherhood at Clifford Baptist supported six groups of men going through 33 The Series. But in 2020, COVID decimated all of that for a while. It wasn’t until The Noble Man Tailgate there in the Fall 2020 Tailgate Season that the flame was sparked to light up the groups again.
Catalyzing and Multiplying Men’s Ministry
The Tailgate was a catalyst. Guys from church came, told others about it, and they wanted more. Now they have seven small groups meeting regularly, and Fred’s vision continues to grow. He sees marriages and families changing for the better.
He sees men’s ministry multiplying through guys from other churches who will take their RIGHT NEXT STEP to plant men’s groups back at their home churches.
“We are making a difference.”
From support to tools to catalyzing events and accountability, Fred’s partnership with Noble Warriors has been intertwined with the work he stepped up to do.
“Without Noble Warriors, I’d be looking around for something.”
Fun and Food With a Purpose
The Noble Man Tailgate is more than just a fun weekend event, though it is that. It’s a Kingdom Gathering of Men. It’s a place to:
- Eat with the Guys
- Worship The King
- Get Sharpened by The Word
- Take the Right Next Step
The key is for men like Fred to take THE RIGHT NEXT STEP so growth doesn’t stop at the Tailgate. Scripture says the fields are ripe with harvest and the laborers are few. When one man steps up, other men join.
Will you step into prayer, support, and labor with us in the fields, at the Tailgates, and whatever RIGHT NEXT STEP God puts before us?
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38