Noble Warriors Conference Season 2026
“I was excited for the conference to happen, and it didn’t disappoint. To God be the glory!” -Chesapeake Conference Attendee
“Great time of fellowship, worship, and time to learn and reflect on how to be better leaders in our homes, churches and communities.” -Roanoke Conference Attendee
“Awesome turn out, great speakers as always!” -Richmond Conference Attendee
When the Mission Matters, Obstacles Become Opportunities
Conference Overview-
This past conference season reminded us of something we say often at Noble Warriors: when the mission is clear, the method can flex.
We walked through a 2026 conference season full of unexpected challenges—ice storms, travel disruptions, schedule changes, and smaller-than-expected crowds in a few locations. But at every turn, the Lord proved faithful. What could have been setbacks, became opportunities to serve the local church in new ways!
Our Leaders Conference in January set the tone. When winter weather forced us to pivot from an in-person gathering to a live digital event, our team adapted quickly. What we gained was more than just a workaround—we learned new skills and saw over 100 men engage in real time from across the region.
From Chesapeake, to Roanoke, to Richmond, each stop had its own story. Speakers adjusted. Plans shifted. Yet the message never changed: men are called to step out of passivity and into purpose. Whether it was a last-minute keynote change or a speaker stepping up to carry the day, God used faithful men to deliver exactly what was needed.
And the fruit? Over 1,200 men engaged this season, representing more than 200 churches.
But numbers only tell part of the story. What encouraged us most wasn’t just how many men came—it was who came.
Large churches showed up in strong ways, but some of the most powerful moments came from smaller churches bringing a significant percentage of their men. When a church of 60 brings 14 men, or a church of 70 brings 12, that’s not just attendance—that’s transformation in motion.
That’s the heart of Noble Warriors. We exist to serve the church—all of the church. This season we saw men from Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, non-denominational, and Pentecostal backgrounds come together around a shared desire: to pursue biblical manhood and invest in the next generation.
That’s kingdom work!
As we look ahead, we’re not just planning another conference season—we’re praying for deeper impact. Stronger churches. More intentional discipleship. More men stepping into leadership at home, in their churches, and in their communities. Thank you for praying. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for standing with us.
Conference Story Corner- Small Church Big Impact
We were blessed to see men’s groups from all kinds of different churches at the Noble Warriors Men’s Conference this year! We were especially encouraged to see many smaller churches rally their men and bring large groups for their size.
Two pastors of smaller rural churches brought 12 and 14 men to one of the conferences. That number might not seem big, but each of their churches have less than 80 worshipers each weekend. That means they brought nearly 20% of their church to be equipped and encouraged. Another small-town church brought 34 men. Talk about impact potential!
We love to see larger groups come from smaller churches to our Noble Warriors events. God works powerfully through men who are committed to Him, and we believe this is multiplied when small churches bring disproportionally large groups of men to be sharpened.
We plan to share the stories of these pastors, churches and men in the coming weeks. So be on the lookout for some cool stories about how God is doing great work in small churches through men who are running hard after King Jesus!
Take Home 2026 Conference Messages
Relive or experience the conferences for the first time when you purchase conference speaker and presenter audio!
Click on the Conference links below to access the recordings.
Thank you Noble Warriors Chief Food Officer!
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Rich Babbitt Retires-
If you’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee or eaten lunch at a Noble Warriors Men’s Conference anytime since our very first one in 2007, you have Rich Babbitt to thank for it. Rich has been our CFO (Chief Food Officer) since the very beginning. I recall well that I was quite anxious about lunch the very first time. Eating is a core value for men and you don’t want to fumble lunch when you’ve got several hundred guys at an event.
Rich volunteered to take on the responsibility. I didn’t know how reliable, committed, organized, and professional he was, so I hovered, micromanaged, and asked incessant questions. I was too involved. Thankfully, Rich was patient with me and simply did the job well! Men were happily caffeinated, hydrated and snacked during the breaks. And, they were well fed with great efficiency during lunch. Rich knew what he was doing.
I’ve never worried about lunch at our conferences again. Until next year. Rich recently retired from his real job and tells us that he’s retiring from the Noble Warriors Conference CFO gig as well. But this is not the type of position you can just walk away from. This gets in your heart, it moves your soul, it’s in your blood. (At least that’s what I’m telling Rich as I invite him to keep it up!) But alas, I think he truly is retiring so I’ll apologize in advance to our new, yet to be named CFO, for micromanaging. You’ve got BIG shoes to fill!
I am saddened by the thought of not having Rich at every conference, but we wish him well and celebrated him a bit at our Richmond conference this year. He demonstrated his paper throwing skills for us (Rich wrote a little book titled, From Paperboy to Boomer: How Lessons Learned from Paper Routes and Lawn Mowing Have Shaped 10 Skill Sets of Today’s Leaders.) and we recognized him on the stage with all the volunteers at the end of the day.
Rich has been a friend and fan of the ministry since the beginning. He’s served on the Board of Directors and served a lot of conference lunches. I’m grateful for him and his legacy of service here. He’s the one who taught us to put the warm sandwich on top of the cookie in the box so the cookie would get warm. GENIUS!!
If you see Rich around thank him for all his work for Noble Warriors and make sure you always crush your CFA box before you put it in the trash.
James River Writers Article – https://jamesriverwriters.org/rich-babbitt/
NEW MEDIA!
SOMETHING MEN ARE UNIVERSALLY HUNGRY FOR
Podcast-
Billy Cole shares his journey into men’s discipleship, the impact of men’s ministry at Parkway Church, and practical insights from recent conferences. Discover how authentic leadership and community support transform lives and strengthen families.
THE AGE OF MANHOOD
Blog-
Mike Young responds to a question sent into him from a student pastor, “What are your thoughts on the idea of when manhood begins in western culture?”
Mark your calanders for our next Summer event
Noble Warriors Catapult Conference
Mark your calendars for our next EXCITING Noble Warriors event!
For many years, Noble Warriors has recommended and championed the use of BetterMan as an effective training tool for men to lead other men toward ongoing, healthy discipleship. We are excited to announce that, Noble Warriors and BetterMan, have partnered together for this one-day event–designed to prepare men like you to launch hundreds of BetterMan small groups across Virginia and beyond!
Mark your calendars and join us at the Catapult Conference at River Oak Church in Chesapeake, Virginia for an uplifting day of spiritual growth and equipping.
PARTNER WITH US IN PRAYER
As we wrap up with conferences, we will be moving into a new ministry season here at Noble Warriors. Will you please remember to pray with us?
- Thank the Lord for the many volunteers who served at one or more of the conferences to pray for the day, serve lunches, lead worship, and hand out SWAG bags. Thanks also to those of you who mobilized men from your churches. Noble Warriors would not exist with without the selfless service of so many volunteers.
- Pray for our team as we evaluate the 2025 season and begin planning for 2026, but even more that we would follow-up effectively with pastors, ministry leaders, and men who made commitments to walk with Christ and lead well during our conferences.
- Pray specifically for Mike as he spends the next few months focused on researching and writing his Doctor of Ministry project that will help Noble Warriors encourage and equip more pastors and leaders to disciple men as a priority.
BECOME A MONTLY PARTNER WITH US!
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