“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV
In recent years, surveys have shown that if a child becomes a Christian in a non-Christian home—there is a 3.5% chance that everyone in the household will follow. That number grows to 17% if the mother is the first in a family to become a Christian. But if a father accepts Christ—the likelihood of the household following increases to 93%. That data is tremendous and cannot be ignored. In fact—the role of “father” is so important, the Bible mentions that title more than 1100 times.
However, with an ongoing decline in church attendance and 25% of children living in fatherless homes—the role of men in a position of spiritual leadership is on the decline. But whether a man is a father or not, the Bible specifically speaks about men and their responsibilities as their call to duty as Christians…as well as the role of men as spiritual leaders of their homes.
Michael Hansley, a local father, entrepreneur, and most importantly—a Christian—knows too well the challenges men face. “Men struggle with so many issues, and our goal is to awaken men to their responsibilities to be the spiritual leader in their homes. We take the Bible very seriously and believe it is the authentic Truth—the inerrant Word of God. The mission of Call to Duty will be to challenge men—and equip them—with the tools they need to honor their God-given responsibilities to their families, and mostly—to their Creator.”
Ministry partner Steve Buffkin agreed. “In my 40+ years of ministry, I have watched men battle issues with marriages, families, pornography, alcohol, substance abuse, and more. But these are not things we talk about –at least, not the way women talk with each other about their challenges. Men are trained to be independent; to admit shortcomings is to admit failure. In short—men today don’t always know what it means to be a man as God called us to be.”
“That’s what this conference is designed to do,” Michael chimed in. “We want to provide men with a new view of themselves, the world, their relationships, and understand what it means to be a godly man. We want those who, like me, come from fatherless homes to understand that they can be chain breakers—and make new choices and establish new patterns for the next generation. We want to disciple them and teach them about biblical manhood and developing a kingdom perspective through the Truth of God’s Word.”
Steve added, “Michael’s vision for this conference is deeply rooted in his tremendous love for Jesus and his prayer for others. While this is a tremendously ambitious conference, we believe that all things are possible with God. The conference is not affiliated with any specific church or denomination, but it’s Biblically-based and volunteer-led. Every breakout session will be facilitated by someone with personal experience who has had personal victory over that issue. We have the program structure—and we have the speakers and volunteers. What we need are the sponsors—the individuals and organizations who believe in the vision and who want to help make an impact in mens’ lives.”
Call To Duty is in the process of being established as a non-profit and needs generous supporters who share their mission. If that is you or your organization—please contact Michael Hansley at 336.932.7119 to learn how you can make a difference—even an eternal investment –in the lives of men in our community.
Call To Duty Mens’ Conference will be held May 6th – 7th, 2022, at the Village Inn Event Center in Clemmons. Learn more at CallToDuty.world. To become an event sponsor, contact Michael Hansley at 336.932.7119. The Call to Duty 501(c)(3) is pending, and questions about tax-deductible contributions should be directed to Michael.
RESOURCES:
25 Facts on the Importance of Fathers, TheGospelCoalition.org
Promise Keepers at Work, FocusOnTheFamily.org
45 Single Parent Statistics You Can’t Ignore: 2021 Gender, Race & Challenges, FinancesOnline.com
Father Absence Statistics, Fatherhood.org
