--- title: Are You a Believer? description: Do you believe that discipleship can really change lives? Are you willing to commit to that belief, even when things get hard? We're here to help you grow a culture of discipleship in your church! image: https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hubfs/Leader%20Letter%20August%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png --- [Go Back Up](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer#top) [Skip to Content](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer#body) [![The Leader Letter Header 1.2](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hubfs/The%20Leader%20Letter%20Header%201.2.png "The Leader Letter Header 1.2")](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter) --- Share article [mailto:?subject=Are%20You%20a%20Believer%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fsoinmensdiscipleship.com%2Fleader-letter%2Fare-you-a-believer](mailto:?subject=Are%20You%20a%20Believer%3F&body=https%3A%2F%2Fsoinmensdiscipleship.com%2Fleader-letter%2Fare-you-a-believer) ![Leader Letter August 2026 Cover Photo](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Leader%20Letter%20August%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png?width=1200&height=628&name=Leader%20Letter%20August%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png) MENU: [Insights](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer#InsightsFromTheModel)  [Highlights](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer#MinistryHighlight)  [Action Step](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer#ActionSteps) Dear Leader, Are you a believer? I don't simply mean, "Are you a Christian?" I mean: Do you really believe, deep in your soul, that discipleship works? That discipleship is not simply a class, a program, or one ministry among many, but the mission Jesus gave us - and therefore should shape everything we do? Do you believe that discipleship changes everything? Men, marriages, families, churches, communities...even the world? Do you believe the kind of discipleship that changes lives doesn't happen primarily through an event or an exchange of information, but in the context of relationships? This has been stirring in me since last month's focus on [Meaningful Relationships](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/meaningful-relationships), and was sparked again after reading chapter three of *The Power of Habit* by Charles Duhigg. He tells the story of Tony Dungy and how he helped reshape football teams - not by asking players to do extraordinary things, but by helping them do ordinary things extraordinarily well.  Dungy wanted players to develop habits and responses so deeply that they became almost automatic. But those routines only worked when the players believed in them - especially under pressure. When things got hard, the temptation was to revert to what was familiar, overthink the process, and complicate what was proven. Sound familiar? This year I have been rallying leaders around the idea of "Playing the Long Game" - the belief that perseverance in discipleship will bear fruit. So, when life and ministry become challenging, what will we do? Will we continue to do the ordinary things with extraordinary faithfulness - praying with men, opening God's Word together, having honest conversations, calling one another to obedience, and showing up day after day? Or will we succumb to pressure and revert to old habits and comfortable practices - busy calendars, bigger events, and more activity that looks like ministry but doesn't necessarily produce disciples? The real question isn't whether we believe in discipleship. It's whether we believe it enough to stay faithful even when the fruit is slow, the work is hard, and the results aren't obvious. In Christ, Nate Flynn *Area Director* [SUBSCRIBE](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/signup) [mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) ![1 Corinthians 15.58](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1%20Corinthians%2015.58.png?width=1200&height=630&name=1%20Corinthians%2015.58.png) [![NMLB Banner](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/NMLB%20Banner.png?width=1200&height=675&name=NMLB%20Banner.png)](https://maninthemirror.org/no-man-left-behind/) ![Leader Letter - NMLB Image Quote 05.2025](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Leader%20Letter%20-%20NMLB%20Image%20Quote%2005.2025.png?width=267&height=800&name=Leader%20Letter%20-%20NMLB%20Image%20Quote%2005.2025.png) Insights from the Model ## Culture of Discipleship   The primary foundation in the model is what we call a **Culture of Discipleship**.   At its core is a simple conviction: **discipleship is the portal priority -** the door through which all other ministry flows**.** Discipleship isn't one more item on the church's menu. **Everything we do is either a method of making disciples or an outcome of being disciples.**   When we stay focused on this missional reality, the picture becomes clear. Efforts like preaching, teaching, bible studies, mentoring, and small groups aren't unrelated activities competing for space on the calendar. **They are all methods God uses to form disciples.**   Desired results like evangelism, worship, generosity, godly families, and fellowship aren't behaviors we have to convince people to engage in - **they are the natural outpouring of disciples who love Jesus and love others.**   **That's what culture is: an environment so infused with an idea** that it is only natural for people to think, prioritize, and live a certain way.   **Is discipleship the natural culture of your church,** or is some other priority defining your culture? [Engage in the Battle for Men's Souls](https://www.nomanleftbehind.org) ![Culture of Discipleship 2.0](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Culture%20of%20Discipleship%202.0.png?width=1200&height=630&name=Culture%20of%20Discipleship%202.0.png) ![Ministry Highlight Banner 2.0](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ministry%20Highlight%20Banner%202.0.png?width=2240&height=600&name=Ministry%20Highlight%20Banner%202.0.png) As pastors and leaders within the SoIN Fellowship continue to “Play the Long Game,” **it is exciting to see cultures shifting**—sometimes in small ways and sometimes in ways that are becoming impossible to miss. Across the Fellowship, I'm seeing churches move from thinking primarily about what happens on Sunday to thinking about what happens in the lives of men throughout the week. Men are meeting one-on-one, opening God's Word together, praying together, having honest conversations, and learning what it means to follow Jesus in every area of life. **As men grow in maturity, they become increasingly ready to invest in others.** Men who were once present in the same room but largely isolated from one another are beginning to develop the kind of meaningful relationships that change lives. Men's groups are multiplying—not simply because there's a desire for more groups, but because men are beginning to understand that discipleship is something worth reproducing. And I'm hearing stories of wives who are excited about the changes they're seeing in their husbands—**not because they've become perfect men, but because they're becoming more intentional followers of Jesus.** Pastors are intentionally investing in individual men while continually communicating a bigger vision for what the Christian life is all about. When that vision becomes clear, discipleship stops feeling like another program to add to the calendar and starts becoming the way we understand the mission of the church. And then there are the stories of evangelism. Men are praying specifically for lost friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. They're asking God to provide opportunities and then being willing to step through the doors He opens. They're sharing the gospel, inviting men into meaningful relationships, and discovering that God is often already at work long before they arrive. **These aren't isolated stories. They're evidence of cultures shifting.** Where men are being discipled, the gospel is transforming their lives. And when the gospel transforms a man, it changes the way he sees the world around him. He begins to pursue meaningful relationships, invest in others, and look for opportunities to help other men follow Jesus. Evangelism, fellowship, generosity, godly families - it all becomes an outpouring of discipleship. And that may be one of the clearest signs that a culture is changing: men aren't simply coming to church. They're becoming disciples—and disciples are beginning to make disciples. ![IMG_0444](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/IMG_0444.jpg?width=3024&height=4032&name=IMG_0444.jpg) Community Groups ## Joe With a Bro Most men don't need another event - they need a place where they can talk about real life. The Joe With a Bro Conversation Cards make that easier by giving you simple prompts that move a group from surface level to meaningful. Area Directors across the country are helping leaders launch Community Groups around firepits, in living rooms, at the local watering hole, and anywhere men gather. Instead of waiting for men to show up, we're going out to find them. If you'd like to launch a group to engage men in your community, I'd love to help. [More Info](https://maninthemirror.org/joewithabro/) ![Action Steps 3.1](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Action%20Steps%203.1.png?width=1200&height=429&name=Action%20Steps%203.1.png) Your Action Step: ## Engage the Fellowship   Under the direction of Coach Dungy, the 2006 Indianapolis Colts became Super Bowl Champions. It wasn't simply that they had the right strategy. They had a conviction that it would work, even under pressure, and a camaraderie that united them in purpose. One of the players said "Most football teams aren't really teams. They're just guys who work together." Another added "But we became a team. It felt amazing...it felt like we really believed in each other, like we knew how to play together in a way we didn't before." **That's what happens when people stop trying to change alone.** Psychologist Todd Heatherton put it this way: "**Change occurs among other people**. It seems real when we can see it in other people's eyes." The SoIN Fellowship is **a deepening camaraderie of pastors and leaders** who are committed to building thriving ministries to men - what I call Outposts of Men's Discipleship across Southern Indiana. While I have the privilege of connecting these leaders as their Area Director, the deeper bond is our **shared alignment in mission and passion** to engage men in *meaningful relationships* that *change lives* and *build the Kingdom of God.* Over the past two years, **the Fellowship has helped spur one another on** in the daily, faithful work of men's discipleship that changes cultures. This isn't simply an open group for anyone to join. It's for churches committed to working in alignment of mission, and by virtue of our partnership, pastors and leaders in those churches are welcomed into the Fellowship so **none of us has to wonder if we're the only ones fighting the good fight.** I envision more and more of these outposts throughout Southern Indiana that others see as **a beacon of cultural change - where discipleship is unmistakably the culture.** Where men are being transformed, where marriages and families are flourishing, where churches are hospitals of hope to the lost, and where communities are thriving because of the impact of these outposts. We are not a football team. We are not even guys who work together. But we are a brotherhood of leaders committed to Christ and the mission he has called us to. **Change is happening, and it's exciting when we see it in other people's eyes.** For those already in the Fellowship, I encourage you to lean further into the camaraderie and engage in meaningful relationships. If you're wondering how you can begin to effect cultural change and be part of this Fellowship, *it starts with a conversation.* **You don't have to pursue this alone.** I would love to meet with you and explore what it might look like for us to pursue men's discipleship together. [START CONVERSATION](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) [ENGAGE DEEPER](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) ![SoIN Fellowship](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SoIN%20Fellowship.png?width=1200&height=630&name=SoIN%20Fellowship.png) [![Celebrating 40 Years of Man in the Mirror.](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Celebrating%2040%20Years%20of%20Man%20in%20the%20Mirror..png?width=1200&height=360&name=Celebrating%2040%20Years%20of%20Man%20in%20the%20Mirror..png)](https://www.maninthemirror.org) [![Become an Area Director Banner](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Become%20an%20Area%20Director%20Banner.png?width=1200&height=150&name=Become%20an%20Area%20Director%20Banner.png)](https://maninthemirror.org/become-an-area-director/) [![MIM Blog Image](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MIM%20Blog%20Image.jpg?width=900&height=473&name=MIM%20Blog%20Image.jpg)](https://maninthemirror.org/blogs/) ## GO DEEPER WITH THIS POST FROM THE MAN IN THE MIRROR BLOG Is Making Disciples Your Church's #1 Priority?  To build a sustainable ministry to men, you need a solid foundation and a clear focus. Yes, men need to be godly fathers, caring husbands, good stewards, and servant leaders. But what is the core issue that should drive your ministry? [Continue Reading](https://maninthemirror.org/is-making-disciples-your-churchs-1-priority/) [![Nate Flynn Contact Banner - Web](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Nate%20Flynn%20Contact%20Banner%20-%20Web.png?width=1200&height=650&name=Nate%20Flynn%20Contact%20Banner%20-%20Web.png)](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) ![Mission Possible Nate Vision-1](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mission%20Possible%20Nate%20Vision-1.png?width=2000&height=170&name=Mission%20Possible%20Nate%20Vision-1.png) [![SoIN Touch Banner](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SoIN%20Touch%20Banner.png?width=1600&height=800&name=SoIN%20Touch%20Banner.png)](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/sointouch) [![Cigars & Conversation Community Group Banner](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Cigars%20%26%20Conversation%20Community%20Group%20Banner.png?%20Conversation%20Community%20Group%20Banner.png&width=900&height=300&name=Cigars%20%26%20Conversation%20Community%20Group%20Banner.png?%20Conversation%20Community%20Group%20Banner.png)](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) [![State of Young Men Image](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/State%20of%20Young%20Men%20Image.png?width=1200&height=628&name=State%20of%20Young%20Men%20Image.png)](https://maninthemirror.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/SOYM-2025.pdf) [![Iron Circle](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Iron%20Circle.png?width=800&height=420&name=Iron%20Circle.png)](https://www.manhoodjourney.org/iron-circle) If you have events, resources, or other opportunities for men in Southern Indiana, please use the form below to share them with our network.  ### Share your Resources    DISCUSSION BOARD Email this page [Email this page](mailto:?body=https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer) ![](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hubfs/Nate%20Circle%20Photo%202-1.png) [mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org](mailto:nateflynn@maninthemirror.org) ###### Nate Flynn Nate serves Southern Indiana as an Area Director with Man in the Mirror. He equips churches and leaders to build thriving, sustainable ministry to men. He is from Bedford, IN where he lives with his wife, Kristi, and their three children. You May Like These ## Related Articles ![](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CFC%20Vision.png?width=700&name=CFC%20Vision.png) ### [Begin With the End in Mind](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/january2024) ![](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mens%20breakfast%20unattended.jpeg?width=700&name=Mens%20breakfast%20unattended.jpeg) ### [Killing Men's Ministry](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/february2024) ![](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Leader%20Letter%20May%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png?width=700&name=Leader%20Letter%20May%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png) ### [Celebration Leads to Acceleration](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/celebration-leads-to-acceleration) # Man in the Mirror - Southern Indiana - [Home](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com) - [Resources](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/resources) - [The Leader Letter](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter) - [Partner Connect](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/partner-connect) - [SoIN Touch](https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/sointouch) --- ♥ Made with Care by HubSpot Experts - ©Lynton. All rights reserved. [Legal Notice](https://www.example.com) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.example.com) | [Site Map](https://www.example.com) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Nate Flynn", "url" : "https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/author/nate-flynn" }, "dateModified" : "2026-08-26T15:39:28.036Z", "datePublished" : "2026-08-24T21:18:50.000Z", "headline" : "Are You a Believer?", "image" : [ "https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hubfs/Leader%20Letter%20August%202026%20Cover%20Photo.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/leader-letter/are-you-a-believer", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://soinmensdiscipleship.com/hubfs/Man_in_the_Mirror_Logo_w%20padding-1.png" } } } ```