Go Back Up
The Leader Letter Header 1.2
Leader Letter July 2026 Cover Photo

Dear Leader,

Do you ever find it difficult being a leader? I don't just mean the challenges of managing people and tasks and expectations. The constant communications, people in need, sermon prep, budget questions, conflicts and questionings of motivation, the constant pressure to always be "on."

What I mean is the difficulty of living the life we're trying to lead others into.

Our mission at Man in the Mirror is to engage men in meaningful relationships that change lives and build the Kingdom of God. This month, I want to hone in on that idea of "meaningful relationships." We know it's a great need for men. And yet, many of us are surrounded by people and still feel alone. We have circles, but not companions. We have teammates, but not brothers.

I've been feeling this tension personally: I can have a lot of friendships and still not feel deeply known. And when I'm not being known, I'm not sure I'm experiencing the kind of life change that produces lasting Kingdom impact.

If meaningful relationships are part of the mission, then we can't lead men there from a place of isolation. This month, let's talk about what it looks like to take one honest step towards something meaningful.

In Christ,

Nate Flynn

Area Director

Leader Letter - NMLB Image Quote 05.2025

Insights from the Model

What Men Need

 
We've talked before about the "Five Types of Men." When we understand where a man is on the "Wide to Deep Continuum," - in other words, where he is on his spiritual journey, then we can better understand how to give him what he NEEDS in the context of what he WANTS.
 
When it comes to relationships, a man on the wide side wants buddies to hang out with. What he really needs is companionship with purpose. He needs to be recruited into the army of God.
 
Once he has been recruited, he discovers something powerful: an army of men with a common connection in Christ. But simply existing in this commonality doesn't fully satisfy a man's desires. He needs to engage in the battle that Ephesians 6:10-18 calls us to.
 
As a man engages, he needs to be equipped and affirmed. Within the army, he finds a Band of Brothers who take up arms together and are committed to the mission and one another.
 
When these men have been through thick and thin, when they have fought in the trenches together and seen the good, the bad, and the ugly - not just of the world but of each other - something deeper forms. They become "Foxhole Friends." Men who stick closer than a brother. Men who don't just attend together, but endure together. Men who truly Leave No Man Behind.
Engage in the Battle for Men's Souls
1 Corinthians 15.58
 
Ministry Highlight Banner

This past year, one of our Men’s Discipleship Leaders has walked through a season that would have shaken almost anyone.
 
After the loss of a senior leader, his church entered a prolonged season of uncertainty and change. As challenges mounted, the strain wasn’t just organizational—it was personal. There were real moments when he and his family wondered if it was time to step away and begin again somewhere else.
 
And yet, in the middle of all that instability, something steady kept happening. Week after week, he continued to show up for the men.
 
Not because everything around him was healthy or easy, but because he believed God was still at work. While big-picture leadership felt shaky, he stayed focused on what he could faithfully do: meet with men, open the Word, pray, listen, and keep building disciples one relationship at a time.
 
What’s been remarkable is that the ministry hasn’t merely survived—it’s bearing fruit. Men are engaging. Conversations are deepening. Ownership is growing. The kind of quiet, consistent impact that doesn’t always make announcements, but changes lives.
 
When we talked recently, he shared something that truly encouraged my heart. He said that in the moments he felt closest to leaving, one of the things that helped him hang on was surprisingly simple: He didn’t want to make the call and tell me he was quitting.
 
Not simply because he feared disappointing me—but because the relationship and support mattered that much. The coaching, encouragement, and accountability weren’t just “resources.” They were a lifeline in a hard season. A reminder that he wasn’t alone, and that what he was doing still mattered—even when the broader situation felt uncertain.
 
This is the kind of impact we pray for: not just programs that run, but leaders who endure. Not just momentum when things are easy, but faithfulness when things are hard.
 
And by God’s grace, because one leader kept showing up, men are being discipled—and the local church is being strengthened from the ground up.

IMG_0444

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

1613 Livestream at Bedford First Church of God

Several men in our community joined 20,000+ men across the country for the inaugural 1613 men's conference. We were challenged and equipped to live out real faith in the real world. That momentum will be captured through a 12-week study that will help men follow Christ faithfully and foster leadership in marriage, family, church, community, and work.

4th Annual SoIN Scramble

Thank you to our many sponsors, golfers, and volunteers who made this year's scramble a huge success! 

Action Steps 3.1

Your Action Step:

Accountability Checkup

 

I've been reminded lately that it's possible to have a lot of friendships and still not have many places where real life gets talked about. That's why I'm sharing this Accountability Checkup that is intended to guide you into authentic conversations. 

If these areas aren't common and regular conversation with a few trusted men, you may not have the depth of relationship needed to sustain your leadership - or to lead other men into meaningful relationships that truly change lives. 

QUESTIONS TO START

  • How has God blessed you this week? What went right?
  • What problem consumed your thoughts this week? What went wrong?

SPIRITUAL LIFE

  • God's Word: Have you read it consistently? (How often? How long? Why not? Will you next week?)
  • Prayer: Describe your prayers for yourself, others, praise, worship, confession, or gratitude. How is your relationship with Christ evolving?
  • Temptation: How were you tempted this week? How did you respond?
  • Confession: Do you have unconfessed sin?
  • Church: Did you worship in church this week? Was your faith in Jesus strengthened?

HOME LIFE

  • Wife: If applicable, how is it with your wife? (time, meaningful conversation, attitudes, intimacy, disappointments, irritations, her relationship with Christ)
  • Children: If applicable, how are your children? (Giving encouragement, quantity and quality time, values, education, spiritual welfare)
  • Finances: How are your finances doing? (debt, sharing, saving, spending, stewardship)
  • Time: Have you given your time to the ones who deserve it?

WORK LIFE

  • Job: How are things going? (career, relationships, temptations, stress, problems, time management, working too much)

MINISTRY LIFE

  • Discipleship: What have you done this week to call someone to live in Christ, equip them to live like Christ, or send them to live for Christ?
  • Community: Did you stay connected to other men and invest in your friendships?
  • Witness: How have you shared your faith?
  • Service: What have you done for someone else this week that can't be repaid? (giving, encouragement, mercy, service to others)

CRITICAL CONCERNS

  • God's Will: Do you feel you are in the center of God's will? Do you sense His peace? Are you trusting and relying on Him?
  • Thought Life: What secret are you wrestling with?
  • Priorities: Are your priorities in the right order?
  • Integrity: How is your moral and ethical behavior?
  • High Risk: How are you doing in your personal high-risk area?
  • Transparency: Are the "visible you" and the "real you" the same in your relationships? (If not, in what ways are they not?)
  • Faithfulness: Have you been faithful in the key areas above? If not, what's your plan?

 

If you don't have men you can walk through this with, don't feel shame. Let it be an invitation to find another trusted brother or two and schedule a one-hour conversation this week. You don't have to ask every question every week, but be sure to touch on each area.

Allow honest reflection to bring things into the light so God can form us, and so we can bring other men into the same kind of meaningful relationships.

Get Accountability Cards
Isolated Christian Man

GO DEEPER WITH THIS POST FROM THE MAN IN THE MIRROR BLOG

Accountability: Who Do You Answer To?

 Every day, Christian men fail morally—not because they don’t want to honor God, but because they have blind spots or weaknesses that they think they can manage on their own. They can’t. They need help, but they have no accountability from a trusted friend.... 

Continue Reading
Mission Possible Nate Vision-1

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
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.