Have you ever been to a little league game and watched the interaction between dads and their sons? It’s quite fascinating. And a bit entertaining.
If you look closely, you’ll notice something far more important than just the game itself. In between the cheers, instruction, and maybe arguments with the umpire, you’ll see a dynamic that happens between any father and son.
Even at a young age, you’ll notice there is a deep longing within each son to receive their father’s approval and attention — to know that their dad believes in them. Another word that has been used over the years to describe this kind of approval, attention, and belief is called a blessing.
When a son receives the blessing of his dad, it has a far-reaching impact. There is a centering, a foundation, a security that shapes the son. He doesn’t have to live for his father’s affirmation but instead, he can live from his father’s affirmation. There’s a big difference.
On the other hand, when a son does NOT receive his father’s blessing, he will potentially grow up and go looking for it in all the wrong places.
We believe dads want to be great dads. And we believe every son longs to receive their dad’s blessing. While this is true at any age, we believe it’s especially true as a son enters the teenage years.
Life in middle school has become a more important transition than ever before because students are growing up faster. Additionally, the role of a parent is quickly changing in this season from caretaker to coach. As a result, this is a critical time to help instill the values, principles, and lessons that can shape their lives.
This is where dads come in. This is where dads can lead. And yet, for many dads, they never grew up receiving this kind of blessing from their own dad. They aren’t quite sure how to do this. Not only that, life is so busy. Where will they find the time, content, and process to do this?
This is the heart behind Champion Tribes. We want to help busy fathers connect with their middle school sons through a unique, memorable, and life-shaping experience.
Here’s how it works:
Champion Tribes is a rite-of-passage experience for 11- to 14-year-old boys to help prepare them for life. We call it “Champions” because the goal is to teach boys how to become a champion in life. It’s called “Tribes” because the boys not only journey with their dads during this time but with four or five other sons and their dads. We believe that the ideal place for a young man to learn and grow is in a small group — a tribe — where he is surrounded by his father, other boys, and their fathers.
Each Tribe embarks on a journey that includes twelve gatherings culminating in a final blessing ceremony. Each gathering focuses on a particular value and includes activities, games, questions, videos, and remarkable experiences. The content is delivered through our digital platform that the dads can access on any device. Additionally, the sons are given the Champion Tribes kit to equip them for the journey.
Our hope is that you will help us help dads bless their sons.
If you’re a dad with a middle school son or know of one, please email me at jeff@championtribes.com. We will follow up with a simple, next step to begin their journey. As you do, imagine the impact this could have a few months from now when a son hears words that will follow him for the rest of his life – words of affirmation, approval, and belief from their Dad.
Topics: Imagine The End, Middle School (6th-8th), Special Topics
Jeff Henderson
Contributor
Jeff Henderson is co-founder of Champion Tribes and the Lead Pastor of Gwinnett Church, the most recent multi-campus locations of North Point Ministries. Prior to Gwinnett Church, Jeff served as the Lead Pastor of Buckhead Church, North Point’s first multi-site location for seven years. He spent 21 years in marketing, working most recently for Chick-fil-A, before beginning his roles with North Point Ministries. Jeff and his wife, Wendy have two children.
