Here are some basic starting points for understanding the vision and goals of this ministry:

1. Gospel - Centered - All that we cover here will be centered on the gospel.  Meaning, we will not only seek to teach, but also motivate young boys to a place of godliness through the grace of the gospel, rather than trying to motivate them through the "mere moralism" of just trying to be "a good boy."
2. Envisioning In Biblical Masculinity - It is our hope to instill into our boys a vision for their future leadership roles (as husband, father, church member, deacon, elder, employer, employee) by teaching them about what Biblical Masculinity looks like through God's Word, and by following Godly examples of the men of Providence.  Though there are other attributes of Biblical Masculinity these are the primary ones we are going to seek to instill and hold up for the boys: humility, servanthood, faithfulness, gratitude and leadership.
3. Knowing The Scripture - This ministry stresses the importance of knowing what Scripture says of what it means to be a godly man.  So with this, there will be many opportunities for our boys to both be taught and to memorize God's word.  Much of the teaching, will be centered on the book of Proverbs - teaching boys practical wisdom for living their lives as men of God.
4. Rooted In The Local Church - We want our sons to see the importance of serving the local church, alongside one another as brothers in Christ.  We believe that the local church is the place where men are not only trained for greater witness and effectiveness in the world, but also it is the place where they will grow in the context of biblical fellowship with other believers.  We want to envision them for the giving away of their lives for that for which Christ gave His. 
5. Training In A Wide Variety Of Practical Skills - Through the Contender's program, our boys will learn a wide array of practical (and fun) skills.  (Dads, you need not worry if you might not happen to know a particular skill, this is why we have one another, to learn from one another's strengths and to grow in some of these skills ourselves.) The goal is not to see who can get the most awards, etc.   This is not a competition that the boys are having with one another, rather they are working with one another and learning how to relate with one another as brothers in the Lord, who are also brothers of the same church together.  Likewise, if a boy completes all of the skills in his handbook, in the end he will have mastered a wide range of very helpful skills and knowledge as he enters into manhood. 
6. Father - Son Discipleship  - This ministry provides wholesome, fun-filled learning experiences, that fathers and sons might not normally have the opportunities to do with just themselves, while building character in a loving and grace-filled environment.  Each father and son can work on as many skills as they would like - you are setting your own pace for much of this that will be outside of the skills we are working on together.  There is not a pressure to hurry from completing one skill and then hurrying off to learn another one.  It is our hope that as the boys work on the various skills in these books - that they will "master" it to the best of their ability.  The PCC Contenders for the Faith Ministry is for fathers and sons, but it is also most certainly also for boys without fathers as well, as other men would gladly help mentor these boys pointing them to Christ.  The fathers/mentors are encouraged to attend each meeting or outing, and are encouraged to work on skills at home with their sons.

Who Can Attend?  For boys ages 6 years old and up.  At this time, this is only open to those who are either already members of Providence Community Church (PCC), those pursuing membership at PCC as an active attender.

How Often Will We Meet? From September through May, with the exception of the months of November and December, we will meet twice a month.  The first meeting will be at the church and then the second gathering will be a type of activity or outing.

What Will A Typical Meeting Look Like?

1. The fathers will be there participating with and learning alongside their sons.

2. Each meeting will have 2 basic components:

        A.  "Man School" - (the Bible and instruction portion of the meeting)

• Open with Prayer
• Present Awards/Recognition For Work That Has Been Accomplished In The Last Month
• Bible Memorization
• Bible Lesson On Biblical Masculinity

        B.  "Craftsman" - (the time in our meeting when we work on, and/or taught a particular skill from the Contenders For The Faith handbook).  For a list of the possible things we will be working on click here to see a "Table of Contents" of the Contenders For The Faith handbook