Category: 3rdF

PRE BLAST F3 The Fort 6th Annual Invergence

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Men of  The Fort,

On Friday, September 21st, we will celebrate 6 years of Fitness, Fellowship, and Faith in the Fort Mill area with our annual F3 Invergence party.   Bring a beverage, some food to share, and enjoy a relaxing evening with your brothers.   We’ll have presentations from your local leadership, take a look back at the previous year, and look ahead to what’s in store for 2019  F3 The Fort and F3 Nation.     This is the premier 2nd F event of the year so mark your calendars now,  and plan on being at Rush Pavilion on Friday night, September 21st.

This is a great FNG opportunity!

This is a Pax only event.  Make it up to your M and 2.0’s next weekend.
What:  Fort Mill Invergence (6th anniversary party)
When:  Friday, September 21, 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Where:  Bruce T. Rush Pavillion at the Anne Springs Greenway
Bring:  Food, drink, chair, cash (to cover the pavillion rental/donations to the F3 Foundation)
Please use the link below to RSVP and list what food you will bring:
6th year F3 The Fort Invergence Food Sign Up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4CAFAE2FA7FD0-f3thefort

 

 

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9

Poverty Simulation

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Event Title: Poverty Simulation

Event Date: Saturday, October 13th, 2018

Event Time: 9 am to Noon

Event Location: First Baptist Church Fort Mill (121 Monroe White St, Fort Mill, SC 29715)

Event Description:

The North Palmetto F3 Foundation is hosting a Poverty Simulation to raise awareness about the struggles underprivileged people face. Participants will role play different families encountering the realities of life with a shortage of money while navigating complex systems that hinder the impoverished. Participants will:

  • Cultivate empathy, respect, and passion for those living below the poverty line
  • Develop a deeper understanding of the systemic barriers faced by people living in poverty
  • Expand awareness of the impact of poverty on your service population
  • Brainstorm ways to mitigate challenges in resource/service access for your service population
  • Identify actionable steps to make an impact in your community

Get involved. Use the link below sign up as a volunteer or a participant. Feel free to contact Penny Pincher, Chicken Hawk or Deacon with questions.

Relevant Links:

North Palmetto F3 Foundation’s Website – https://f3thefort.com/f3-foundation/

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8

Prayer Convergence for FMSD

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Matthew 18:20  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Calling All PAX of Fort Mill to step up and live out the 3rd F that is the “Dynamite” of F3. What better way to start off the school year than to go to the schools, physically go, and pray?!?  Most of us have children that attend these schools, neighbors, friends and family that work at these schools and some of the PAX work in these schools. Regardless of how we are connected to them, we are all impacted by what happens in these schools and this is a chance for us to live out what we are called to do.

What: The Fort PAX (at least 2, preferably 3 or more at each location!) converging at every school in the FMSD, to pray for the school leadership, every employee of the school, students, the safety of the school, etc.

When: Sunday, August 26th,  6:00PM

How (do I get involved):  Click the SignUp Genius below! Pick a school, grab a few fellow PAX and show up, ready to pray. We will post some details about format.  Post the number of PAX and where you posted with the hashtag #F3TheFortPrays4FMSD when you are done.

Why: Evil looks for every opportunity to cause chaos in schools.  We pray, in the name of Jesus, to keep any and all evil from these schools, administrators, teachers, children and families. We pray that God uses the believers in these school to be a light unto those that do not know him (students and adults alike).

We realize this is week after school started, but sometimes “better late than never” applies.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4da9a72ea6fa7-prayer

 

I was inspired by First Baptist North Spartanburg.  If you go to the (approx) 16 minute mark of the video below, you will see Pastor Mike Hamlet as he leads his church members through this entire process.  While we plan to lay out some specifics around the prayers, we will not have this type of set-up. This is for our reference.

 

 

Contact Beacon for questions. Aye!

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8

F3 The Fort Convergence to Honor our own Badger

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YHC (Cake Boss) got a text back in March from Atticus that one of our own has been diagnosed with liver cancer and it was aggressive. This hit close to home in many ways as my sister passed away in October from liver cancer and it was still very tough to realize the finality of her passing.

Badger was EHed as part of the Knight’s Bridge PAX. Was a regular at Alcatraz but got very involved with Stealth Baseball and travel for work, but was still an advocate for F3 and a PAX member forever. Jiffy was one of Badger’s EH’s and is a legacy that will live in The Fort.

Through church, I saw the many prayer requests were coming in for Badger since I am a Deacon and last week I saw the call for hospice was made. Never a good sign! A group of us went to Badger’s house on Sunday and prayed with him and his wife as the time was getting short. Monday morning while leaving workout a text from Badger’s M mentioned the nurse said it would only be hours. By the time I got out of the shower, Badger had passed. 60 days from diagnoses

While at the house the conversation with Decibel, Becky and his mother in-law it was clear Badger had all is trust in Jesus and that there was “NO DOUBT” where he was spending eternity. Missing Badger will be tough for his M, Kids, family, Stealth Baseball, friends and many others but the Joy of having “NO DOUBT” where he is and that those who call Jesus Lord will see him again is overwhelming any sadness.

Here is the workout that we did to honor Badger. 124 men in The Fort with 100’s across F3 Nation wearing Badger Red on Thursday AOs for our brother.

Sir Topham Hat led the COP and asked that the PAX be silent and really reflect would it means for all of to be there and remember Badger the man!

Senator Tressel:

The Thang:
Mosey from the big lot to the small grass circle near the back entrance to the stadium.  SWITZER
I took a few minutes to tell my group about my friendship with Matt.  Matt and his family lived a few houses down from my family in Knightsbridge before they moved a few years ago.   Our families got to know each other and we did the normal neighborly things like backyard cookouts, Halloween celebrations, birthday parties, playing with our kids together, and helping each other with home projects.    My daughter Claire babysat their kids, and my son Sam and their son Brayden became fast friends.   The Gieslers were great neighbors and friends, and we enjoyed spending time with them.
Matt played late night soccer so he didn’t make many F3 workouts during the week, but he joined us (me, Decibel, Trucker) at Alcatraz for Saturday workouts.
My wife called me one day to inform me about Matt’s cancer and that it was quite serious.  I couldn’t believe it.  He was just 39 years old.   Matt and his family moved to a new neighborhood a few years ago so I had not seen him in a while.  But, I sent him a text message offering my encouragement and support.  I texted Matt several times over the past 2 months and let him know that we were all praying for him.  Decibel, Trucker, Jiffy, Change Order, and I visited Matt a few weeks ago at his home.  We just hung out together, had a few laughs, talked about what Matt was going through, and we prayed together.    The group had plans to get together this past Wednesday, but sadly, Matt died before we could meet again.  I am very, very sad for the loss of my friend at such a young age, and I grieve for Becky, his children, his Mom and Dad, and his sisters and brothers.  I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to spend time with Matt before he passed away so suddenly.
On to the workout:
Line up facing the driveway leading to Munn Road for Jacob’s Ladder.  Run to the 2nd light, do a burpee, run back and loop around the grass circle.  Repeat for 1-7 burpees at the light.   Plank at the base of the drive way and wait for the 6.  Right arm/left arm high, 6″ hold and recover.
Mosey to the grass field outside the stadium for Jack Webb.  Start with 1/4 and work up to 10/40.
Freddie Merc x 20, Rosalita x 20, Hello Dolly x 20.  Superman hold x 3
Meet the rest of the Pax on the football field for COT.
Trucker:
Here’s my WO: mosy to football field. in honor of Badger being 39; 39 merkins, 39 squats, 39 CCD, 39 LBCs. Since he was a football and soccer fan, run up and down the stadium stands from one end to the other. In end zone, Jake Webb’s 1-4 ratio but stop at 39 arm raises. Sprint every 10 yard line from end zone to end zone. At each 10 yard line do 1 merkin to 5 squats. Increase by 1/5 up to 5/25, then descend back to 1/5 at opposite 10yd line. Head to fence, toe touches holding onto fence for 39 reps. Spoke James 1:12 at COT. We lost a humble friend. Loved opening house for us to sit around fire pit and drink a beer and fellowship; a great family man.
Decibel:
MERKINS X25
ALTERNATING LUNGES X25
TOE TAPS X25
TONY HAWK
BURPEE X15 Soccer Run
GORILLA HUMPER X20
IMPERIAL WALKER X20
EMPTY WHEELBARROW
SQUATS X20
LBCs X39 E2K X20
EACH SIDE
ROSALITA X25
Soccer Run During the workout we keep 3 soccer balls moving at all time to honor Badger’s love for soccer. Badger was a man I respected to the utmost. He was not a guy that sought attention or glory, but he was always there when you needed him. He was in short a dependable guy. He loved his family and was a loyal friend. I was able to sit and talk with him after his sickness and his braveness and faith shown through at that time. He did not want to leave his family but was also welcoming of heaven. I am at peace because I know he is at peace. One thing I learned from the experience was not to wait to sit down with friends and be real. Let them know how you feel about them and always make sure they are walking with God.
Jiffy:
Here my workout : Mosey over to the side of the parking lot and circled up the Pax. Started with reminding them that this was a silent workout. I asked them to keep Becky and the family in their thoughts to provide her strength and comfort. We got started with the workout – 5 burpees OYO. There were 3 rows of cones setup. Started first bear crawling to the first, then running to the second, then bear crawling to the last. At each cone do 10 merkins. Once you hit the last cone run back. Repeat with 10 wide arm merkins at each cone. Switched to legs with lunge walk to the first cone, run to the next, lunge walk to the last. At each cone do 5 bomb jacks. Run back. Repeat again with 10 squats. We circled up and did a set of 10 LBCs and then 10 American Hammers. Next in sequence – 10 merkins, 10 plank jacks, 10 wide arm merkins, 10 plank jacks and then 10 diamond merkins. We paused and shared with them that I’m involved with F3 because of Matt. I shared how weeks after Matt first moved in across the street he had a party. At the time I had never heard of F3. In his basement I met a number of the guys leading today’s Q. A couple of weeks later Matt got me to my first workout at Alcatraz. I shared that F3 has had a very positive impact on my life and I would be forever grateful. We returned to do more cone work. First a straight suicide. Then the bear crawl sequence with 10 dry docks and 10 dips, the the lunge walk sequence with 10 monkey humpers. Circled up again and did the sequence of 10s again of merkins, plank jacks, wide arm merkins, plank jacks and diamond merkins. We paused and talked with the Pax about how Matt got diagnosed just 60 days ago. I shared how Matt was a great man and a servant leader to his family. I shared that his introduction to F3 had a lasting impact on me. I challenged the Pax (and myself) on what impact am I having, how am I using my time. Returned to the workout with 5 burpees. We wrapped up with some ab work and headed over the stadium. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the Convergence and to Matt
Men of The Fort:
There will be a 60 day challenge coming to continue remembering Matt/Badger….be prepared
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9

WHETSTONE – now what?

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So you just got paired up with a whetstone partner…now what? Some partnerships will occur more naturally than others, don’t let this stop you from being consistent. If you happen to get stuck, pick a few of the questions below to discuss.

  • Agree to the three Ps
    • Proximity requires the Stone to physically meet with his Blade. While it is fine (good even) for them to also talk on the telephone and email, that is not a replacement for the physical meeting where they can look each other in the eye. Hard looks and straight talk (tempered by love) get results. That cannot be done virtually.
      • How will you ensure this occurs?
    • To be Purposeful, the meeting between the Stone and the Blade must be more than the kind of inconsequential pizza party a Club would have—it must be a Grinder with a particular Outcome in mind: the Acceleration of the Blade’s Preparedness. The Stone’s task within the Whetstone is to help the Blade get ready for the expected and be ready for the unexpected by both encouraging him to turn Pro and providing him with the Bricks he will need to build his own Guardrails. Just as a Workout should Accelerate the Q’s Fitness, a Grinder should Accelerate the Blade’s proper personal alignment.
      • Set an agenda to start with, this will help you stay on point.
    • There is no set rule for the periodicity of the Grinder. It must be frequent enough to be Effective but not so frequent that the Stone and Blade smother each other. This is something both men must determine through trial and error. However, because a Grinder (by design) is a Movement away from the Status Quo it will cause pain and it is man’s general hardwiring to avoid pain. As a result, the Stone must be deliberate to ensure periodicity. Otherwise, his Blade will drift away to something easier.
      • What cadence will you establish?
    • Get to know the other guys family
    • Stick to the 3 Fs
      • How and where are you posting?
      • How is your diet?
      • How are you growing in your faith?
    • How is your relationship with your wife?
    • What can I hold you accountable to? What two questions do you want me to ask you this week?
    • Establish trust and agree, that what’s discussed together will not be shared unless the other has agreed.

There is no script to follow for Whetstone relationships, be open and honest with eachother and where you need accountability in your life.

Aye

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2

F3 The Fort – Relaunch of WHETSTONE

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F3 The Fort – Relaunch of WHETSTONE

WHETSTONE relaunches in the Fort officially on Saturday April 21 and what better way than to relaunch with a CONVERGENCE! Any excuse to gather for a common beat down, interwoven with messages on why/how we need WHETSTONE followed by a short chat post COT. Maximus has a beyond style workout planed. 0700 at Fort Mill High School. Note, all other area AOs will be closed (TheFort, The Yard, Alcatraz, and The Deep).

WHETSTONE

As you may already know, the mission of F3 is to plant, grow and serve small workout groups for men for the invigoration of male community leadership. This means that ALL of our bootcamps, runs, rucks, kettlebells are means to a much greater end…to strengthen the lives of other men in order to become and to develop HIMs.

Just as no man casually drifts into being physically fit, no man drifts into becoming a HIM. The current of our culture toward isolation, addiction, and mediocrity is strong. Therefore, you must intentionally direct your life against this current in the direction of personal growth…or you will, by default, drift toward sad clown-ness.

While all of us have made some measure of progress in the realm of physical fitness, many of us still lack the deeper dimension of HIM-ness that cannot be developed in a COT, Coffeeteria, or happy hour. Committing to WHETSTONE is a proactive step into this dimension. In the end, our workouts, CSAUP events, and happy hours will eventually fade, but how we have influenced and been influenced by one another will be our legacy.

SO WHAT IS WHETSTONE?

  • WHETSTONE is a committed relationship between two men. One (the Stone) serves as a mentor to the other (the Blade), you can serve as both Stone and Blade in most partnerships.
  • Although the Stone and Blade may indeed be friends, the WHESTONE differs from a typical friendship. The purpose of the WHETSTONE is the deliberate sharpening effort in helping men to hone the skills and character qualities that comprise the High Impact Man (HIM) he is called to be.
  • As with anything F3, WHETSTONE is free, voluntary, at-your-own-risk, and you can modify as needed.

THE WHETSTONE COMMITMENT

We’ve seen that meaningful WHETSTONE relationships revolve around the following five things:

  • Consistency – there is no set rule for frequency, but it must be frequent enough to be effective but not too frequent to be overburdening. Every other week seems to be a good cadence, with a one year commitment.
  • Confidentiality – To go deep, you must have trust and transparency. Therefore, one man needs the permission of the other to share anything personal discussed during a Whetstone meeting.
  • Courageous Humility – Just as the meeting of a physical blade and stone creates friction against both objects, a Whetstone relationship is not supposed to be a “smooth” process. This WILL most likely be uncomfortable initially. These are “muscles” that many of us are not in the habit of flexing. So just like you were probably sore at your first several F3 beatdowns (and probably are still sore at times) expect to be “sore” in this. Courageously, and Humbly, “embrace the suck” and grow.
  • Curriculum – Although there is no prescribed curriculum to follow, there are ample topics to guide your conversations. Its recommended to have a few standard questions to check in with each other, i.e. how are your 1st F, 2nd F, and 3rd F going lately; what’s happening at home; where are you struggling; where can I help keep you accountable; etc. Additionally we recommend checkout the awesome content on the QSource posts found on the F3Nation website. Try to establish a specific topic or question for each gathering, the monthly 3rdF theme posts are a great starter as well.
  • Communication – although phone and email are good, it does not replace physical meeting where you can look each other in the eye. It is strongly encourage it find a partner that you can meet face to face.

HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR WHETSTONE?

There are many things we are good at; merkins, eating, CSAUP events, but match making is not one of them. Thus we will NOT create the Farmers Only dating site for finding a WHETSTONE partner. Finding a partner is your responsibility. We’ve tried to play match maker in the past, and overwhelmingly we’ve seen that WHETSTONE partners that have proactively found each other were significantly more likely to have a meaningful relationship.

But we won’t just leave you out there alone searching for a WHETSTONE partner in the gloom by yourself. We ask you to complete the WHETSTONE INTEREST FORM, in which you will provide us the info for three (3) PAX that you would want to engage in a WHETSTONE relationship. To help you avoid that awkward moment at the high school dance, we’ll send a note to your three (3) PAX informing them that you’d like talk with them about WHETSTONE. From there on, it is on you. They know that you’re interested in improving yourself and investing in them.

You control your own destiny, so take control and find a WHETSTONE partner that can influence you and that you can invest in.

IF YOU WANT TO JUST TALK TO YOUR THREE PAX ON YOUR OWN, GREAT, JUST SEND US A NOTE ON TWITTER WITH HOW YOUR PARTNER IS!

WHETSTONE SUPPORT

We want to see you succeed. We want to see you as a HIM in your marriage, your job, with your kids and in the community. We’ll help push monthly content for you and your WHETSTONE partner to discuss, that’s the easy part, having the honest dialog with your partner is the hard part.

Give us a follow on twitter @F3FortWhetstone, join the conversation, tell the Nation that you’re actively engaged in WHETSTONE and share ideas.

COMMON EXCUSES:

We’ve all heard them, so we took the liberty of short-circuiting your excuses:

“I already have an accountability partner.” That’s great! All of us should have a few men in our Shield Lock. Whetstone, however, is different than accountability. It’s a purposeful mentorship requiring one man to courageously (and humbly) step into a Stone role and another to humbly (and courageously) step into a Blade role.

“I’m not qualified to be Stone where I assume a leadership role in the life of another man.” ALL of you are potential Stones. Have you ever learned from failure? Ever overcome a challenge? Ever passed through one of the milestones of manhood (marriage, parenting, owning a home, etc.)? Then you have something to offer. A large part of being a Stone is about recognizing one’s life experiences (and resulting lessons learned) as a gift to be shared with another. Your struggles allow the Blade to be more transparent about his own challenges.  On the flipside, knowing that you are serving as a Stone for another man may just force you to step up your game, walk a little straighter, and address some of those hindrances that have dogged you for too long.

“I don’t need to be a Blade where I am led by another man.” If you really think this, then it shows that you very much need to be a Blade. The fact is that ALL of you are potential Blades. None of us has this thing called life figured out, and development doesn’t stop till we reach the finish line. Humbly admitting your need for the intentional influence of another man and courageously extending your trust in him leads to a kind of personal development not found many other ways.

“I just don’t have time for this.” Actually, we’d challenge you to rethink this logic.  Each man is given 24 hours in a day.  You have the same amount of time as every other man on the big ball.  No more, no less.  Priorities are what consume our time.  Honestly assess your schedule, which is a reflection of your life’s priorities, and ask yourself if you are truly investing in the things that matter most. How a man invests the time he’s been given ultimately determines his life’s legacy. So, is sharpening the life of another man OR being sharpened by another man worth investing an hour every couple weeks? We think so.

READY TO START YOUR WHETSTONE JOURNEY? FILL OUR THE WHETSTON INTEREST FORM AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER @F3FortWhetstone

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7

WHETSTONE RELAUNCH – Pre-PreBlast

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  • QIC: WWL/Repeat/Reborn
  • When: 03/25/2018
  • Posted In: 3rdF

F3 The Fort – Relaunch of WHETSTONE

Most of us have come to learn that accountability among men is a two way street. On the one side, we need to have accountability as individuals or for ourselves and on the other side we need to be an accountability partner to other men. Although these roles are very different, they are both very much needed in our lives.

When we break it down, accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. When carefully read, we can see that accountability is something that you are willing to do or you feel obligated to do. Generally we all agree that it’s much easier to be willing to do something than to feel obligated. Obligation will always make you hold back some of your stronger feelings and your time will be wasted in the end. Men must become willing to be held accountable and accept full responsibility for their actions.

Why is it important to be held accountable?

Accountability in one’s life can be a blessing rather than a curse. When you are able to open up and be honest with another man, you will learn that he understands you or has gone through similar problems in his life. God teaches us an effective lesson in the book of 1 Peter that says, “Resist Him (the enemy), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” -1 Peter 5:9.

This verse tells us to remove signs of selfishness and to be more open to sharing our heart, fears and struggles with other men.

Why is it important to hold other men accountable?

It is clear in our culture that men are dying, spiritually, and a lot of it has to do with the pressures of this world. Most men are not willing to talk or share their feelings and that is why we must have a heart to help other men. Hebrews gives us a good idea of what holding other men accountable should look like; “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” -Hebrews 10:24-25.

What better way to keep your own hypocoristic in check than being responsible for sharpening another man?

WHETSTONE is more than just accountability, it’s about sharpening another man and sharpening yourself. A knife is sharpened by a whetstone. While water is used to lubricate the whetstone prior to sharpening that is not where the “whet” part comes from. To whet actually means to sharpen, like with a man’s appetite and his curiosity. In other words, to whet both blade and man is to put an edge on, with a result that is sharp, dynamic and ready to cut. The unsharpened man is dull and lethargic, in-effective as a leader and ill-prepared for the obstacles he will face in his life.

WHETSTONE partnerships are not for everyone. Like most things in life, you’ll get out what you put it. And in order to truly benefit you need to be committed to your partner. Hard looks and straight talk, tempered by love, get results. Sharpening does not happen by accident. It must be done with deliberate relationship between two men who set out to see it happen.

Like the Shield Lock, the WHETSTONE relationship that is subject to the 3P to be effective: Proximity, Purposeful and Periodic.

  • Proximity – although phone and email are good, it does not replace physical meeting where you can look each other in the eye. It is strongly encourage it find a partner that you can meet face to face.
  • Purposeful – WHETSTONE is not a bi-weekly social gathering, meetings should be tactful, well thought out, honest and with a particular outcome in mind.
  • Periodic – there is no set rule for frequency, but it must be frequent enough to be effective but not too frequent to be overburdening. Every other week seems to be a good cadence.

SO WHAT IS WHETSTONE?

  • WHETSTONE is a committed relationship between two men. One (the Stone) serves as a mentor to the other (the Blade), you can serve as both Stone and Blade in most partnerships.
  • Although the Stone and Blade may indeed be friends, the WHESTONE differs from a typical friendship. The purpose of the WHETSTONE is the deliberate sharpening effort in helping men to hone the skills and character qualities that comprise the High Impact Man (HIM) he is called to be.
  • As with anything F3, WHETSTONE is free, voluntary, at-your-own-risk, and you can modify as needed.

CALL TO ACTION

The Fort and the Rock Regions are joint re-launching WHETSTONE will the purposeful intent of encouraging PAX to honestly evaluate their current life situation and ask themselves why you aren’t a part of WHETSTONE?

WHETSTONE will officially relaunch on mid_April, be on the lookout for a follow-up PreBlast with additional info on a 1st & 3rd F Convergence, how to sign up for WHETSTONE, and changes to the support structure for WHETSTONE.

Starting examining yourself, think about pax you’d think you’d want to be in a WHETSTONE partnership and talk with fellow pax.

Give us a follow on twitter @F3FortWHETSTONE and @F3RockWhetstone

Until then, mull on these quotes from a few pax who have been engaged in a WHETSTONE partnership:

“If you’re not actively participating in a Whetstone relationship, you’re still in the kiddie pool when it comes to the 2nd F.”

“A man can improve all aspects of live with perspective through council.”

“At a time in my life when I have had so many disruptions and setbacks personally, I could not have imagined how much more my struggle would be without my whetstone partner. There have been times in the last two years that I have been in despair, confused, sad, defeated, depressed, etc. My whetstone partner got in the ditch with me where it was bad. He encouraged me. He prayed with me, for me, and for my family. He helped me keep my faith when my faith was weak. He sent me encouraging Bible verses, he did not judge. I think the greatest gift sometime of a whetstone partner is to just listen. And allow that person to talk. To build trust and confidence that what is said is confidential. There are things in life sometimes that happen that you don’t feel like talking to with a family member or a work friend or sharing at COT. The whetstone partner allows all to be said if it’s working the correct way in my opinion.”

“My whetstone partner has helped me keep a focus on raising my kids, keeping faith, staying focused, and not giving up!”

“it’s comforting and challenging to know there is a close friend who is going to ask me the tough questions about where I struggle in life, and they’re not afraid to ask.”

“Having another man in your life that you can speak with freely and share your highs and lows and walk with through life is important and specifically addressed in Scripture. This world throws a lot at us and it’s important to have people in your life that can shine light on the shadows and encourage, challenge, and walk together through this life.”

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15

3rd F – Sharpening our Leadership through an Abiding Relationship

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  • QIC: Chickens Hawk and Orange Crush
  • When: 02/20/2018
  • Posted In: 3rdF, Convergence

Open to all Pax in The Fort, Rock Hill, Metro, Area 51, Gastonia and beyond!!!

@ Forest Hill Fort Mill (2099 Carolina Place Drive, Fort Mill SC 29708)

@6:15 AM – 7:00 AM

Join a 3rd F panel :   Rocky Fleming, Bryan Craig  and Glenn Gordon (moderated by myself)

Theme:

“How does learning to have an abiding relationship in Christ impact our ability to be an effective leader?”

Join in the discussion with a group of men that have been intentional in their walks to figure out what it means to have an abiding relationship with Christ and what that looks like in everyday life.  These men will share what their path has looked like as they have learned how to down this and most importantly how this has helped them be a more effective leader in their homes, workplaces and community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to #ISI and take another step toward being a #HIM

NOTE:  Rocky Fleming and Bryan Craig are founder and Executive director at influencers (www.influencers.org) and we are privileged to have them with us to share their story to help sharpen us.

Aye!

CH

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11

THE PAX OF FORT PLEDGES TO HELP ANOTHER BROTHER AND HIS FAMILY OUT

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Its Christmas time and the word of the month is giving so I am asking if you would take moments pray about giving to help a fellow pax. Last year Stang got the Fort and the Rock pax to donate gift cards, cash and presents for me and my family.  This was huge for me and my family, with that  being said I feel the need to help a fellow pax and give back. I have been in touch with our pax of the Fort looking for someone to help out. This morning in COT it was mentioned by Destiny that a fellow pax’s son has just been diagnosed with leukemia and his wife is pregnant with twins. Then again Ginsu and Rock thrill had a tweet about it and come to find out it is an Area51  pax named Bout time his sons name is Jennings. This hits close to home and just knew this is who we need to help this year. a few

If I have never had the pleasure of posting with you in the Gloom I would like to take a second and share my story, Dec 2015 on Christmas eve my 2.5 year old daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia ALL Type B, on Christmas day she had surgery to have a port installed and her first 3 rounds of chemo. We spent Christmas in the hospital and I broke down never cried so hard in my life. I reached out to God prayed that everything will be okay and about 10 min later after the took my daughter back for surgery he answered my pray because a peace just came over me and heard the words its going to be okay.  The last 2 years have been a hard 2 years with ups and downs but also have enlightened me, allowed me to get closer to God.  It also allowed me to become apart of F3 with out the men of this group not sure where I would be mentally and physically today. I like to thank you for the push the words of encouragement.

 

I am asking pax to give what your heart tells you. Prayers gift cards, cash etc. I have seen what awesome pax you can be when challenged to give you all always go above and beyond.

See your site Q’s for collections and or Dark helmet , Stang, Witch hunt, Royale and Cornerstone, we want to wrap it up by 12/22/17

 

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Proverbs 18:16

A gift opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

 

Thanks Again HIMS

Cornerstone

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2017 Paradise Turkey Giveaway

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What an amazing day! The main goal for this year’s turkey giveaway was to further connect with the Paradise community. Paradise is an underprivileged black neighborhood in Fort Mill, SC.

We blessed the beautiful people of the Paradise community with over 160 turkeys, 120 homemade cupcakes (courtesy of Barry Manilow’s family) and 320 slices of pizza. All supplies were depleted within the first hour of the event.

Hundreds of families from Paradise and F3 were in attendance. Our fellowship was incredible.  #HIMs of F3 were true gentlemen and carried turkeys for the women and the elderly of the neighborhood. They were flattered by the kindness of the men of F3 and our willingness to serve.

One reason why so many families from the neighborhood attended this event is because of F3’s  consistent presence in the community. Our weekly workouts called G-Fit (aka Get Fit) helped us build relationships with the local families. Being constantly present builds trust, removes social divisions and helps us to live out the “Golden Rule” of loving our neighbors.

A young man named Vincent who lives in Paradise attended the event. Vincent was born and raised in community. Earlier this year, he referred to F3 as “them” or “those guys.” He mentioned F3 in a respectful way but it was clear that the Pax was viewed as “outsiders” from the Paradise community. He took the initiative to help distribute flyers for the turkey giveaway. Vincent connected us with several influential leaders in the neighborhood. During the event, he carried turkeys to the cars of women and the elderly. Vincent helped to clean-up after the event. When we debriefed at the end of the event, Vincent stopped referring to F3 as “them” and referred to F3 as “us.” He said unabashedly that “I am in support for F3 because F3 is here for us.”

Vincent’s story highlights what it takes to make a positive impact in underprivileged neighborhoods. We must meet people where they are and then address their needs. At the event, several parents in the community asked if the men of F3 can mentor their children.

Mentoring in the Paradise community is now our top priority. We will be intentional about creating opportunities to mentor the children. As we mentor we will teach life skills. A turkey giveaway provides the people of Paradise with a meal for a couple of days. Mentoring and teaching children of poverty life skills will show them how to provide meals for themselves for life.

This year’s turkey giveaway deepened F3’s impact and relationship with the families in Paradise. Your support made this event possible. Thank you for supplying turkeys. We appreciate your prayers and contributions toward the event. Most of all, T-Claps for your servant leadership in our underprivileged communities.

See pictures from the turkey giveaway here: https://goo.gl/72uEcp

Peace,

Deacon

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