Why Does Fatherhood Matter?

Why Does Fatherhood Matter?

What is fatherhood? Is it merely being a male that shares responsibility for creating a child? Or is it deeper than biology? ​

If you do a quick search on the definition of “father”, Google will tell you the term refers to the relationship between a man and his child. But what defines that relationship?  What is a father’s role in that relationship? And how does this relationship impact children and society as a whole?

Statistics have time and time again shown us that there is a direct correlation between absent fathers and increased rates of behavioral disorders, poverty, abuse, poor educational performance, and more. While the reasoning for this is complex, when fathers (or father figures) are not present, children can face tremendous uphill battles in life.  Conversely, when a dad is present, children have the ability to flourish. 

What does the Bible say about this role and relationship? God is clear about His requirements, men are to love, protect, disciple, and provide for their families. He holds men to a high standard due to the importance of their role in the home – and how it can impact an entire community. God holds fathers accountable for how they lead (or fail to lead) their family. Ultimately, a father’s job is to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father. He is to model grace, mercy, justice, joy, and care so that when we look at him, we see the grace of God, the mercy of God, the justice of God, the joy of God, and the care of God.​​​​

As we read through God’s Word, we see time and time again God display His heart for the fatherless. With no father figure to reflect the heart of a Heavenly Father – some believe the tragic lie that God Himself is absent or lacks compassion.  As followers of Christ, we know this isn’t true.  In fact, we know the Lord has a special place in His heart for the fatherless.  May this motivate our Man Up and Go family to continue forward with this message – God is here, God cares, and there is place for the fatherless in the family of God.

-The Man Up Team

Celebrating the Life of a True Servant Leader.

One of the greatest calls for a man is to be a servant leader. We see this throughout the Scriptures, and we see it perfectly displayed in the life of Christ. Why is this such an important role for us to play? Because we are commanded to walk like Christ! To seek first the Kingdom of God, to put others ahead of ourselves, knowing that the last shall be first.

Men have a responsibility to lead in our communities. Not just to lead though — to lead by example. To serve those in need and to meet people where they are.

One of the best examples we know of servant leadership in action is this man, Rick Sadorf.​​

Rick began serving with Man Up and Go several years ago – setting up Christmas lights for single foster moms, doing landscaping projects, and cooking and delivering meals with his amazing wife Barb. An attorney and CPA by day, Rick put on his Jesus cape by night, advocating for the fatherless whenever he could.

Recently (and suddenly) Rick went home to be with the Lord. As surprising as it was, it gave us the opportunity to rename our “Man of the Year Award” to the “Rick Sadorf Award” – which was presented to Barb last week.​

We need more men like Rick Sadorf in the world, and this is where we’re calling on you . . . be a mentor, serve a meal, sponsor a fatherless child, go on a trip . . . all these are ways you can “Man Up” by lowering yourself to serve those in need.​

For more information on mentoringclick HERE.

For more information on serving foster familiesclick HERE.

For more information on sponsoring a childclick HERE.

For more information on Impact Tripsclick HERE.

-The Man Up Team

Come Join the fight for the Fatherless!

Every year our Man Up 100 cohorts host their New Term Launch where we gather together to fellowship, share wins, share new serve opportunities, and enroll more men who are looking to join the fight!​​

If you are looking to get involved with Man Up 100 this is the gathering that you cannot miss. You will be more informed on our local system of care and the roll that you can play in supporting the foster/adoptive families in our AAF program.

Here are the links for the launches:

– The Man Up Team

MAN UP RAGBRAI 2022

MAN UP RAGBRAI 2022

RABGRAI 2022 is another one for the books!  Every year Man Up sends out a team of avid bike riders to represent our mission to fight for the fatherless. Here is what one of our RAGBRAI veterans had to say about this year’s trip:

“One thing that struck me this year is the friendships that we have built on RAGBRAI. We caught up with Anita about her grandkids and Steve about his sons and their PB & J business. We talked a lot with our Air Force buddies and on and on. After riding this event 9 times, I now feel like I am going home every summer to meet up with my old friends for a week. That’s pretty special.”

Here is a quick run down from one of our trip leaders:

Small but strong team.

I ran over kyson at 23 mph, possibly fracturing a rib or two but he rode all 464 miles.

Jimmy literally couldn’t walk through towns because of his back but finished every mile.

Jeff and juicy pulled whoever needed it throughout the week. 

Jimmy, kyson and I all rode our first century ride on Wednesday at 103 miles.

The Air Force team is awesome and they love us.

The RV only sustained minor damage when my dad and I had a disagreement.  It was repaired before we returned it. 

Juicy kept our bikes rolling (even after having to do some roadside repairs after kyson and I crashed). 

We have a lot of friends that we see every year on the ride. 

Food was great.

We witnessed the finest pro wrestling that Olwein, IA has to offer.  One of the wrestlers chased kyson after he called the guy fat.  

PB peddlers owner (Steve) loves your emails and supports us.  Gave us free water all week. 

Weather couldn’t have been any better.  Cool and tailwind every day.

My dad gave his very first devo. 

Iowa is awesome.

-The Man Up Team

A MAN UP SUCCESS STORY

What does it mean to be a Man?

​We believe that Dan Tengo shares the answer to that question in this short snippet from his interview in Jinja, Uganda. Our goal is to disciple men to be who God created them to be. This impacts the entire family unit as well as the community. When men live out their God given responsibilities, women, children, and communities flourish! 

Click the picture below to view Dan’s encouraging testimony.

– The Man Up Team

Authentic Masculinity & Discipleship

Working with young men who have aged out of the foster care system does not bring the instant gratification we secretly desire when we look to help others. Feeding a homeless man or buying a backpack for a child living in poverty produces immediate, tangible results that provide the giver with immediate hits of dopamine. These aren’t intrinsically bad (and food scarcity is an important topic to address), but if the only reason we serve is because we want the personal benefits of serving, then we have missed the mark Jesus has for us.

Discipleship isn’t about immediacy or necessarily even how it makes us feel. It’s actually about doing what Jesus told us to do – “Go and make disciples…” – something that we oftentimes overcomplicate or overthink because making disciples is messy. Entering into the life of another is time consuming, emotionally draining, and can be financially burdensome. Tack on the fact that we don’t even know if we’re a very good disciple ourselves, and it’s a lot easier to take a pass on the whole discipleship thing.

Thankfully there is a really easy way to share the good news about Jesus with others – go have a meal together.

That’s what we did last month with some of the young men in our Authentic Masculinity Program. We went to a restaurant, ate some food, and talked about life. Dating, marriage, fatherhood, meal etiquette, were all conversations we had that evening. The food was great, the atmosphere was a little fancier than (all of us!) we’re used to, but the questions, the answers, the listening, the affirming, the nodding, the caring, the sharing – that’s what the evening was all about. There wasn’t a program or curriculum (not that there’s anything wrong with those) – it was just being human together.

The long term effects of our interactions with these young men are unknown. But make no mistake – the discipleship process is happening. For those who are taking seriously Jesus’ words, the immediate benefit comes in the increased intimacy we have with the Savior. As for the long term results? They’re in the hands of Jesus.

If you are interested in being a part of this incredible program please click here to apply.

Installation Celebration!

A roof is one of the most important parts of the home. “I put a roof over your head” is a common phrase for almost any parent that ever existed. Why is that? Well, we aren’t architects but we do know that protection from storms, weather damage, and more are basic needs for any family. Yet, when your roof starts having issues, that basic need becomes a costly one.

Arry’s Roofing has a kindred spirit to that of Man Up and Go, so it was a no-brainer for us to partner together and meet the need of one of the families enrolled in our Adopt A Family program. 

Our foster families sacrifice so much to care and love on the children in their homes. As they invest countless hours into their children they also have doctors appointments, case managers coming in, therapy appointments, and the list goes on. The least we can do is take care of the mountainous task or repairing or replacing a roof. 

​That is where Arry’s Roofing comes in! They generously gifted an entire roof to the family and through an installation celebration. Click below to watch our Celebration Installation video.

New Man Up and Go Team Members!

As Man Up Tampa Bay grows, so does our need for more hands on deck. Our Adopt A Family program and our Man Up 100 program would not run without our MUTB Coordinator. This is why Gabby Shatto’s arrival was key! She has a history in event planning, a love for Jesus, and has been utilizing that gift since she walked through our doors. We are so thankful for how ready she is to serve and help in anyway possible. Gabby is truly a servant leader and has remained positive even in the midst of joining our organization while we were planning events, transitioning staff, and managing events/trips. We are excited for how Gabby will coordinate our families and members, and for her expertise as we throw events for the organization and our families.

For the past 3 years, Man Up and Go has been growing one team member at a time. We have added on an Executive Assistant, Digital Storyteller, and Programs Director. In 2021, we set out to make sure our organization is running as efficiently as possible to glorify the Lord with how we steward His organization. In 2022, we began the search for a Chief of Operations. This person had to have not only the skills of a COO but a heart for the fatherless and the Lord! As time passed it became clear who that person was. She was in our midst the whole time! One of our prized board members, Stephanie Shermeta. Stephanie has spent over a decade in ministry, she has lived overseas, she has been a pivotal board member for Man Up and Go, and she has been a faithful sister in Christ. We hope you will give Stephanie a huge congratulations when you see her at any of our Man Up and Go gatherings or events. We are so thankful for God’s work in her life and we are excited for what God is has in store for us at Man Up and Go.

Uganda 2022 Impact Trip

It has been a couple years since our Man Up Team has been able to visit our partners overseas. This year, we were adamant about making it out there!

After 25+ hours of traveling to Uganda we were excited to visit all of our friends in the cities of Jinja, Pallisa, Bulangira, Kibuku, and more. We spent time playing with the children at Jaas Junior School, sang worship songs with the children at Ebenezer, and we updated some of the beautiful pictures of the boys and girls in our Kerith Child Sponsorship Program.

The men on our team visited the men in our Authentic Masculinity Program and the men who have graduated the program as well. They popped by some of the businesses to see how God has blessed these men through the ministry of Man Up. As they visited the men they realized some of the men are putting their own personal gains together to help families in their community. This is an encouragement to us to seek how we can help our neighbors for the glory of God.

The women had an opportunity to share at the women’s conference in Jinja, support the women’s fair trade program, and they had a blast with all the children at Jaas Junior School.

If you are interested in joining us on one of our Impact Trips to the DR or Africa please reach out to us at info@manupandgo.org.

Adoption Shoutout! (MUTB)

One of the incredible families in our AAF program just adopted their son! We are so honored to be a part of this family’s journey as they foster a loving and healthy home for their children. God is the author of adoption. This is a true reflection of what it looks like to not only treat someone with love and care but to actually bring them into your home and make them family! We praise the Lord for what He is doing through the Slavik family.