LONGWOOD, FL-Today, the United States has more boys and young men locked up in juvenile institutions, jails, prisons, and mental hospitals than any other nation on earth. Ninety percent of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. Males make up the majority of HIV positive; physically abused, neglected and murdered children; foster kids awaiting adoption; and alcoholics and drug addicts in need of treatment.1Amid the whirlwind impact these troubling trends have on American society, we are left to wonder just who is going to guide our boys, especially fatherless boys, on their journey to manhood?
The charge put forth in a new bookÑEvery Man's a Mentor-states that men must step up to the plate and mentor these boys. Mentoring is a huge key to rescuing the American family, a truly powerful prescription for societyÕs ills. It is essential to nurture the future man inside each one of them, to help shape each boy into the husband, father, and man God made him to be.
Author Sam Mehaffie encourages readers to make a positive impact on their son, their grandson, their nephew, and on being a life-changing influence to the many fatherless boys in our churches and neighborhoods. This teaching doesn't just take place in Sunday school or in church. This teaching takes place in the home, at the ball field, in the car, sharing a pizza, at the store, walking together, and even through menÕs relationships with their wives. These are the places where a boy learns the lessons of life and self and God, where he learns who he is in God's plan and where he fits. In Every Man's a Mentor, Reaching Our Boys (October, $13.99, 1-59781-484-9) Mehaffie writes with firsthand knowledge. Coming from a broken home, he experienced what he terms a "hole in his soul." He knows what it feels like when a father walks out on the family, and he credits mentors for helping to shape his life. Mehaffie's heart breaks for the millions of boys who are not guided on their journey to manhood. He shares his life experiences, stories, and quite a few of the boy's stories (keeping their real names protected). Boys are crying out for positive, affirming male role models in their lives today. The author believes that men have the answer to the heart-cry of today's boys: we must reach out to them if we expect to change the next generation. This book actually teaches men and men's ministry groups not only how to answer that cry, but also how to ignite a flame in every man's heart to reach out to our boys. Every Man's a Mentor can change the next generation by producing an army of men willing to take the time to mentor the boys around them.
"The greatest spiritual and sociological problem in our country is the lack of godly fathers and role models. Sam's book provides the map to take us from disintegration to deliverance. This is a must-read for every man who wants to make a difference."
-Bryan Davis, Director, All Pro Dads
"After reading his book, I'm convinced Sam will equip you with excellence as you mentor others."
-Dr. Ken Canfield, National Center for Fathering
Sam Mehaffie has worked with boys for more than 25 years as a basketball coach, youth pastor, and mentor. He founded Saving Our Boys, a ministry that challenges and teaches men to be mentors to our boys, especially boys without fathers. He also helps churches to set up mentoring programs. Mehaffie served four years in the Air Force. He was the VP of sales at The Benson Company in Nashville, Tennessee, and now owns his own sales and marketing company, called Royal Marketing, which he started in 1980. He and his wife, Darlene, have two children, five grandchildren, four foster sons, and a late-in-life addition, David. To learn more about Mehaffie's ministry visit www.savingourboys.org.
Xulon Press, a part of Salem Communications Corporation, is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 3,900 titles published to date. Retailers may order Every Man's a Mentor through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. Salem Communications is the country's leading Christian communications company with interests in radio, Internet, and magazine publishing.
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2007