This guide represents Group Events that we have used in the past or recommend to provide a platform for great fun and depth within the relationships being built in your Braid. Outside of the first Group Event, some of these activities can be interchanged or used in other Focus Points so long as the message and intention for that Focus Point remains.
Each Focus Point has a specific theme, i.e., Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength, Loving Others, and Own It. Whatever event you choose, it should connect with that theme and challenge guys mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Throughout the Challenge, apart from Group Event 1, you can develop your own event or activity, so long as you can tie it to the lesson and message for the Focus Point. Below you will see events listed, some with an “ * ” beside it, which represents a Blood Brothers favorite. If the favored events don’t work for you, no problem, use the demographic of your braid to select an event that best fits your Braid.
With that said, Group Event 1 is a staple and should not be altered. This event, when lead authentically, is the beginning of a deep and authentic brotherhood.
Both Group Event 5 and 6 are activities that allow for variety and creativity for your Braid. As the season ends, both events are important and may require more planning and detail to help make them remarkable, which will help sear the spiritual progress into each of their hearts.
The end of the day, here is the thing, fun is a gift from God that makes everything better. Guys tend to shy away from “fun” as they could fill their plates with more productive activities. Doing activities together that inspire laughter, comradery, and challenge helps bring guys together, out of their comfort zones and build depth in their relationships. Think about this aspect as you are setting up activities for your Braid. Some of the following events may be difficult for you to duplicate; do your best to get guys out of their comfort zones with an event that best fits your Braid’s circumstances and demographics.
We encourage you to reach out with ideas or thoughts regarding new events or activities as we continue to expand and hone this resource.
It is recommended that you do not deviate from the event listed below and in your Guidebook for Group Event #1.
Group Event Preparation: This is the launch of the Challenge and sets the stage for what these guys are going to be expecting the next 6 months. Do your best to utilize a space or area for the Group Event that the guys aren’t used to and is as private as you can make it. This event is huge for getting guys to open up, so ensure you are in a space where people can’t overhear and allows guys to speak freely.
Prepare Your Guide Story: What does this lesson mean to you? Again, you will be leading by example, so dig in here and pray over it. Watch Lesson One Video at least once, preferably a couple of times. After preparing your guide story, write out a couple open ended questions to ask the guys after they watch the video.
Examples:
Purpose and Intent: Knock the walls down. This challenge is hands down, the most effective tool for getting guys to know one another. It starts with fun and lighthearted stories that will reveal who a guy really is and what he values. You will begin to see parts of his perceived identity. In the second half, often times wounds that have shaped him will be revealed which will begin to tear down some walls that have led them to be who they are today. Collectively the shared experience creates an atmosphere that many guys have never experienced.
Guide Post:
Event Details: Manly Name Game Activity Details – Part One:
Manly Name Game Activity Details - Part 2: Ok, now it’s time to get real. You’ve talked about things that puff us up as men; now ask them to reveal the least manly moment they are willing to share, a time when they ultimately failed to be the man they know they should have been.
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: This event can be held either inside or outside depending on location. If you plan on being outside, make sure you have a contingency plan if the weather changes. A secondary location indoors is recommended.
Tips From The Field: Sometimes guys will wait for others to take the lead. Be ready to lay it out there; this often gives permission to others to do the same and start unveiling a little bit of who they are. Everyone won’t necessarily dig in, but look for those who do and commend them on doing so.
Group Event Preparation: There is a good chance that this Group Event Activity will be happening at a different location from your first Group Event. Be sure to ensure you have everything ready and planned out. There are a few possible events to choose from outside of the BB recommended activity. Some can and will require planning ahead. Again, do this a week or two in advance as unforeseen things can come up and it’s good to have a buffer to plan accordingly.
Prepare Your Guide Story: Another lesson, another video. Take some time to watch the video a time or two to prepare your thoughts in regard to how it impacted you. Do your best to ask open ended questions as some guys will gladly opt for the yes or no to prevent going deeper.
Purpose and Intent:This is a fun, unique, and engaging way to get fellas to loosen up. This challenge will bring out some competitiveness and continue to forge relationships as the men in your Braid work in teams to win. Ultimately it is also a great platform to discuss how we can leverage our talents and strengths as we walk in our purpose.
Guide Post: Observing how a man approaches the challenge reveals great insights. Everything from the invite, leading up to the event and participation in the event. Listen to how guys communicate amongst themselves and personally with you. Some guys may have never done this before, which is a great opportunity to lean into as being put in an uncomfortable position can lead to depth in other areas of their life. Speak about how guys work together as a team and ask questions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their teammates. Were some guys able to be lead vs usually leading? Lean into some of these areas and see if you can take the conversation deeper.
Often, you may lose a guy or two after the first event; although unfortunate, that’s ok. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Certainly, encourage them to come, but be willing and ready to let them go. Jesus never begged anyone to follow Him. With that said, don’t give up on them. It’s not unlikely that he’ll try again next year and be in a better position to take on the challenge and receive the blessings that ensue.
Event Details:
Sandbag Portage and Canoe Race:
Canoe Battle: The same teams of three will compete in a round-robin style canoe jousting tournament.
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
Items Needed:
Steps:
Expectable Conditions: Weather in the summer months means there’s a chance that you could have some thunderstorms during the Group Event. Make a plan B in case of lightning or some seriously unsafe condition; otherwise, plan on getting wet. Everyone’s calendars are full, so rescheduling an event is typically not an option. These are men, and this is the Everyman Challenge - don’t be afraid to put that out there. We live in a culture that tends to postpone when conditions aren’t perfect - move on
Tips From The Field: Smaller ponds or rivers may not be conducive for a race, so get creative. Placing buoys made from jugs with a weight tied to it can be a good way to create a course of doing a couple of laps. Also, it adds some fun to make the guys switch positions at a turnaround point. This will typically cause a boat or two to flip.
Event Details:
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: Be sure to call ahead as they should take reservations and if it’s a popular spot you will have to be creative in how you put two teams against each other. Some places may have rooms to rent where you can meet up before and after but be sure to plan around that where you can.
Tips From The Field: You will likely be in a crowded environment for this activity. Do your best to separate from that before and after to give guys the privacy they need to dig in with the group. Setting up food for this event may be difficult too, so plan accordingly to having your group get lunch or dinner somewhere together or make sure they get a bite to eat beforehand. Any chance you get to have time together though, take it!
Event Details:
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: Be sure to call ahead as they should take reservations and if it’s a popular spot you will have to be creative in how you put two teams against each other. Some places may have rooms to rent where you can meet up before and after but be sure to plan around that where you can.
Tips From The Field: You will likely be in a crowded environment for this activity. Do your best to separate from that before and after to give guys the privacy they need to dig in with the group. Setting up food for this event may be difficult too, so plan accordingly to having your group get lunch or dinner somewhere together or make sure they get a bite to eat beforehand. Any chance you get to have time together though, take it!
Group Event Preparation: Competition is a catalyst for fun, and it's great when you can do it outside. This month there are a few possible events that require getting outside in God’s creation. Having access to a park, field, or property can be huge for setting up a successful event. Line this up as soon as you can. You don’t want to try to find a place at the last minute.
Prepare Your Guide Story: This Focus Point is all about the mind and stepping outside of your comfort zone to reveal some deeper truths and just have some fun. Watch the lesson video and dig in personally, how does this video make you reflect on your own life. Use this thought to lean into the guys and some of what they take away from this month’s lesson.
Purpose and Intent: It seems like many guys have forgotten how to have fun. Fun is a gift from God, and it makes everything better. There’s a healthy dose of fun, concern, and combat that relates well with this month’s lesson making an impact that will stick with them for years to come.
Guide Post: There is a chance you will have some guys who have never played or participated in an event like the ones listed in this month's Group Event. Encourage them to dig deep and see how God can use this event to speak to them. Often God will show up in some of the most unlikely places.
Inevitably, a guy or two won’t make this event due to vacation or some other event. That’s ok. Be prepared to work with the men that you have. By now, you have your core group, and these are the guys that you need to pour into.
Event Details: If you are using a paintball venue, they usually have a referee that facilitates the games. See if you can speak with this person before everyone else shows up. Let him know you would like to set up a couple of games in a way that will facilitate conversation. A brief synopsis of the lesson will help the referees understand, and often they will have some great contributing ideas for games or scenarios.
Here are some games and scenarios that have worked well in the past:
Ambush:
First Game: Capture the Flag
Second Game: Protect your Burdened Brother
Other game and scenario options:
Elimination: Teams compete until there is no one left
Zombie: Only head shots count
VIP: One guy is the VIP, with a few men assigned as his bodyguards. The VIP does not get a gun and the bodyguards have to escort him without being hit. Optional rules only headshots take out a bodyguard, or the bodyguard is invincible and remains in the game even after being hit.
Civil War: A favorite to end the event. Teams line up in a line facing the other team with about 30 feet separating teams. Evenly space players by having them place a hand on the shoulder of the guy next to him. Designate a team to shoot first – the whole team fires one round simultaneously. Now, the team that was just shot at takes aim and fires. Anyone hit steps out. Teams again re-space to arm's length apart, and both teams take one giant step towards each other. First team shoots, second team shoots. Hit guys leave, re-space lines, and take another step closer. Repeat till the last poor soul gets blasted by the other team standing in an intimidating line across from him.
Things Needed Besides Amenities: If you’re not going to use a paintball venue, which is recommended, you’ll need to either rent or borrow enough paintball gear for each man. Having a few extras on hand is always a good idea; it seems like there’s always something that doesn’t work right. Extra masks, tanks, and guns keep the evening moving. Have a cooler with plenty of cold drinks as it will most likely be hot, and this is an intense, physical event.
Items Needed:
If not using venue:
Expectable Conditions: Again, weather in the summer months means there’s a chance that you will have some thunderstorms during the Group Event. Make a plan B in case of lightning or some seriously unsafe condition, but otherwise, plan on getting wet. These are men, and this is the Everyman Challenge - don’t be afraid to put that out there. We live in a culture that tends to postpone when conditions aren’t perfect - Move on!
Tips From The Field: Paintball masks will FOG UP. Bring defogger, cleaner and plenty of paper towels.
If you are playing in the woods and your event is in the evening, you will be racing the clock for daylight. You will want to begin this event as early as possible, or light will allow very little time for paintball. Have everything set and ready, get the video lesson going right away, and plan on the referee taking 15 minutes or more to give a safety talk and outfit the team. The setup can drain a lot of time from actual playtime. Ask the ref to help you manage it so you can not only play but also have good discussion at the water breaks between games.
Event Details: You will need access to a park or baseball field. Line this up as soon as you can. You do not want to try to find a place at the last minute.
Depending on location, ensure that the right equipment is utilized effectively.
There are 4 games in this group event and most require non-dominant hand or foot:
Home Run Derby
Furthest Throw
Most Accurate Throw
Fastest Around The World
Things Needed Besides Amenities: This is very dependent on location and or facilities used. Be sure to plan ahead according to where you will be as some locations can have all the supplies and some will have none at all.
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: Again, weather in the summer months means there’s a chance that you will have some thunderstorms during the Group Event. Make a plan B in case of lightning or some seriously unsafe condition, but otherwise, plan on getting wet. These are men, and this is the Everyman Challenge - don’t be afraid to put that out there. We live in a culture that tends to postpone when conditions aren’t perfect - Move on!
Some guys may be used to athletic activities, some guys may not, but you can guarantee most aren’t used to playing or competing with their non dominant hand or side. Look at how they face this challenge throughout the competition and group event.
Tips from Field: If you are playing on a field and your event is in the evening, you will be racing the clock for daylight. You will want to begin this event as early as possible, or light will allow very little time to get through all the events. Have everything set and ready, get the video lesson going right away. The setup can drain a lot of time from actual playtime. Make sure to plan for discussion between events. Guys will probably be joking around and talking about how hard it is or how bad they are. Lean into this during breaks.
Event Details:
Option 1: Best Shooter (Pistol)
Option 2: Best Shooter (Rifle)
Option 3: Best Shooter (Off-hand)
Option 4: Speed Challenge
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: Be sure to call ahead as they should take reservations and if it’s a popular spot you will have to be creative in how you put two teams against each other. Some places may have rooms to rent where you can meet up before and after but be sure to plan around that where you can.
Tips from Field: You will likely be in a crowded environment for this activity. Do your best to separate from that before and after to give guys the privacy they need to dig in with the group.
This will likely get competitive and fun. Lean into that as most of these guys haven't done anything like this in their normal lives.
Guys are looking for brothers to do life with; the majority of guys don’t have that.
Setting up food for this event may be difficult too, so plan accordingly to having your group get lunch or dinner somewhere together or make sure they get a bite to eat beforehand. Any chance you get to have time together though, take it!
Group Event Preparation: This group event activity is going to take some planning ahead on your part. A good amount of planning ahead can go a long way to making sure you have a remarkable event. More than likely, you have a solid group of guys who understand what is going on and are looking forward to what is next. This event allows for a lot of creativity, which is why planning ahead can be important.
Prepare Your Guide Story: All too often when strength is mentioned, you see some guys immediately puff out their chest. A lot of guys put a lot of value or identity in their strength. After watching this month's lesson video, break this down in your own life and speak into how true strength comes from being vulnerable and shedding light on the weaknesses in your life. Trusting your brothers to know you and help you along in times of need.
Purpose and Intent: This challenge is going to force some of the guys to trust those around them in a way that few have ever experienced. This event is the one where we often see the “macho guys” or the “control freaks” break down and realize they have significant pride, arrogance, and fear issues. The desired result is to see guys surrender further in their pursuit of Christ with a greater trust in Him and those God has put in their lives.
Guidepost: This month's events are great for building even more trust between the guys. They will have to potentially forfeit an area where they feel strong to let another guy lead through it. This will show how comfortable guys are in letting others lead and how comfortable some are at having to follow.
Event Details:
Obstacle Course Event Details:
Wounded Teammate
Riverwalk/Wilderness Event Details:
NOTE: Be certain that all safety precautions are taken. For instance, don’t assume everyone can swim. If swimming, consider floatation devices and a rescue swimmer to monitor the participants.
Things Needed Besides Amenities:
You will need to have access to a park, river, or wooded area that can be used for the obstacle course or river walk.
Plan for the guys to get wet so suggest bringing an extra change of clothes.
Will need access to a power source for watching the lesson video. A portable TV will be good for this if possible, as well.
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: If you are doing the Group Event in the evening, know that it will get dark sooner, so ensure that you have adequate time to perform the event. Not that the event can’t be done in the dark, the guys will just need head lamps.
Weather is another factor in an outdoor event. Unless it is storming, plan for the guys to get wet.
Tips from Field: If you have access to a river with a place to launch canoes, this is typically a great location. Work down the river to a designated location where the teams may need to swim, crawl, hike or climb a difficult path. If you are using a wooded area, look for an area with difficult terrain to utilize.
For this activity guys will be constructing boats out of cardboard and tape. You will need access to a body of water. Once they have created their boats, they will then race the boats to see what team can cross the finish line faster. Keep in mind you will most likely only have one chance to use the boats. Make sure your guys know what you’re doing before putting the boat in the water.
Event Details:
Things Needed Besides Amenities: There will be a fee to get into the arcade, keep that in mind
Items Needed: Find a place to play these games at
Expectable Condition: Some people may be really good at certain kinds of games, so make sure to get a variety of games.
This one is up to you, but we recommend the Triple G (Guys, Guns, and Grills).
Group Event Preparation: Plan to have more guys at these events than you typically have at your group events. This is all about inviting guys into the community that has been developed through the past 5 months. Plan for this accordingly with the amount of food and objects needed for the event to run smoothly.
Prepare Your Guide Story: Watch the lesson video and think about how it applies to you and your walk with Christ. How important is it to surround yourself with other men who are on the same path as you or further along than you? Reflect on this with the lesson video and ask the guys to discuss the importance of having close brothers in their life.
Purpose and Intent: Blood Brothers are challenged to bring one to two other men as their guests. One who typically wouldn’t darken the doorway of a church, and the other being someone they think would be interested in taking part in the next Everyman Challenge. These may be friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family members. The intent is to help them love others and open doors for deeper conversations.
Guidepost: Speak into this when you are with your Braid and encourage them to think about the guys in their life that could benefit from this.
Event Details: Traditionally, the group challenge for this month has been an event called Guys, Guns, and Grills. This is a fun shooting competition and can be very simple or a little more complicated, depending on your group’s abilities. Following, we share many details with you, not to increase pressure of trying on an event you may not be capable of, but with the hope that you see the heart of the event and the description will get your creative juices flowing.
A shooting competition combined with meat off the grill creates an atmosphere of all the stereotypical manly activities. Guys, Guns, and Grills, or Triple G for short, has grown into a large event at Blood Brothers headquarters. The event has five shooting stations, each run by a qualified and trained range officer. Firearms may include muzzleloaders, shotguns, handguns, rifles and unique and creative targets. Men participate in teams of 3-5, and the highest scoring team wins a prize. When shooting is complete, the men grab a plate of food and sit down for a challenging discussion. If that’s way outside of your abilities, maybe you can pull off a simple and safe trap shoot at someone’s property, which, by itself, is a ton of fun and will work just fine for a Triple G event.
Shooting is not an essential element for a great Group Event. If you elect to go a different direction, you are looking for an event that engages guys in competition and appeals to the “manly” desire he typically won’t encounter at a church event. If you have the ability to safely facilitate a shooting event, we are happy to share our range procedures and ideas, but only if you are up to, and able to, owning the responsibility of ensuring a safe and responsible event.
The event, shooting or not, should be a fun way to engage guys in the conversation that you will have with them. Understanding the guests are likely from all spiritual backgrounds and various levels of maturity, a conversation that is raw and transparent speaks to all.
Things Needed Besides Amenities: As with past events, location is key for this event. Maybe you know a guy or have a location in mind that would be great for this event.
Food is a staple here. Prepare to have some good food to grill out with and prepare for your Braid. There are potentially more guys here than normal so plan for that with the food.
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions If you are doing the Group Event in the evening, know that it will get dark sooner, so ensure that you have adequate time to perform the event.
Weather is another factor in an outdoor event.
Conversation is a factor here as there will be a lot of guys who have never experienced the depth of conversation that typically happens at an event like this.
Tips from Field: You will have an array of guys here that may not have had contact with Blood Brothers before this event. Lean into this and create an atmosphere that is accepting and promotes conversation around why guys are here and the impact of the challenge.
Purpose and Intent: Blood Brothers are challenged to bring one to two other men as their guests. One who typically wouldn’t darken the doorway of a church, and the other being someone they think would be interested in taking part in the next Everyman Challenge. These may be friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family members. The intent is to help them love others and open doors for deeper conversations.
Service work Event Details: Find a local place where your whole Braid can volunteer to help out (food pantries work great). Encourage guys to bring another player from the team to this event.
Talking point: As a Christian you are called to love others; serving is a great way to do that. In John 13 Jesus washes the disciples' feet, the dirties part of the body at that time. He tells the disciples to go and do as he has done and wash the feet of others. Figuratively speaking, what are you doing to wash people's feet? How can you do more? Dig in and talk about it.
Purpose and Intent: This challenge is going to encourage guys to communicate with each other in a way to overcome a multitude of tasks and obstacles. This activity will ensure that everyone’s strengths and weaknesses come into play. It will take more than just brawn to win this challenge, they will need to use some brains as well, and more importantly the ability to listen.
Teamwork Olympics Event Details: This one will take a little time to set up and plan, but when done correctly will really push guys outside of their comfort zones in a great way. This one contains 4 different games/competitions wrapped up into one.
These events can be done in any order, but they are all time based. You will divide your braid into teams of 3-6. The more teams you can get the more competitive the event will be which can really lead to guys engaging with each other to overcome and win. The more teams you have, the better. Encourage them to all start at different events as some teams will try to steal ideas and learn from other teams to beat their times. Each team will have 5-10 minutes at each station to get their best score.
Taming the Spider Details:
In this activity you will build a spider web between two poles or trees that are close together (5yds apart) out of rope. You can design this web to have as many sections as you want. The less sections, the harder it can be. Each section must be big enough for a person to fit through.
Google: Human Spider Web Icebreaker
The goal is to get your team from one side of the net to the other side of the net as fast as possible.
The rules for this challenge are:
Talking Point (Taming the Spider):
This can be tough for multiple reasons. When you get a lot of guys in a situation that requires teamwork and planning it typically leads to a clash of heads.
What were some of the problems faced? Was it hard for some guys to relinquish control while allowing others to control and lead?
Another possible issue comes from more of the smaller/lighter guys. Allowing other guys to pick you up to lift you over something can really get to a guy. Being “manhandled” so to speak isn’t the most enjoyable thing ever and can really get to some guys. Dig into that and see if there were any struggles with that.
The Knot Details:
This one requires multiple strands of rope approximately 10ft long each. Two ropes per 1 person. You will lay all of these ropes over top of each other creating an almost star pattern. The purpose is to have multiple rope crossing over and under each other. This will create a knot.
Then you will have each guy grab a piece of rope in his hand and on GO! They will have to untangle the ropes without letting go of the ones they have in their hands. They cannot switch the rope or hold two in one hand. Once all the guys are untangled the timer will stop. The fastest team of guys done first will win.
Talking Point (The Knot):
Again, we see a fight for who takes charge and who surrenders. With this one you will tend to see younger guys either just start trying to get there’s untangled with little communication or someone will try to start yelling out orders to the group. Often times the older guys in the group will wait and stand back as they can see nothing really gets done when you have little communication and a lot of action with no direction. Someone needs to take charge, get control of the group and start working through it bit by bit.
The Walk to Remember Details:
Yep, you guessed it, more rope. This one is pretty simple though. Take a piece of rope, approximately 20-30ft in length and tie it together. This will create a loop. Map out a course beforehand. The course can be any amount of length. The longer the course, the harder the challenge. You will take guys along the course until you get to the starting point. Once there, each guy will step into the loop, grab it and hold it off the ground. They will then put on a blindfold and navigate the course they just walked in the opposite direction.
The goal is for them to communicate as a team and make it back to the end point. Once the blindfold is on and you say “GO!!!” the timer will start. The fastest team to make it back to the start wins.
Talking Point (The Walk to Remember):
You will start to see a consensus with each of these events. Guys will have to be led and other guys will have to lead. There will be different reasons for each of these and as the guys go through events the struggle to surrender or submit to another man will be less and less and they put the group first. Look for this and look to engage the guys about this.
Hold your own Weight:
For this event you will need multiple strands of rope again. You will also need a circular ring, a ball and a small bucket. You will tie all of the ropes to the ring. Do your best to make sure that all of the ropes are the same length once tied to the ring.
The goal of this event is to start with a ball placed on the ring with multiple strands of rope coming out from the ring. On “Go!!” Everyone will grab a string in each hand, stand up, and proceed to carry the ball from the start point to where the small bucket is. Once they get to where the bucket is, they need to communicate and guide the ball into the bucket.
At any point if the ball falls off the ring, you have to start the entire course over.
The course can be as simple or difficult as you want, pending people are able to finish in around 60 seconds to 2 minutes.
Also, this leaves it up to you in regards of how big of ring to choose and how big of ball and bucket to choose from. There are a lot of combinations you can use that can make this challenge very easy or very difficult.
Talking Point (Hold Your Own Weight): Communication is key, how well did participants communicate during the challenge and did communication improve as they navigated the course.
Sometimes this comes down to one person taking charge and helping guide or the group working together, slowing down, and communicating to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Tips from the Field: After it is all said and done, if you want you can come up with some sort of prize for the team that won. This isn’t mandatory, but it can make it fun and make some guys work harder to ensure they win.
Also afterwards, really dig into some of the talking points listed above:
- What did your teams struggle with the most?
- Was it hard letting other guys lead?
- Was it better to let one guy lead and give orders or for each guy to chime in to help overcome the obstacle?
- Etc.
There are so many different directions you can go with this. Typically, the guys will just start sharing once you get them to open up a little.
Group Event Preparation: This is it! You have made it to the end of the challenge. But this is by no means the end. You and your men are just getting started. Use this final Group Event as a catalyst and speak into the challenge, the growth, and what it looks like to Own It, to walk out their relationship with Jesus every single day. As they and you prepare for this final event, have them reflect on what they have learned throughout this challenge and how they are going to use it in their everyday life.
Prepare Your Guide Story: Although you were the guide, more than likely God was and has been working on your heart as well through all of this. Open up and reflect on what God has shown you and how you are working through it. Opening up with the guys about this will not only help them to talk about what they realized but also just forge greater depth in the relationships that have been formed over the last 6 months.
Purpose and Intent: The intent is to have fun, but also to challenge the men mentally, physically, and spiritually in one last, give it all you got, attempt to help facilitate a vulnerable spirit for the Lord to speak into.
Guide Post: Understand that this is just a guide. We have seen great success with these activities but understand some may or may not have access to everything that is needed to replicate these activities. This is where some creativity comes into play on your end. Use your resources and reach out to us if need be, but also think about the group of guys within your braid. Tailor it in a way that you know guys can get outside their comfort zones, but also have a lot of…FUN.
Fun is a gift from God, and it is important to work it in throughout the challenge when it makes sense. It is great to be intentional with your time and have a plan, just know that fun is a great way to break down barriers and get guys to open up.
We are so excited to see the impact these events have on the lives of the guys within your braid. Take pictures and document what you can. A lot of these events will be new to some of the guys within your braid, so capture what you can.
Speaking of being new, there will be a lot of firsts for guys within your braid. A lot of what happens within the challenge they will have never done before, so talk up the guys and commend them where you can. This will encourage them which can do wonders for them leaning in and getting the most out of this challenge.
You are commencing on a journey to rescue the masculine heart. The enemy despises you for doing so. Actually, he HATES it. Know this and understand this. Dig in and lean into Jesus now more than ever, lean into the guys within your sphere with a heart for Jesus as much as possible. Yes, you will face resistance from the enemy, but it is so worth it in the end. One more life led into a relationship with Jesus. What more could you ask for?
Thank you for fighting for the hearts of men.
Event Details: Not unlike Triple G, this event has grown into a significant production at Blood Brothers HQ, but it didn’t start that way and has been tremendously impactful from the very first one.
The race should take at least an hour, but 1.5 to 2, is even better. The race should have multiple elements or tasks. The specific details of the elements/tasks you include are best determined by where this event takes place and what you have available. Try to make the race revolve around a point system and not just the first team to finish. This will help teams that may not be physically fit to have fun and be able to compete as well.
Optional Elements/Tasks (These have worked well for groups in the past. Don’t feel tied to them, be creative!)
NOTE: Sandbags should be included in this challenge. It’s up to you to work them in. The number of sandbags should be decided in consideration of your men and the elements at play.
Fire Starting: Great lead off. Teams get a faro-rod or a somewhat primitive fire starting method. They must gather materials to build a fire which burns through a rope, thus dropping a bag that contains the items or clues for their next task.
Orienteering: A topographical map which they must use to navigate a designated area to defined waypoints.
Search and Rescue: Standalone or combined in the Orienteering. Hidden objects like antler sheds/scavenger hunt.
Move It: Teams are given certain items like a small piece of rope, small piece of tarp and a hatchet. They must create a method of moving a substantially heavy object (like a 300lb log) over a significant distance. This could be a distance competition to see which team can go the farthest.
Things Needed Besides Amenities: Location is key for this one.
Find a location that will let you develop and utilize it to the fullest to give guys a God awesome evening.
This is the end so make the food awesome. The guys have just went through a ton of growth the past 6 months and developed some lifelong relationships that have possibly gone deeper than any relationship they have had in the past. Do your best to have a time to reflect over the challenge with food and fellowship post event.
Items Needed:
Expectable Conditions: It is fun to see how teams use different strategies to tackle the task. Use restrictions similar to: the log cannot be lashed down, but must be supported and cannot touch the ground, to increase the difficulty.
Bowfishing: Shoot a bow fishing arrow at water balloons submerged under water. If it’s dark, put a glow stick in them.
Trek: Travel a significant distance with multiple tasks to accomplish along the way. Examples: Determining distance travelled by counting their paces, memorizing a passage or tongue twister, or solving a riddle. Multi- tasking is part of what makes this an interesting task.
River crossing: When teams arrive at the riverbank, they have a canoe on the far bank. They must figure out how to get the entire team across while adhering to restrictions. Example: Five guys on a team, and they are only allowed three crossings, but they cannot have more than three men in the boat, and only one person is allowed to get wet.
Tips from Field: Creativity is key. Try to link the tasks in a way that are physically challenging, but not impossible. Alternating tasks that require great strength and endurance with those that are mentally taxing helps maintain momentum. Sometimes it’s fun to consider setting a scenario and making the elements and tasks revolve around it. For instance, an elk hunt or a backpacking adventure where someone is injured and all that each would entail.
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