Resources

How we structured Guild meetings: one dad leads a topic (rotate monthly), open discussion, prayer, and planning the next activity. Simple enough to start this week.

Questions for dad-to-dad conversations and father-son talks. Different questions for 10-year-olds vs. 16-year-olds. Covers faith, courage, friendship, lust, money, and more.

Questions for dads to share their own stories — what shaped you, what you wish you'd known, what you're proud of, what you'd do differently.

Questions for the wives — what they saw that we didn't, how The Guild affected the family, what they'd tell other moms. The wives' perspective was one of the most valuable parts of our journey.

How to run a couples meeting. We called ours 'board meetings' — all four couples together. The wives brought insight we didn't have: blind spots, what was happening at home, what the boys wouldn't say to us. Don't skip this.

Plan your annual big trip. Ours was the Nantahala Mountains, Friday to Sunday. Includes packing lists, discussion guides for the campfire, and activities by age group.

Our master list: speak in public, build a fire, use tools, handle a knife, manage money, shake a hand, keep vows, serve others, play sports, read good books, be a gentleman, handle loss, and more.

What works at 10, 13, and 17. Rock climbing, fishing, cliff jumping, service projects, cooking together, go-karts. Real ideas from real weekends.

Short, fun challenges for fathers and sons between meetings. Food adventures, outdoor skills, acts of service for neighbors. Keep the momentum going between gatherings.

The foundation of everything. Who are you living for? Romans 8:11, John 15:7-8, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. We came back to this every year because it's the only thing that holds the rest together.

Based on Raising a Modern Day Knight. Rejects Passivity, Accepts Responsibility, Leads Courageously, Expects the Greater Reward. Our foundational framework.

Galatians 5:16-26. The flesh cannot be overcome except through Christ's power at the cross. Purity, integrity, courage — they all flow from this. Josh led this one at the Goat Weekend.

Christian selfhood is not defined by who we are in ourselves — it's defined by what God does to us. God Quake, Self Quake, World Quake. Heavy theology made real around a campfire.

427 mentions of fear in the Bible, 130 about fearing God. Three types: Godly fear (the beginning of wisdom), repentant fear, and sinful fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 — God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and self-control.

Not just about sexuality — about walking in the Spirit vs. the flesh. Galatians 5, Leviticus 26. We taught this one early and came back to it as the boys hit high school.

David's restraint in 1 Samuel 24 and 26. 1 Peter 2:21-23. Death and life in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). One of the hardest topics for teenage boys — and their dads.

21 scriptures on generosity vs. stinginess, consequences of choices, and sowing righteousness. Luke 6:38, Proverbs 11:24-25. A teaching that hit different as the boys got older.

One of the three pillars (Faith, Love, Courage). Biblical courage rooted in understanding God's majesty — not the absence of fear, but action in spite of it.

Discussion outlines for: Self-Discipline, Wisdom, Friendship, Excellence, Humility, Loyalty, Perseverance, Stewardship, Integrity, Obedience, Charity, Evangelism, and more.

How to talk about God with your son without it being awkward. Real examples from dads who figured it out (mostly by getting it wrong first).

The book that started it all for us. The 4 Pillars, the ceremonies, the vision for manhood. If you read one book, make it this one.

We wish we'd had this when we started. Joby uses the exact scriptures we lived through over the years. Steve could have written it. A must-read for any Guild dad.

We gave this to the boys at Christmas one year with a challenge: read it and share one chapter at the next meeting. It worked.

Every book we read, discussed, or gave to the boys over the years. Organized by age and topic.