One hour we train the body. One hour we forge the soul. Every week, in a small group, with a man who's walking it out beside them — not lecturing from a distance.
My mom has told me more than once — she would have given anything, paid anything, for me to have had a godly man walking with me growing up. Someone showing me, on purpose and up close, how to actually be a man. Not just telling me. Showing me.
I didn't have that. I found a lot of the pitfalls the hard way instead. And I've spent years since then learning what I wish someone had handed me at twelve years old — how to walk in who I actually am, how to be disciplined in my body and my mind and my walk with Jesus, how to lead, how to treat people, how to build friendships that make me better instead of worse.
"This isn't a program I'm running at arm's length. I'll be vulnerable and honest about my own story, because that's where men actually grow — not in the polished version, in the real one."
Now I get to be that man for someone else's son. Two hours a week, one night, for as long as they'll have me. We'll sweat together first, then we'll sit down and talk about life — real questions, real struggles, real Scripture — and I'll be in it with them, not above it.
A workout, a run, or a sport — hard enough to matter, built for where they're at. Discipline in the body is where discipline everywhere else starts to take root.
We sit down, still breathing hard, and get into it — Scripture, real life, real questions. No performance. Just men figuring out how to follow Jesus in every room they walk into.
This isn't abstract theology. It's daily, practical discipleship — the stuff nobody sits a 12-year-old down and actually teaches him.
This isn't a guy showing up each week hoping he has something good to say. Every session follows a curriculum I wrote specifically for this age group — a real arc, building one year on the next, so nothing gets covered once and forgotten.
Each week pairs a spiritual discipline or character theme with time to actually practice it, not just hear about it — because kids can sit through a lesson on prayer and still not know how to pray on their own.
This group becomes an accountability structure, not just a class. These guys will get to know each other's real lives — the stuff going on at home, at school, in their own heads — and learn to actually show up for each other.
You'll hear from me directly on how your son is doing, not just get a monthly newsletter. I'm walking with him, and I want to walk with you too.
Spots are limited to 15 per group. Fill this out and I'll follow up personally within a couple of days.
Questions? Reach out at bbonds23@gmail.com
Coaching, not clinical care. Braxton Bonds is a certified Christian life coach and ordained minister, not a licensed therapist, counselor, psychologist, or medical provider. The Forge offers mentorship, discipleship, and athletic coaching grounded in Christian faith — it is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment, medical care, or licensed counseling. If your son is experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact a licensed professional or, in an emergency, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
Physical activity. Boys should be medically cleared for physical activity as appropriate. Parents are responsible for disclosing any relevant health conditions prior to participation.
Results vary. Growth and outcomes depend on the individual and are not guaranteed by participation in this program.