May the fourth be with you! Sorry, had to say it.
It’s Saturday and for the last 4 weeks that means an F3 beatdown workout with the men of F3 Northwest Arkansas.
Drumstick came to town from Georgia and was the main Q for the workout. He usually posts with F3 Cherokee, but is helping us get started in Arkansas.
We endured a great set of full body exercises and a good bit of mumblechatter. I think some of the men were counting by fives. But that’s okay because you exercise at your own pace.
One of the biggest reasons I decided to stick with this group is the purpose behind the crazy.
Fitness, Fellowship and Faith are the three Fs. And that matched the mission statement of OneChristianMan almost too well.
The creators of F3 wrote a book called Freed To Lead to explain why men need this F3 thing, and I agree. They also have a women’s group called FiA, because we all need this.
We need to keep our bodies, friendships and faith strong. This helps make sure we don’t fall into what the book calls SadClown syndrome.
God did not create us to be alone. The horrible epidemic of suicide among men is proof that our brothers are struggling with issues that are not being remedied by our social media heavy non-contact culture.
F3 helps men improve fitness, build real friendship bonds like they have not experienced in a long time, and strengthen their faith.
It’s like being on your high school or college sports team again, but with slightly more mature teammates.
Bonds are built with sweat and dirt. The workouts are held only outdoors all year long. They are free, open to all men and peer led. And as each man starts helping Q a workout he builds leadership skills and confidence over time.
Fellowship and faith come as you add in extra activities like lunches, hiking and trail runs, lake trips, etc. And faith is built by doing community service type work and fundraising events for special causes. Prayer and Bible studies are encouraged and are by invitation.
The Q of each workout is free to finish the workout with a prayer and testimony during a closing time called the Circle of Trust. But no one religion is preferred. Of course they will all know where I stand.
During the Circle of Trust the men each tell their birth name, age and F3 name. New guys tell about who they are and are given their new F3 name by the Q. The name is usually funny and/or somewhat insulting based on Qs preference and the friendly new guys (FNG) story. But everyone is acknowledged and respected.
My F3 name is Huckleberry, because I said my favorite movie is Tombstone.
Well, Huckleberry, is now the site Q for the F3 Northwest Arkansas Genesis AO. I see this as a ministry and I am using fitness as the lead in. Yeah, I’d say F3 fits right in with the purpose of OneChristianMan and I don’t believe in coincidences.
Leave no man behind, but leave no man where you find him. @F3Nation
