Testimonials
Boys 2 Men
Michael Sollazzo | Dad
In going through Boys 2 Men with my son, Ryan, this experience brought us closer to each other and closer to God. It was a wonderful adventure for us to undertake with other teenage boys who were transitioning to men through this Christian Rite of Passage. I have always appreciated the idea behind the Jewish Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah, with boys and girls becoming young men and young women and this certainly had a similar feel. We both learned more about who we are in Christ and the importance of applying Biblical values to our lives for the purpose of being transformed from the inside out and becoming more like Jesus.
The activities we engaged in when we were together for our gatherings were fun, instructive and helped us to better understand our identity in Christ and equipped and empowered us to live our lives for Him! Mark Johnston is perfectly suited to lead Boys 2 Men and having watched him lead young men and women to Christ and disciple them for years. I am so excited that he is continuing on with this important program and helping train up the next generation of young men in the Lord!!
Boys 2 Men
Ryan Sollazzo | Son
Boys 2 Men was an amazing experience for me in growing my relationship with God and others. I got to build a better relationship with my dad and learn what it's like to be a man of integrity and a man of God. I learned a lot about how to grow in my faith and to not be of the world. The world says real men show no emotion and should do what is best for them, but God says to follow what he says and that we should do what is in the best interest of God, not us. Mark is a great leader of Boys 2 Men and is an amazing man of God to work with!
Boys 2 Men
Joe Stout | Dad
I didn’t know what to expect when we signed my son and I up for Boys 2 Men. We had been looking for an opportunity to grow in our relationship with Christ outside of church and my son was looking forward to meeting other kids with similar intentions.
The B2M experience exceeded our expectations right off the bat as the course was a great mixture of fun, bible teaching and one-on-one time with my son. It was great meeting other brothers in Christ and sharing our life experiences with the boys.
Mark is an inspirational leader who is gifted with the spirit of evangelism and is able to teach the material in a way that draws the boys in. His boundless energy is infectious, and he serves as a great role model for both the fathers and the boys.
My favorite part of the experience was the emphasis they put on one-on-one time between the fathers and son. My son and I were able to grow deeper in our understanding in Christ and we were able to grow closer together. We spent many hours together on a project where we were exploring my sons identity in Christ. My son decorated a shield with symbols of his identity in Christ, his identity as a person and his identity with our family heritage. The shield still hangs prominently in his room as a reminder of how special he is and that God is on his side.
I’d recommend the course to any father and son who are looking to go deeper and grow their relationship together.
Boys 2 Men
Jacob Stout | Son
When I went to the first Boys 2 Men meeting, I didn’t know exactly what to expect or if I would enjoy it. However, I quickly realized that it would greatly benefit my walk with Christ, and it was extremely fun. B2M helped teach me what it means to be a man of God, as well, as how I can honor God with my life. Not only that, but it helped me come to understand my identity in Christ better. Boys 2 Men is a program that has greatly impacted my life, and I do and will always remember what I have learned.
Boys 2 Men
Brent Pillsbury | Dad
Over the course of last year Micah (my son) and I have been involved in Boys 2 Men. This experience has been powerful because of the teachings, the camaraderie with other boys and dads, and the final event / sleep over at Churches.
Mark, the leader of Boys 2 men, is a gifted teacher who would share his knowledge with the boys on a bi-weekly basis. He would have a PPT, and many stories to share about his own personal life to bring the teaching to life. During the course of the teaching we would meet and eat with other men. This was a fantastic way to deepen some of the relationships that were beginning to grow with other men who had sons at similar ages as my own son.
Lastly, Brad and Jilinda and Mark did the most amazing job of organizing a closing ceremony at Churches. It was a fantastic way to challenge and share what has been going on with each boy during the course of the year. We completed all sorts of challenges, paint balling, hiking, air soft gunning and many other really fun challenges. All in all Boys to Men made a lasting impact on many young men through the teachings of Mark, the camaraderie with other boys, and the final sleep event at Churches State beach.
Boys 2 Men
Bradley den Dulk | Son
Boys 2 Men is a program unlike ay other that I have seen or been apart of. Through the use of physical challenges that the boys and men are initially faced with, Mark teaches the importance of teamwork, humility, and many other aspects of leadership that are necessary to set these young men apart as leaders in the modern society. Most importantly, Mark emphasizes that a man cannot be a true man or leader without first being in the word everyday and following the Lord with an unmovable dedication.
This program has influenced my life in many ways, some of the top being, a better understanding of what it means to be a man after God, I understand how to be a leader better and the sacrifices that sometimes have to be made, and the importance of comradery and the importance of having faithful people by your side to help you through the journey called life. Going into this, I believe my walk with the Lord was a very consistant and dedicated one but after going through the program I left rely more on the Lord, giving more of my cares over to Him, as well as having a better understanding of why it is important to trust him and follow his teachings as a boy who is growing into manhood.
Boys 2 Men
Kyle | Son
Through my time in Boys 2 Men I didn't necessarily learn anything that I didn't already know, but I learned the reasoning behind it. Over the course of boys to men the lessons were all things that I had learned growing up, I got to see examples of why I should or shouldn't do something, true reasoning behind why I shouldn't, as well as the rewards of doing/not doing it. Not only did I get to see why I should make certain decisions I also got to create meaningful connections with the other boys while having fun and bonding together. Overall boys to men has had a great influence on my life in the few months since it started there is visible growth in my character.