Our Ministry
Welcome to Brother-to-Brother Ministries
Brother-to-Brother Ministries is the only Catholic organization dedicated to assisting Catholic men in Catholic faith formation through one to one mentoring and discipleship.
We do this by meeting individually with men to discover where they are on their Catholic faith journey and determine how we can help them develop a deeper personal relationship with Jesus.
Together, we develop goals that will help them make progress toward deeper Christian maturity and service to others as men of Jesus Christ.
Each mentor provides:
-
Coaching in the discernment process
-
Growth in understanding Scripture
-
Motivational accountability
-
Guidance in service
Mission
Brother-to-Brother Ministries recognizes that the Christian faith journey is difficult for those who have to go it alone; men need other men to accompany them on their Catholic spiritual journey.
The mission of Brother-to-Brother Ministries is to reach out to Catholic men who seek a deeper relationship with Jesus the Christ, or introduce them to Jesus the Christ, and mentor them on their Catholic faith journey.
Additionally, Brother-to-Brother Ministries trains and equips Catholic men to walk with one or more men on each one's spiritual journey; thus helping them to live up to their Baptismal Call to share the Good News of Jesus the Christ.
Goals
For those men struggling in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our goal is to help them become firm in their faith.
For those men who are committed Catholics, who love Christ and have a strong desire to grow as men of Christ, our goal is to help them mature in their faith.
For those men who are eagerly following Christ, our goal is to help them find their niche in serving Christ.
Where do you fit in? We know that spiritual work like this is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. We're counting on you to pray for us, our ministry and the men we mentor/disciple.
Testimonials to Brother-to-Brother Ministries
The value of the ministry to me:
"Fellowship and friendship are the first things that come to mind when I reflect on our meetings. They provide a safe harbor where we purposely take time out of the busyness of life to celebrate Jesus in our lives and learn how to become better Christian men." - Robert Tomlinson
"A deeper relationship with Jesus and a better understanding of God's word. I am coming to understand that all Christians are called to 'fish for people' by knowing and telling our own story." - Doug Kaiser
"I am able to share the challenges in my life and receive support and advice from another man." - Dennis Speer
"Brother-to-Brother Ministries helps me to understand my Catholic faith to its fullest meaning and intent. I now see the fullness of the truth and goodness of the Catholic Church and its great history, heritage and tradition that was previously unknown by me." - Larry Thompson
"Rick Lentz and Brother-to-Brother Ministries has been a great help in answering questions I have had over the past few years. Rick was able to answer historical questions that I had along with questions that pertained to Church teachings. I was also challenged mentally with Bible verse memorization and questions to answer that gave me a stronger understanding of my faith." - Nolan Martin
A Story of Catholic Forgiveness
In 2004 Rick Lentz's youngest son, Kevin, was killed when hit by an automobile. Rick and his wife, Karen, were devastated. "Yet through all this jumble of emotions, my anchor of faith kept me from crashing upon the rocks of despair," Rick says. "God provided me with friends who listened repeatedly to my story and allowed me to share my emotions without judgment or needless advice. Slowly, I began to heal and as I healed, I came to the realization that to fully heal, I had to forgive."
During the trial of the young woman who killed his son, Rick stood up and told her that he forgave her. Shortly thereafter the father of this woman called Rick and asked how he could forgive his daughter. Rick replied, "I explained that through prayer, God gave me the grace and strength to forgive her. Then through our discussions and seeing what God has done in my life, the girl's father rededicated his life to Christ." They began meeting together and eventually entered into a mentoring relationship.
After discerning starting a ministry, Rick became a full-time Christian mentor when he co-founded Brother-to-Brother Ministries in the summer of 2007. He has guided others in how to start a ministry of evangelization.
Rick has been active in parish life and in men's faith sharing groups; he is also a member of the Cursillo Movement. A highly decorated Vietnam Veteran, he retired from the Air Force in 1993. He has a Masters Degree in Pastoral Ministry from the Aquinas Institute of Theology,and while thankful for that education, says that a degree is not necessary to be a Christian mentor. He and his wife Karen have been married for 35 years. They have four children and two granddaughters.
