We focused our last column on mothers with Mother’s Day coming up and a report on Open Arms Pregnancy Center. The interviews there, with Samaritan Rehabilitation Ministries and the Union Gospel facility for Women and Children, brought to the forefront the crisis locally and nationwide of broken families. Union Gospel Mission is seeing a large increase in women coming to the facility with children in tow. They have, in fact, started a men’s club to develop role models for the young boys.

Our interview today, based on that, is with Dr. Jim Grassi of “Men’s Ministry Catalyst,” a national ministry based in Post Falls to mentor men on their calling as a husband and father is timely as we approach Father’s Day.

ROBERT: Jim, you’ve had quite a career! You were the team chaplain to both the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers and a role as chaplain for first responders. On top of that you have been a champion fisherman and hunter. You certainly have a background that men identify with. What brought you into this ministry to men and how long have you been doing this?

DR. JIM: There is a tremendous need for men to take responsibility as husbands and fathers. Forty-one percent of children growing up today do not have their biological father in the home. This is the No. 1 cause of poverty today. Asking a mother to work and raise children alone is a huge task. Children in a single parent home are twice as likely to drop out of high school, 2.5 times to become teen mothers and the rates of drug abuse and suicide also much higher.

But it isn’t just about fathers outside the home. We also have a problem with fathers who aren’t doing their job at home. I have been in this ministry for 37 years, learned a lot about the problem and what works and what doesn’t. We have been led to lead men to the Lord and confirm the mission to keep marriages intact and pointing fathers towards their calling.

ROBERT: Jim, I have read some of what you have written but you have written 13 books and many articles and booklets on this problem facing our country. With your experience you have a lot to teach. How exactly do you reach the audience that needs to hear?

DR. JIM: Basically we work through churches by offering an assessment on their ministry to men and if it is on the right track. We offer a web-based library of best practices, online survey deployment, live consulting, pastor’s workshops and regional men’s conferences.

We have hosted a number of “Iron Sharpens Iron” conferences to introduce the basic concepts to men but a key part of success is mentoring and discipleship ongoing within churches.

ROBERT: We sometimes don’t think that men in the church have issues or problems with their families. What evidence is there regarding this?

DR. JIM: In the average church, for every 10 men, nine will have kids who leave the church. Eight will not find their jobs satisfying and five will have a major problem with pornography, four will get divorced — affecting a total of 1,000,000 children each year. All 10 will struggle to balance family and work. This is a serious problem inside and outside the church.

We have had the privilege of assisting hundreds of pastors in developing effective ministries to men and that success can have a huge impact on families and the next generation.

ROBERT: How can the church respond to those children from broken homes outside the church?

DR. JIM: I’m glad you asked that! We are assisting Focus on the Family in putting on two events coming up to impact Spokane and North Idaho. The program is called “Wait No More — Finding Families for Waiting Kids.” There are about 350,000 children in foster care and we have that many churches in our country. If each church takes in one child and supports that family, the problem is solved as far as providing foster homes that are in short supply.

We are hosting a leadership event for pastors and community leaders at a breakfast on June 7 at the Kroc center. The president of Focus on the Family, Jim Daly, will be there to speak. This is one of four events across the country and we are intent on addressing this problem head on.

The second event will be Saturday, Sept. 22 at Spokane Valley Assembly Church at 10 a.m. This meeting will provide the information to interested churches and individuals about foster care and adoption.

ROBERT: Jim, your focus to churches and foster care sound like there will be people interested in learning more. How do they contact you and your organization?

DR. JIM: They can access our website at mensministrycatalyst.org, email us at [email protected], call our office at (208) 457-9619 or write us at P.O. Box 3303, Post Falls, ID 83877.

ROBERT: Dr. Jim Grassi, we thank you for this interview and for the vital work you are doing!