Jim Grassi is 78 years old. Most of his friends are retired. They’re hunting and fishing and driving their RVs.

If that sounds like a good life, that’s because it is. Grassi knows this because he has been a world-class hunter and fisherman.

“That's a very attractive thing,” he said.

But Grassi won’t be joining them. Not yet.

The author of 18 books, chaplain, life coach and founder and president of the International Men’s Ministry Catalyst and Let’s Go Fishing Productions Foundation still has work to do.

“My passion has not decreased with age. It’s increased,” he said during an interview in his spacious Post Falls home he shares with wife Louise, most of it decorated with a nod to his love for the outdoors. “Because I sense the timing of where we are with men today is critical to the existence of the church tomorrow.”

Grassi is a bit blunt, which some won’t like, but he makes it clear he believes men, biblically-based, should be strong leaders.

At home.

At work.

At church.

In their communities.

But there’s a problem, he said. Most are not.

He cites the Bible, specifically, the disciple Paul who wrote First and Second Corinthians, to explain what it is. He says Paul saw the same thing thousands of years ago he is seeing today.

“He saw a bunch of men who were not protecting and who were not serving and honoring their wives and families,” Grassi said. “Think about a lot of men today. I mean, what kind of man has to wear someone else's jersey to define themselves with someone else's name on their back?”

Grassi cites a study that said about 60% of men view pornography at least once a week. He said more women attend church than men, who are turning more to their hobbies and watching sports than praising God Sunday morning.

“It's men losing bearing on what biblical manhood looks like,” he said.

He insists he can't just say nothing, as might prefer. That's never been his style.

Grassi recently celebrated 40 years in ministry, primarily to men but also thousands of kids and families in his “Let’s Go Fishing” camps.

Let’s Go Fishing Ministries changed its name to Men’s Ministry Catalyst in 2011.

Today, more than 1,100 churches, many in Idaho, have been impacted by MMC’s resources, messages, training, booklets, website and leadership.

In a reluctant concession to age, the health-conscious Grassi is turning the ministry over to the Rev. Wendell Morton in Colorado. But he intends to keep plugged in with MMC. He plans to keep writing, traveling and speaking and calling on men to step up their game for God.

“As long as God gives me health and vitality I want to be of service to the Lord. I don't read in the Bible anywhere where it says that we retire from a call," he said. "And that's what a lot of my friends don't understand. When you go into ministry, if you're taking it seriously, and if it was a call from God, to go into ministry, you don't walk away from the call. God tells you when it’s over.”

Following a path

Grassi was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A tenacious boy, he didn’t back down, was competitive and fought often.

“I learned real quickly that if I was going to succeed, I had to be better than anybody else," he said.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation/park administration, a master of public administration from California State University-Hayward, and a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Evangelical Seminary.

In the late 1970s, Jim and wife Louise attended a Dr. James Dobson conference. Jim felt a calling from God and walked away from a successful city manager job to focus on two things: God and family.

Grassi said he wanted to be the best husband to Louise and the best father to their two sons. He began traveling and visiting churches and sharing the importance of men’s ministry.

He laughs as he recalls the number of polite conversations he had with pastors who basically told him thanks, but no thanks. Not interested.

He didn’t quit and persistence paid off.

Grassi has written books including “The Spiritual Mentor,” “Finishing Well - Finishing Strong," and “Guts, Grace and Glory.”

He has been featured on outdoor television shows, Christian TV and radio programs.

His awards include National Coalition of Ministries to Men 2012 Men’s Ministry of the Year; International Who’s Who for his efforts in strengthening America’s families and religious heritage. The Religious Heritage of America Foundation awarded Grassi the prestigious Faith and Freedom Award for his work in creating followers of Christ and strengthening America’s families.

He was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2007.

He has worked with hundreds of churches and pastors.

"There are very few individuals with more resources, experience and wisdom about ministry to men than Jim," wrote Dr. Chuck Stecker, president of Seismic Publishing Group.

Jim Grassi is also a survivor.

In 1981, a nonmalignant brain tumor nearly killed him.

"I remember at 37 walking into my den, my man cave, and seeing all these trophies I won for fishing, seeing the trophies for hunting, seeing I just won Manager the Year, and all I could see was dust. None of that had any eternal value."

Connecting with men

Grassi said many churches have programs for men, just as they do for youth, women and seniors, which is great.

But MMC, just as the title suggests, targets men. Grassi said its biggest impact is providing resources and guidance for men on a topic - men being leaders at home, church and community - that really isn’t discussed much in today's world of equality.

“We have a unique way of connecting with men,” he said.

He said fewer men attend church now than years ago, and that’s not a good thing.

“One of the key things I worry about is men understanding what biblical manhood looks like, how we shepherd our wives and families, how we take care of them, the importance of being a strong leader in your community,” he said.

But he said getting men to lead is difficult, “because of societal influences that are placed on men. Masculinity is now politically called toxic.”

Grassi said pastors tend to shy away from the subject. He doesn’t.

“That's where our ministry comes in. It helps men individually and then collectively in churches," he said.

Grassi, by the way, hopes he's not saying women should be subservient to men. He supports women and believes they are smart, strong and successful.

“My wife is a reason this ministry has been so successful,” he said.

His motivation is simply that the Bible calls on men to lead and he doesn't think that message is getting out there.

Grassi knows what he is saying is not politically popular. He knows many will disagree, vehemently. He knows it will upset some.

That’s OK. He's all ears and happy to talk about it.

“Bring it,” he said, smiling.

Grassi believes a spiritual revival among men is coming and Men's Ministry Catalyst may point the way.

"His heart's desire is for this organization to continue the incredible work of equipping, training and empowering pastors, lay leaders and men around the world," Stecker wrote.