In this email ...- FEATURE ARTICLE: How to Add SEVEN Years to Your Life, According to Research
- Send a Tax Deductible Gift to Support Renewed Man and Renewed
Leader
- Where This Content Comes From ... and how to get more
- What I Would Post on Social Media ... if I used it
- FIND OUT MORE ... (about me)
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- FEATURE ARTICLE: How to Add SEVEN Years to Your Life, According to Research
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One of the key issues we focus on in the Renewed Man Community is overcoming the challenge of DISCONNECTION. We seek to strengthen the emotional and physical connection with our partner, if we have one, and build strong and supportive
friendships with like-minded men. For today's lesson, we're going to remind ourselves how essential relationships are to the quality of our lives -- and even the LENGTH of our lives. If you step back and think about it, it makes sense that good
relationships are essential for us. We are made in the image of God, and keep in mind that Christian teaching focuses on God as existing in three persons. Community is not simply at the heart of what God tells us to value … it is at the heart of who God IS. From the beginning of human history, we
existed in clans and tribes of hunter gatherers. Having good relationships not only added joy and fulfillment to life … it was essential to life. If you were alienated from the people around you, you'd be on your own, and you would die. We are built for connection -- and when we lack meaningful and positive relations with others, everything in our lives deteriorates: our mental health, physical health, career success, and even our spiritual lives). Listen to
these words, from a recent newsletter article by Arnold Schwarzenegger: Being
lonely isn’t just a challenge for your mental health; it might also significantly impact your mortality. A massive review of 148 studies and nearly 310,000 people found that individuals with stronger social relationships lived up to 7 years longer than those with weaker social connections. The findings from this study are particularly relevant today, with
increased social isolation. The research indicates that the quality of our relationships — not necessarily the quantity — substantially impacts our overall well-being. The study also highlights the importance of both giving and receiving social support. Being
there for others in times of need and having others provide support to us can significantly reduce our mortality risk. According to the lead researcher, "Our relationships deserve just as much attention in our health as factors such as smoking, exercise, and diet." Remember, the power of social connections can lead to a happier, healthier life. Don’t forget to call or text a friend, join someone for a workout, see a family member, or even connect with an online community. You don’t need many friends, but the good ones make a difference.
NEXT ACTION:Today's action step is to make some kind of connection with a friend. It might be a
phone call, email, or text message. We build our relationships by staying connected.
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2. Tax Deductible Donations to Support Renewed Man and Renewed
Leader Would you like to support the work of Renewed Man? Would you like to make it possible for someone who's struggling financially to join the program? Would
you like to make it possible to carry this message to other countries, where people might have a harder time getting access to this work? I'm excited to announce a partnership between Renewed Man, Renewed Leader, and Bethel Church! Bethel Church is adopting these programs as supported ministries -- which means that you can give a
tax-deductible donation to these ministries through Bethel. The money you donate can be used in one of three ways -- you can designate it for one of these purposes, or have it be available to whichever one has the greatest need: - Renewed Man Tuition Support -- Help someone who wants to
be part of Renewed Man, but is struggling to pay for the program. (There will always be a requirement that participants pay something, so that they have an investment in it. But your gift could help someone participate in the program who might not be able to do so otherwise.)
- Renewed Leader Tuition Support -- Same as with Renewed Man, but this program is for church leaders who want and need support in order to stay emotionally,
physically, and spiritually healthy amidst the demands of ministry. Your gift could help a minister participate in this program.
- Renewed Ministries International -- This would help make it possible for me to bring this message -- of recovery, and/or healthy and sustainable leadership -- to overseas missionaries, and to people in other countries who might otherwise not be able to afford to have me come and teach there. Thus far, I've brought this
teaching to YWAM missionaries at various bases across the US, Thailand, and Switzerland, as well as teaching community development leaders in Guatemala. I hope to do more teaching like this in the future, but money is always tight for missionary organizations, and people in developing countries. Your gift would make such teaching much more workable for these organizations.
All the
money you give will go to support one of these causes: either direct tuition support, or travel costs for teaching. Once again, you can choose to designate your gift to a specific area. You can send these donations to: Bethel Christian
Reformed Church 8938 – 33rd Street Princeton, MN 55371 Make the check payable to "Bethel Christian Reformed Church" and put in the memo field that
it's "For pastor Mark's Renewal Ministries". Please include a note along with the check clarifying this, and letting us know if you'd like the money designated for any one of the particular uses, or if it's available for whatever use is most needed currently. Thank you so much!
3. Where This Content Comes From ... and how to get more The content I use for these articles comes from the Renewed Man Program. Renewed Man is a systematic teaching and coaching series designed to help men grow emotionally, relationally, and spiritually ... developing the essential character quality of "self-mastery." The program
centers around building self-control especially in the area of our sexuality -- an important issue today, given how pervasive erotic content is online. That said, the program is intentionally holistic, and the key principles it is based on deal with a variety of aspects of our lives. Even though this community is created
for men, the principles are universal -- women will benefit from these insights as well. That's why I share some of them in this newsletter..
Would you like to go "all in" and join the Renewed Man Boot Camp? It's a 12 Week Immersion in these principles. You'll get these daily teachings, a weekly video on one of the 12 Keys of Being a Renewed Man, and access to a support group and/or a coaching group that
I lead.
Find out more about the Renewed Man Program here.
4. What I Would Post on Social Media ... if I used it Recently I was in Oregon. I had a chance to preach at my friend Pete Armstrong's church -- Park Lane CRC in Portland, OR -- and meet with a group of ministers in that area. The state is full of beauty everywhere you look. This is the view by the river where I'm staying ...
I try to not talk or write much about politics, but I think the map below is important, and needs to be shared. The map shows the results of the recent US election in each state by percentage of the popular vote -- rather than simply identifying each
state as "blue" or "red." Please think about this: THERE ARE NO BLUE OR RED STATES. Even "blue" California has a sizable percentage who voted red, and the same thing is true -- conversely -- about "red" states like Florida or Texas. (The only exception is Washington DC ... almost universally blue.) What this means is we all have to get along. Each state is way more diverse and integrated than media
pundits would have us believe ...
Yes kids, back in the day this is really how we rolled ...
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My name is Mark Brouwer, and I’m a spiritual teacher who serves as a pastor, writer, speaker, coach and mentor. You're receiving this because of our connection through church ministry or one of the renewal programs I lead.
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