As most of the readers of the Weekly know, Heather and I stepped away from traditional pastoral ministry a little over two years ago to focus on a new calling God has placed in our hearts — the discipleship of men. We’ll talk more on that topic in a bit, but first, here’s a quick update:
It was on June 30, 2024, that we completed our ministry in the local church pastorate. God blessed us with an amazing 40-year opportunity to work with four amazing churches — and all in the great state of Pennsylvania.
On July 1, 2024, we stepped out in faith to venture into full-time freelance ministry. Being too young to retire, I started doing home improvements and maintenance to pay the bills, while constantly working on the development of our new ministry. Thankfully, some faithful ministry partners have come alongside us to support the work God is building. We could not have survived the past two years without them. Thank you!
One of the big milestones of this two-year period was the writing and publishing of our first book, Why Good Men Fall. The book became available on Amazon (paperback, Kindle, audiobook) in August of 2025. Every book sold helps to support the development of our ministry and the writing of future books. (Yes, that was a shameless plug to encourage you to buy a couple copies of the book for yourself and to share with friends and family!)
That being said, we’re not really motivated to sell books. We’ve given away over 1,000 copies in the past year. We see them as an investment — as seeds being planted in hopes of a future spiritual harvest. I read a quote the other day that aptly applies to this stage of being an author, “I’ll know I’m an author when I sell enough books to pay for the ones I’ve given away.” By that standard, I’m not sure I’ll ever be an author, and I’m OK with that.
We are currently writing our second book. The working title is, The Five Questions of Life. The goal is to have the manuscript to the publisher by December 31st of this year. This second book is the first book in a series of five discipleship books for men called The WILD5 Core. It is our goal to have the series completed before my 65th birthday — if God blesses me to live and write that long. You just never know…
One more little update: I suffered a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day, 2025. I had no symptoms, and for a guy who can still run a competitive 5K and pump out 40 military pushups, it was a shock. Thankfully, a stent was quickly placed in a blocked artery, and the cardio rehab team had me up and running in no time. By God’s grace, there was no permanent damage to my heart. During the first week in January, I was cleared to return to a full physical workload.
OK, now let’s talk about the freelance ministry we are developing. The name is WILD Strategies, LLC.
WILD stands for Willing, Intense, Lifegiving, Discipleship. Our stated purpose is to advance the discipleship of lifegiving men through the implementation of targeted strategies. We are living in strange times, and we need men who are guided by a strong spiritual and moral compass calibrated by God’s Word and Spirit. Men who are prepared to bring life and light into every situation and circumstance they encounter. Men who don’t wither in the face of criticism or challenge. Men who know who they are and what they’ve been called to do — and they do it with boldness and passion. I describe them as lifegiving men. I am so grateful for the lifegiving men who have profoundly influenced my life. I’m not sure who I would be if God had not sent them my way. WILD Strategies (WILDS) seeks to raise up lifegiving men.
We have spent the past two years developing the WILDS concept and preparing for launch — and we’re excited to report that the official launch will happen in late September when I serve as the keynote speaker for a men’s retreat in western Pennsylvania.
Being a speaker at a retreat is uncharted ground for me. I’ve spoken at a lot of events over the years, but this setting will be a first — and I could use your help if you’re up for being my sounding board.
I will be hosting four gatherings for men right here in Williamsport — a trial run of what I’ll be teaching at the retreat — and you’re invited. Each gathering will include fellowship, strategic discipleship training, and group discussion. The sessions will last one hour. There is no cost to participate, but pre-registration is helpful as we plan for snacks, materials and seating. Here are the details:
Where: The Ministry Activity Campus located at 773 Daughertys Run Road, Williamsport, PA.
When: 7 p.m. on four consecutive Tuesdays, August 25 and September 1, 8, and 15.
Who: Men
Cost: Free — and each man who participates will receive a free copy of Why Good Men Fall as a thank you for participating,
Pre-Registration: Send an email to Tim Hartzell at TH@LTLO.net. Please let me know which Tuesdays you’ll be able to participate. If you can only come to one or two, that’s okay. Come when you can! I look forward to seeing you there!
