INTEGRITY IN ACTION - ONE PINT, ONE CAN AT A TIME

“We’ve spent a lot of time helping men understand what integrity means,” said Dr. Tom Fortson, president and CEO of Promise Keepers. “Now it’s time to show our communities what men of integrity act like.”


Promise Keepers has continued its practice of local food drives at all of its “Energizing Men of Integrity” event venues in 2007. On Friday night, emcee Reggie Dabbs reminds the men to bring as much food as they can carry on Saturday morning for local faith-based food banks, and it’s happening!

So far in 2007, nearly 17,000 pounds of food has been collected at the doors of Promise Keepers arenas.

Summer is a difficult time for community service organizations, as supplies run low and regular donors are away during the summer. This affects both food banks and blood banks, which have especially lean stores due to summer accidents and the need for emergency blood supplies.

Cooperating with the local chapters of the American Red Cross and Florida’s Blood Centers, 135 units of blood has been donated by Promise Keepers attendees already this summer.

Way to go, guys! Keep it up.

Thank You For Your Service

Dear Team PK Nashville,

In the two weeks that have passed since Promise Keepers Nashville 2007, I have wrestled with how to adequately say thank you, thank you, and thank you for the final time as we experienced an incredible weekend of fellowship and friendship. Then, I realized that although the conference has passed, what took place will live on from here throughout the rest of eternity as evidenced in the changed lives of the men and their families, and the multiplied lives that will be touched all because you cared enough to love them and serve them. The final word for this conference, like other Promise Keepers conferences, is the indelible Word of God that was written into the hearts of thousands of our friends and neighbors in Middle Tennessee, so many for the very first time.

The numbers were incredible…………..148 new brothers written into the Lamb’s Book of Life………..176 rededications to continue the journey and re-engage the battle as Christ followers…………. numerous prayer requests that were lifted up in the Prayer Room, the Prayer Booth, and on commitment cards received by our evangelism team……….over 2 tons of food gathered to serve the homeless and destitute of our community through Second Harvest Food Bank…………..58 pints of life giving blood to the Middle Tennessee Red Cross…………..over 800 volunteers selflessly giving of their time and talent to provide the over 9,000 men and boys in attendance a fresh new encounter with Jesus Christ.

But as you know, the numbers do not reflect everything that is worth counting. The conference brought thousands of us together in a new sense of Christian community and knit our hearts together cross-culturally and cross-denominationally. The power of that unity strengthens us to continue the battle for men’s souls well after the lights have gone off, the crates have been loaded, and the trucks have left for future destinations. The saving message of the Gospel, that Christ has instilled in our hearts, calls us to greater service to usher in the coming of His Kingdom.

The conference was a refreshing and reverberating call to discipleship. I think I can speak for many more than myself when I say that Promise Keepers jolted me out of my everyday religious comfort zone and reminded me of the revolutionary call of Jesus Christ. It was a call to prayer, a call to the power of prayer, a call to the necessity of prayer. The conference was a call to leave ourselves and to touch others. Never are we as strong as when we are on our knees before a Holy God in confessing that apart from Him, we can do nothing.

There are many who say that after 17 years, the impact of Promise Keepers is waning. To those who are merely observing from the outside as armchair spectators and scribes of history, Promise Keepers is described as a ministry whose better days are behind it and whose run has come to its inevitable conclusion, like all other religious fads that come and go. Yes the crowds are smaller and the dates are fewer, but don’t ever mistake the impact this move of God has had and will continue to have in our lives and in the lives of all who have been touched by it………over 6 million men and counting.

If Coach Mac were writing this, he would be the first to give God the glory. I am thankful that God allowed me to witness His power in the ministry that is Promise Keepers. No matter what the future holds for PK, whether it moves forward in its present form or if God turns the page to an exciting new dawn, don’t be discouraged that it has passed, but rejoice because it has happened.

So it is with humble gratitude that I thank you for your willingness to be the eyes, ears, feet and loving arms of the Father during the months before and after those miraculous two days.

But it is not over! The final word is not written. The lasting impact of Promise Keepers has just begun because many of you are continuing to allow God to use you to touch your community. God is continuing to reap the harvest planted during the past five months. The ripple effects are still moving through Middle Tennessee, adding daily to the growing family of God. May we continue to allow God to use us for His glory.

Because He came and is coming again, to Him be all honor and glory forever and ever! Let us toss our crowns before the throne of Jesus Christ! For He is worthy!

By His abundant grace,


Tim Richards
Assistant Event Director & Volunteer Staff Representative
Promise Keepers Nashville 2007
Mobile (615) 319-7150 Home (615) 302-3606
E-mail at PKNashville2007@aol.com