A community of men, women, and families pursuing intentional lives of intimate apprenticeship with Jesus.
Take two minutes to name your season of life and discover a first step or two that fit.
The Sacred Gap
What you want is good. There is a way. It may not be what you think.
Maybe you know the feeling. The "should" that never goes quiet. The shame after another hard evening at home. The fear that you're "blowing it" with the people you love, and a nagging sense that it's never enough.
That distance between the life Jesus offers and the life you're actually living is what we call The Sacred Gap. It's an invitation to what he calls abundant life. And that's the good news. There is a way through that gap. But it may not be what you think. This isn't about trying harder. It's actually about doing less!
"As I Father you, so you father, so you mother your children."
Aric · Podcast Ep 21
But that principle isn't just for parents. It is for all of us. We might say it this way: As he Fathers you, so you bring a good father's heart, a good mother's heart, to the world around you.
This is where we are going as we practice The Way, learning a scandalously simple but profound truth:
It is one thing to know about that truth. It is quite another to live it. That is the work of apprenticeship.
The journey
A free resource for finding your way with Jesus.
Think of a plumber or an electrician learning the trade. An apprentice spends lots of time with a master: watching, trying, learning, until they can do what their master does. That's the invitation with Jesus. To be with him, become like him, and do as he did. And it starts with healing, learned in intimacy with him.
Guided Apprenticeship is a free, two(ish) year journey of reorienting your whole life around abiding with Jesus, starting right where you are. It's an app on your phone, for individuals and couples.
Free for every family.
Apprenticeship is not a journey meant to be walked alone. Listen to some stories from others on the “narrow road.” →
You're not alone
Stories from fellow travelers like you walking the “narrow road” with Jesus.
An important part of apprenticeship is what we call the practice of story. We make sense of our lives through story. And something incredible happens when we offer our stories to one another. In some mysterious way, one person's story helps someone else make a little more sense of their own.
That's what these are: honest conversations with Aric, his family and friends about being fathered by God and loving the people closest to us.
Sometimes the practice of story is difficult. For those times, coaching and pastoral counseling are available →
A Father Son Conversation on Parenthood, Transition, and Letting Go
"Don't tell me what you know. Tell me what you're living."
Sometimes the journey takes you to places where you need more than a trusted friend to help you through something. If that happens, nothing has gone wrong. It is a normal part of our healing and very much a part of being Fathered. Coaching and pastoral counseling are available when you need someone to help you discern where Jesus is leading you toward healing. It's for individuals and couples.
Coaching, workshops and the book, to meet you where you are.
It's not advice-giving. It's listening, reflection, conversation, prayer, and discernment as we explore your story together. It starts with a simple free conversation. Want to know more?
See how coaching works →"…it isn't easy, but it is worth it." Allison T, South Haven, MI
The Intentional Dad workshops combine teaching, conversation, solitude and silence, personal reflection, and prayer in pursuit of intimate encounters with God. Workshops are designed to be a practice of community built around the values of authenticity, vulnerability, humility, understanding, and safety as we share in the journey of finding “the narrow road” together.
Explore workshops →"It has been so good to be in an environment where it is actually okay to talk about these things!" Rachel B., Ann Arbor, MI, Generational Momentum Workshop participant
I thought I needed a better strategy for fatherhood: clearer principles, stronger discipline, a spiritual “magic bullet.” What I encountered instead was a painful and beautiful awakening to my own need for healing.
Read a free sample"I am learning to not make agreements and be defined by an illusion that tells me I have to prove my worth." Brian H, Northville, MI
Walk with us
How your support helps keep the door open for others.
Guided Apprenticeship is free for every family. Our Supporters make that possible.
Everyone walks the same journey, whether they give or not. Nothing is held back. Your gift is simply a gift, and it keeps the door open for the next family.
Give once, or become a monthly Supporter. Whatever you give is a gift we're deeply grateful for.
Become a SupporterThe Intentional Dad is a board-governed not-for-profit entity through the State of Michigan and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the IRS. Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
A heartfelt thank-you and a few steps you can take today.
I'm so glad you found your way here. Whatever brought you here today, I hope you found something meaningful to you and that you're walking away with a few next steps to help you. Your longing to love your friends, family, and those around you well is good. It's also an invitation to go deeper into your own story. You can't give what you don't have. Start where you are. It's not a race.
I can't wait to discover what else we might share along the way.
Welcome to The Intentional Dad.
These are good places for anyone to start. Want steps that fit you? Take two minutes to name your season of life, and I'll suggest a first step or two that meet you right where you are.
Hear where The Sacred Gap begins, with the question "What are you doing with your pain?"
The foreword, prologue and Chapter 1 of Aric's book. No email needed.
Start Awakening Desire, the first segment. It's free, at your own pace.
If you're here looking for more, coaching is also available. Learn more, and if it feels right for you, schedule a free consultation.
I'm Mary Jo's husband, and we've been married for 32 years. I'm a father of three and an apprentice of Jesus who learned the hard way. My life of mountain climbing finally failed me. The Intentional Dad is just a name for the story I'm living, the sonship story I'm living with Jesus. Like you, I'm still learning, still being fathered. I'm so glad you're here.
Read Aric's story →A monthly newsletter, a simple way to stay connected.
One honest letter a month: a reflection, the newest episode and what's coming up.
The story, as a book. Use the Next page and Previous page buttons, or the arrow keys, to turn the pages. Prefer one long page? Use the Scroll button in the top bar or the Prefer to scroll? button below the book.
A community of men, women, and families pursuing intentional lives of intimate apprenticeship with Jesus.
Prefer to scroll? Back to scrolling →
A Michigan 501(c)(3) family ministry
Chapter 1Start right where you areYou've come looking for something. Let's start there.
Take two minutes to name your season of life and discover a first step or two that fit.
Chapter 2The Way throughWhat you want is good. There is a way. It may not be what you think.
The Sacred Gap
Maybe you know the feeling. The "should" that never goes quiet. The shame after another hard evening at home. The fear that you're "blowing it" with the people you love, and a nagging sense that it's never enough.
That distance between the life Jesus offers and the life you're actually living is what we call The Sacred Gap. It's an invitation to what he calls abundant life. And that's the good news. There is a way through that gap. But it may not be what you think. This isn't about trying harder. It's actually about doing less!
The first followers of Jesus were called people of “The Way.” You too are invited to discover The Way for yourself.
"As I Father you, so you father, so you mother your children."
Aric · Podcast Ep 21
But that principle isn't just for parents. It is for all of us. We might say it this way: As he Fathers you, so you bring a good father's heart, a good mother's heart, to the world around you.
This is where we are going as we practice The Way, learning a scandalously simple but profound truth:
It is one thing to know about that truth. It is quite another to live it. That is the work of apprenticeship.
Chapter 3The Guided Apprenticeship journeyA free resource for finding your way with Jesus.
The journey
Think of a plumber or an electrician learning the trade. An apprentice spends lots of time with a master: watching, trying, learning, until they can do what their master does. That's the invitation with Jesus. To be with him, become like him, and do as he did. And it starts with healing, learned in intimacy with him.
Guided Apprenticeship is a free, two(ish) year journey of reorienting your whole life around abiding with Jesus, starting right where you are. It's an app on your phone, for individuals and couples.
Free for every family.
Apprenticeship is not a journey meant to be walked alone. Listen to some stories from others on the “narrow road.” →
Chapter 4You're not aloneStories from fellow travelers like you walking the “narrow road” with Jesus.
You're not alone
"Don't tell me what you know. Tell me what you're living."
An important part of apprenticeship is what we call the practice of story. We make sense of our lives through story. And something incredible happens when we offer our stories to one another. In some mysterious way, one person's story helps someone else make a little more sense of their own.
That's what these are: honest conversations with Aric, his family and friends about being fathered by God and loving the people closest to us.
Sometimes the practice of story is difficult. For those times, coaching and pastoral counseling are available →
A Father Son Conversation on Pain, Shame, and Healing
A Father Son Conversation on Parenthood, Transition, and Letting Go
Sometimes the journey takes you to places where you need more than a trusted friend to help you through something. If that happens, nothing has gone wrong. It is a normal part of our healing and very much a part of being Fathered. Coaching and pastoral counseling are available when you need someone to help you discern where Jesus is leading you toward healing. It's for individuals and couples.
Chapter 5More ways to growCoaching, workshops and the book, to meet you where you are.
It's not advice-giving. It's listening, reflection, conversation, prayer, and discernment as we explore your story together. It starts with a simple free conversation. Want to know more?
See how coaching works (opens outside the book)"…it isn't easy, but it is worth it." Allison T, South Haven, MI
The Intentional Dad workshops combine teaching, conversation, solitude and silence, personal reflection, and prayer in pursuit of intimate encounters with God. Workshops are designed to be a practice of community built around the values of authenticity, vulnerability, humility, understanding, and safety as we share in the journey of finding “the narrow road” together.
Explore workshops (opens outside the book)"It has been so good to be in an environment where it is actually okay to talk about these things!" Rachel B., Ann Arbor, MI, Generational Momentum Workshop participant
I thought I needed a better strategy for fatherhood: clearer principles, stronger discipline, a spiritual “magic bullet.” What I encountered instead was a painful and beautiful awakening to my own need for healing.
Read a free sample (opens outside the book)Explore the book (opens outside the book)
"I am learning to not make agreements and be defined by an illusion that tells me I have to prove my worth." Brian H, Northville, MI
Chapter 6Help another familyHow your support helps keep the door open for others.
Walk with us
Guided Apprenticeship is free for every family. Our Supporters make that possible.
Everyone walks the same journey, whether they give or not. Nothing is held back. Your gift is simply a gift, and it keeps the door open for the next family.
Give once, or become a monthly Supporter. Whatever you give is a gift we're deeply grateful for.
Become a Supporter (opens outside the book)The Intentional Dad is a board-governed not-for-profit entity through the State of Michigan and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the IRS. Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Chapter 7Your next stepsA heartfelt thank-you and a few steps you can take today.
I'm so glad you found your way here. Whatever brought you here today, I hope you found something meaningful to you and that you're walking away with a few next steps to help you. Your longing to love your friends, family, and those around you well is good. It's also an invitation to go deeper into your own story. You can't give what you don't have. Start where you are. It's not a race.
I can't wait to discover what else we might share along the way.
Welcome to The Intentional Dad.
These are good places for anyone to start. Want steps that fit you? Take two minutes to name your season of life, and I'll suggest a first step or two that meet you right where you are.
Hear where The Sacred Gap begins, with the question "What are you doing with your pain?"
Listen to Episode 21 (opens outside the book)The foreword, prologue and Chapter 1 of Aric's book. No email needed.
Read the free sample (opens outside the book)Start Awakening Desire, the first segment. It's free, at your own pace.
If you're here looking for more, coaching is also available. Learn more (opens outside the book), and if it feels right for you, schedule a free consultation.
I'm Mary Jo's husband, and we've been married for 32 years. I'm a father of three and an apprentice of Jesus who learned the hard way. My life of mountain climbing finally failed me. The Intentional Dad is just a name for the story I'm living, the sonship story I'm living with Jesus. Like you, I'm still learning, still being fathered. I'm so glad you're here.
Read Aric's story (opens outside the book)
A monthly newsletter, a simple way to stay connected.
One honest letter a month: a reflection, the newest episode and what's coming up.
Back to the cover · Back to scrolling
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