We aim to transform men’s lives and help them live authentically, by providing hope in a safe and caring environment and encouraging men to share their story without fear or judgement.
Our Vision is that… We aim to transform men’s lives and help them live authentically.
Our Mission is that we achieve our vision… by providing hope in a safe and caring environment and encouraging men to share their story without fear or judgement.
The number one question we get asked about DirectionsTas is, “What do you do?” and the next question is, “How do you do it?”
In the answers to those two fundamental questions lie the core elements and heartbeat, together with the purpose and function of Directions Tas.
The “What do we do?” question is our aim, our objective, our vision for DirectionsTas if you like. It’s what we’d all like to see happen, and what we’re all working towards. Our vision is our goal, it’s what we aim to achieve.
The “How do we do it?” question, would be our “mission” … it’s what we’re actively doing now that drives us towards our vision. It elaborates on how we achieve our vision. What are we doing that will see our vision becoming a reality.
To elaborate on and add weight to our statements…
WE
- Speaks to the collective, not just an individual.
- Togetherness includes everyone and has a unifying approach.
- We all have an equally important, collaborative role to play in the work of DirectionsTas.
AIM
- Intention, goal, target, objective.
- It’s not “wishy washy”, but very specific.
- Every time we meet, our endeavours (what we do, what we say) should lead to transformation, even by marginal degrees.
TO TRANSFORM
- Becoming a man (a wise, non-egoic, Grandfather of the faith), is a process, and a journey we’re all on.
- Speaks to the life changing work of Men’s Rites Of Passage (MROP).
- There is a great potential within each of us that needs unlocking.
- Speaks to the changing attitudes and behaviours as we go through the journey.
- Covers the concept of Liminal Space
- It’s only God who can change us, who points us to the transformational work of the cross…the now empty cross…Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- The evidence of a transformed life is the fruit of the Spirit (as described in the scripture from Galatians 5:22-23), being developed in the life of a believer.
MEN’S
- Again, speaks to the specific area of ministry that DirectionsTas operates and focuses on and defines who our target group is.
- Secures and speaks to our identity.
- We’re all “sons of the father”.
- We value wives and women generally and have opportunities to honour them and include them in certain gatherings, however our focus is first and foremost, a ministry to men and their sons.
LIVES
- Our lives are unique…we’re created in God’s image.
- Life speaks about the person “wholistically” Spirit, Soul and Body
- Just as there are different words for LOVE in the Greek language (eros, storge, phileo and agape), so there are different words for LIFE (bios, psyche and zoe).
- Bios speaks about our physical body (arms, legs, head, organs), as in biology.
- Psyche speaks about our internal life, who we are, our personality, our character, our being, our soul… it’s what makes us uniquely us.
That’s where we get the word psychology from.
- Zoe is our spirit life, the part of us that gets excited when our soul reaches out to God. It’s our God’s Image-ness, and that part of us that can’t live without God. It’s our “spirit alive” life, when our spirit connects with God’s spirit life.
- This speaks to the abundant life Jesus was talking about…the Zoe life. (John 10:10). It’s only when we live an authentic and transformed life that we can know the fullness of life found only in Jesus, hence finding our way to, and knowing God as our heavenly Father.
AND
- There’s always more.
- The work of DirectionsTas is not limited to just one thing.
- By defining it, we’re not containing it.
HELP THEM
- Offering support as/when needed.
- Sometimes all someone needs is a little help to get them across the line.
- Help can be just simply listening…giving someone some time.
- Bringing a new way to see things.
- Helping may be just providing an alternate way of thinking and a change of perspective.
LIVE
- We want to see men “live life” and live it to the fullest.
- Our nation is becoming inundated with “dead men walking” that we want to “awaken”.
- Speaks to the spirit life of God’s breath, as in Adam. God put breath, “pneuma”, spirit life into Adam so he could LIVE.
AUTHENTICALLY
- Authenticity means you’re true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise.
- Living in a way that corresponds to the person you believe yourself to be. You are you. You don’t imitate others, you don’t pretend to be something you’re not.
- Affirming men in their journey of understanding who they are.
- The dance of both false & true self
- Eliminates ego.
- We have a “rightful position” as men, husbands and dads and, as Jesus was, to be Priest, Prophet, and King in our homes and communities.
- Brings understanding and significance as to “who they are”. “Who are you mate?”
- Includes men “sharing their situation honestly”.
- Brings about a “positive impact” when we’re real.
- Self-esteem is grown when we can be authentic.
BY PROVIDING
- It’s what we can bring, what we are making available, what we can offer.
- The act of giving it or making it available to people who need or want it.
HOPE
- Men are often facing a hopeless situation or circumstance in the season of life they’re in.
- Speaking or bringing hope into a conversation is a window that leads to that transformation so eagerly desired.
- If we (Directions) can introduce HOPE it will add value, purpose, intentionality and a future to men’s lives.
- Hope will be difficult to find and experience outside of Christ.
IN A SAFE
- Safety is the only way men will be vulnerable.
- Confidentiality brings safety.
- Ridicule and shame don’t exist when safety is established.
- Safety needs to be intentionally provided for and protected.
- People feel safe if they know they won’t be judged.
- A safe place is a sacred space and a threshold over which transformation can be experienced.
- Liminal space is safe ground for transformation to occur within.
AND CARING
- People won’t care about what you know until they know that you care.
- Brings about the love aspect of who we are and what we do…the greatest of these is love…if we have not love, we’re just a clanging cymbal.
- Implies that we’re meeting a need.
- Speaks to the person wholistically: body soul and spirit.
- Adds value to each person, because everyone is important.
ENVIRONMENT
- Talks about the surroundings or conditions we create, not just a geographical space or specific place or room, but includes a spiritual atmosphere where we thrive, not just survive.
AND ENCOURAGING MEN
- Sometimes all men need is a little “nudge” to point them in a better direction.
- By encouraging, we’re affirming them in their self-belief.
- We can be cheerleaders by encouraging. It assures men that we’re barracking for them and cheering them on.
- If we encourage someone, we give them confidence, for example by letting them know that what they are doing is good and telling them that they should continue to do it.
- Includes the words helping, elevating, affirming, teaching, and enabling. They’re all verbs that talk about what we do.
- Encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:12)
TO SHARE
- Something deep within us happens when we share.
- Sharing is that intersection of souls that connects us and forms a bond between each of us.
- By sharing, we open up and unlock a vulnerability that brings about transparency and openness.
- Sharing is always voluntary and not compulsory.
- Sharing can and often will be just between 2 blokes, but also a greater gathering whether it be on zoom or in person.
THEIR STORY
- Our story is our story. It’s unique and powerful.
- Our story includes the good, the bad and the ugly…it all belongs.
- Story telling provides compelling, or active listening.
- We need to all find a place where we can be heard.
- We all need to become better listeners and be attentive to lean into each other’s stories.
WITHOUT FEAR
- Man’s greatest fear is, “What will they think of me?”
- Fear shuts us down and locks us up.
- Fear binds up our soul.
- By dispelling fear, it allows a freedom to express oneself openly.
- When we push past our fear it unlocks our future.
- Fear is basically believing a lie about something or someone.
- False Evidence Appearing Real.
- We don’t need to have a fear of being vulnerable, because what makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.
- We are only as close to people in direct proportion to our vulnerability.
- If we’re prepared to be vulnerable, it allows others and gives permission to be vulnerable also… “It’s OK, this is a safe space.”
- Our ego wants to shut down our vulnerability, which inhibits us exposing our true self, which we want to expose and promote.
- You can’t heal what you don’t reveal.
OR JUDGEMENT
- The three key parameters DirectionsTas operates in are… don’t judge, don’t criticise, and don’t try to fix.
- If there is any sniff of us being judged as we share, it’s the very thing that will intimidate, initiate fear and shame, and force us into a corner of rejection.
- It’s never our role to judge. We have not been appointed to judge. We have no mandate to judge.
- Whenever we judge, we elevate ourselves (ego…I’m better than you) and diminish or shame the judged.
- It’s comforting to be accepted just as we are.
- Being accepted is finding a place to belong and feel appreciated and valued.