Author: Sarah Mally

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The Just Men Group (by Harold Mally)

As many of you know, last spring God brought some guys to our door looking for a high school guys Bible study. Amazingly, I had been praying for this very thing! (You can read that story here in our April newsletter.) Since the beginning of March we have met every Monday night, reading and discussing a passage of the Bible, eating pizza, and talking about “guy stuff” such as dating, lust, family, work, school, struggles, and goals. We call the group “Just Men,” which, of course, has a double meaning.

The group has continued to go well. The guys are serious and ministry minded and want to see growth in other men.

• Kaleb came to Christ only last February but comes consistently to our group. He is a senior in high school, and though new in the faith, he started a Friday morning Bible study in his school cafeteria. His group met consistently the entire fall semester with both believers and unbelievers.

• Samuel graduated in May and is now a freshmen in college. He is helping to start a Bible study at Iowa State. His goal is accountability among believers and to bring in students who do not know Jesus.

• Nolan also graduated in May but still lives in town and is a freshman at our local community college. Last month he gave an apologetic presentation for a speech class on “Why believe in Jesus.” He practiced his talk for the Just Men group and had prepared a lot of excellent content. We were all praying for his witness to his class since there is only one other Christian he knows of in it.

• Chad wants to live his life for what counts and would love to go into full time ministry. He is praying about his future.

• All the guys are serious about the group and its purpose and want to grow in Christ.

This summer the guys came up with the idea of making Just Men t-shirts. We all developed and revised the design together. We used Romans 5 as our main Biblical reference because in it we find a clear statement of how we are justified; by faith (verse 1) and by the blood of Christ (verse 9). And the rest of the chapter is a rich passage on our salvation. We also have gospel tracts we made to give out when people ask about our shirts.



You can download a copy of the tract here.

I share this story about Just Men to encourage you that many young men are eager to be serious about Christ and act with commitment. I also want to challenge you that small group Bible studies are one of the simplest, most-effective forms of ministry. Even a brand new believer (like Kaleb) can lead one. Many people who are not comfortable coming to church will come to a home Bible study or meet one-on-one to read and talk. The leader grows as he teaches others. Individuals learn how to study the Bible by themselves when someone else gets them started. Also, when a group forms there is accountability and fellowship which is a stronger influence than many realize. Our guys text each other regularly with prayer requests and words of encouragement.

Grace has a one-one-one Bible study with a neighbor. She says she always learns something new by leading a study with someone else.
Have you considered starting a one-on-one or small group Bible study with a group of men, or women, or children, or youth? If not, perhaps it is something to pray about for 2026.

Bright Lights Conferences

Seeking Christ Online Conference (By Sarah Hancock)

It was an answer to prayer that we were able to offer the Seeking Christ Conference online! We are thankful to the team of guys who volunteered their time to record the videos, and to Stephen and Nickie for all their hours editing them. We are also thankful to those who helped prepare and ship out all the materials.

It was wonderful to have ladies from 11 countries join (Australia, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, New Zealand, Panama, and the USA)! May these young ladies see that Jesus alone is worth seeking after and  choose to follow Him whatever the cost.

 Here are some of the responses we received:

  • “The girls enjoyed each one of the sessions! I was so amazed how much each one was eagerly participating!”
  • “We loved each of the skits! They enhanced the teachings so very much!”
  • “My favorite part was getting to participate in the live Zoom session with Sarah and Grace!”
  • “I was able to talk to my mother about things I greatly struggle with, and I have been most helped and encouraged by her advice, and by no longer hiding it in my heart.”
  • “I recommitted myself to the Lord as a result of the conference.”
  • “I really enjoyed the skit about the mountain climb and its relevance to struggles in our lives.”
  • “[It] gave us uninterrupted time together to focus on things that matter.”
  • “The girls expressed that the skit about the media and the girls on their phone spoke to them greatly, because that is exactly what happens to them: comparison, discouragement, believing lies, etc.”
  • “Love the scriptures and the practical steps to help us grow in our relationship with the Lord.”

We put a lot of thought, prayer, and practice into the skits at the Bright Lights conferences, and we love seeing moms and daughters enjoying them together!

Grace and I enjoyed connecting with the moms and daughters during the Q & A session. The girls asked some great questions:
  • How do I know if my faith is enough (to get to heaven)?
  • What suggestions do you have for reading the Bible consistently?
  • What Christian biographies do you recommend?
  • As a single woman, how do I pursue a career to support myself and not lose sight of undivided attention to Christ?
  • How can I encourage my younger siblings?

We praise the Lord that He is raising up young ladies who love Him and want to shine their light for Him in this dark world!

Bright Lights Local Group/Newsletter/Witnessing Stories

My Prayer Target (by Sarah Hancock)

When I was growing up, there was an elderly couple who lived next door to us. Sometimes they would babysit their granddaughter, Karen, who was about my age. I liked it when she visited her grandparents because she was a kind friend and a lot of fun to play with. We would climb trees, and play games. I don’t remember ever sharing the gospel with her, but she knew I was a Christian, and I made a few spiritual comments to her when we were kids. After we entered our teen years, Karen and I didn’t see each other much anymore.

When I was about 18, I decided to choose a person to specifically pray for when I was distracted by something (such as when I was thinking too much about a guy, growing discontent, or wasting my time daydreaming). I decided to choose Karen, my childhood friend. I called her my “prayer target.” 🙂

I began to pray regularly for Karen’s salvation. When my mind started to dwell on something I didn’t want to focus on, I would choose to pray for her instead.

Years went by, and I didn’t see her or hear from her. I eventually moved on to other prayer requests. Then one day when I was in my twenties, my mom told me that she had run into Karen and that she had become a Christian!

When Karen was in college, some Christian friends invited her to a Bible study where she encountered true believers who really loved Jesus. She understood the gospel for the first time, and she trusted in the Lord as her Savior. She began going regularly to a Bible believing church, married a Christian man, and had two children whom she decided to homeschool. When Karen’s daughter, Katelynn, turned 10, she started coming to my Bright Lights group, and it’s been a blessing to watch her grow in the Lord as well.

I’m so thankful the Lord led me to pray for Karen, and gave me the privilege of being a part of her story! It encourages me to keep praying even when I don’t see results.

The truth is that we often don’t get to see results to our prayers in this lifetime. Prayer takes time and energy. It’s a spiritual battle. It’s hard. It requires faith. We all need encouragement to persevere in prayer. I hope this story provides some extra encouragement to you today. God is working in the world today, but the battle is raging. Perhaps you also would want to choose one person as a specific prayer target for the upcoming year. May we as God’s people pray, pray, pray!

Here’s a picture of Katelynn, Karen, and me. 🙂