Prayer Letter – September 2025

Dear Prayer Partners,

If there ever was a time to be excited for the future of MMC, and if there has ever been a time for prayer for this ministry – the time is now. We need your focused and earnest prayer for the specifics we will be listing in the body of this Prayer Letter. For the last four years, we have shared this prayer letter with you and have depended on your faithfulness. Thank you!

“My prayer to You, O Lord, is a time of favor” Psalm 69:13

We pray this Psalm, not because God is not working, but because He is working. We depend on His favor to move this ministry and all associated with MMC into our new faithful season. We’ve been asking God to open doors and create a legacy for MMC and for Jim and Louise Grassi. Great News!! God has opened these doors.

Where are we today and where do we need your prayers?

1. Merger of MMC to RDN – We have been mentioning this as a prayer and now as an announcement.  As of August 21, 2025, Jim has signed paperwork with the Relational Discipleship Network (RDN – https://rdn.org). What this means is that MMC is now a ministry of RDN and under their umbrella moving forward.
   1. Now we are working through the ministry vision to see where and how we can utilize the network of RDN to impact churches.  The goal is to add ministry to men to what RDN is doing in the local churches in their network. Pray that God increase our favor in churches as well as preserve our legacy in this process.
   2. You will recall we hired Eddie Bateman as the director in late March, who took on the mantle of leadership of MMC through RDN.  Jim and I are working directly with Eddie and RDN to make this transition seamless while continuing to grow the impact of MMC.  Pray that the continued transition taking the mantle of leadership will be seamless, yet refocus the ministry under the banner of RDN as we work to impact the men in the churches of both networks. Pray for Eddie as he gets connected to MMC Donors, ministry processes, church networks, and builds a clear vision for our future.
   3. MMC has committed to continue to fund this ministry for a minimum of two years.  Pray that our Faith Partners do not grow weary in continuing to fund this ministry.  It would be easy to think that we are transitioning MMC to RDN, so it becomes the financial responsibility of RDN.  Our agreement with RDN is that we would continue to financially support this ministry.  Pray that our Faith Partners continue to experience a blessing, knowing that their dollars continue to impact men and the generations that follow (Psalm 78:1-7), each of the men transformed. 
   4. A critical task list has been created, and we are working to execute on the priorities to ensure we are still focused on ministry while we update the business side of the ministry. This includes branding, cross-pollination between MMC and RDN, and much more.
   5. Pray for Jim and Louise as they continue to support MMC during this transition throughout 2025 and as volunteers in 2026. It is a big thing to hand your baby off to another organization. We are proud of their commitment to move MMC forward under the direction of RDN. Praise God!  
2. Continuing to provide important leadership to pastors and leaders of men in the context of local churches.
   1. Small Group Study Guides – We have produced two study guides in the last 60 days. We have taken two of Jim’s books and created nine nine-week study guides for: Finishing Well, Finishing Strong, and The Watchman. Pray for favor as we use AI (thank you, Tristan Johnson) to more quickly create these vital tools for the churches in the MMC/RDN network. We have more on the horizon.
   2. Cohort Experience – We started our fourth Cohort in July. These men are called of God to make a difference in their local church. We have men representing small churches, along with men representing large churches. We have men who are asking to join us for the next one in January.  We are at 60 men total and counting. Pray for this group of leaders walking with us through December.
   3. Men’s Leadership Workshop – MMC has been leading this one-day workshop for many years. In the last couple of months, we have conducted three of these workshops, with more scheduled through the end of the year. Pray that churches will commit to making ministry to men a high priority and either host or send their leaders to these one-day, important workshops.
   4. Regular Ministry Communications Continue – we continue to receive very positive feedback on our Tuesday Devotionals, the Wednesday Tip of the Week, and the twice-monthly Podcast dealing with issues and opportunities men face.

   While we say this every time, it remains true now more than ever.  MMC cannot accomplish our God-given mission without your earnest prayer support.  I thank God every time I remember you.  Philippians 1:3-11 

   In His Service,

   Eddie Bateman, Director | Wendell Morton, Executive Director