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Our Vision

Our vision is to empower men to be wholehearted disciples of Jesus. We desire to equip men to live from their hearts not just their heads. We believe that this happens best through men who are being honest and vulnerable about their sin, their hurt, and their disappointments. We find that the more men live from their Spirit-empowered whole heart, the more they come alive and walk in freedom. How do we empower men?

War. Realizing you’re in a War. There is a real battle for your heart and mind happening. Learn how to fight.
Bloodstained Allies. Isolation is the number one way men fail in their walk with God and in their marriages. We need other men, authentic men, who will encourage authenticity and vulnerability.
Vulnerability. Quit the posing. Become honest about your heart. Most churchy men know the game of posing and pretending. This is counterproductive to vulnerability and wholehearted living.
PB&J. Prayer, Bible, and Journal daily is the key to taking back the authority we’ve given to Satan and demons. Learning to obey God comes through prayer, meditation in scripture, and journaling.
You are beloved. The great lesson of wholehearted living is finding and living your true God-given identity.

Our Mission

Saint Iraneous said, “The glory of God is a man fully alive.” We believe that we as men were created to be fully immersed in God and fully alive. The mission of Worshipper&Warrior is to challenge and equip men to be wholehearted worshippers of God and fully engaged warriors for the cause of Christ on the earth. Such wholehearted life comes through a lifestyle that is willing to risk being vulnerable with our own hidden darkness, shame and failings. It is in such honesty that we begin the road to healing and freedom.

The journey of becoming a wholehearted worshipper and warrior will require authenticity, risk, and vulnerability. At Worshipper&Warrior, we believe that this road must be traversed in the company of others. It is in relationship with other mutually vulnerable men, our bloodstained allies, that our heart comes alive with faith and hope. It is in learning to face and be real about the dark places of our heart that we can grow into wholehearted living. This is a dangerous road! But this is the life God created you to experience. Join us at one of our events, start reading our blogs, and learn the way of a worshipper and warrior.

On the Road,

Steve
Founder

Psalm 144

The theme of worshipper and warrior can be found within Psalm 144. God put the author, David, through his own spiritual boot camp. This psalm speaks of the heart of God in training men to be wholehearted:

The Warrior

1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—
2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.
7 Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

The Worshipper

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 The One who gives salvation to kings,
Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—

The Result

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;
13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;
14 That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

About the Founders

Steve Holt

Steve is a husband of one, father of seven, and a lover of God and creation. Steve met his wife, Liz, smuggling Bibles into China. They married and were missionaries in Japan before coming back to the States for seminary and church planting in Colorado. Steve’s heart comes alive while writing, hunting, fly fishing, reading history, and hanging out by a fire with a group of guys. He loves teaching his kids the adventure of following Christ. He has a passion for teaching God’s Word and building men into worshippers and warriors of Christ. Steve has published two books, The God-Wild Marriage and Worshipper Warrior.

Ryan Styre

Graduate of Arizona State University, Ryan served in the financial industry as a vice president and personal trust officer for 14 years. In April of 2015, he transitioned into full-time ministry as a pastor for The Road.

Ryan is married to Mandi and they have four children. The Styre’s enjoy adventuring together in the beautiful wilderness of Colorado; hiking, biking, skiing and seeking God’s presence.

Our Story

Probably the best phrase for the creation of this ministry would be “a road less traveled.” Ryan and I never anticipated that when God was speaking about planting a church, we also might be planting a men’s ministry.

Both Ryan and I were quite broken at the time. I had resigned from the church I had pastored for twenty years, and Ryan was in a major transition from his lifework (at least that’s what he thought at the time) as a trust officer in a bank. Both of us were hearing from God that He had a new road for us to travel.

During this time, I was writing a document (that would become a book) on the journey of David. The title Worshipper and Warrior seemed to fit the character of David and it was through this document that God gave us the vision to do a “retreat” with men. We didn’t want to call it a retreat; we liked the word “advance” better. Hence, we launched out on our first advance, The Wholeheart Advance in 2015 with eight-one guys.

Little did we realize that this advance would become so popular. We have now done seven Wholeheart Advances. Thus, the Worshipper Warrior Men’s Ministry was launched, and we have done the Wholeheart Advance, Wildernesss Encounter, Worshipper Warrior Intensive, and weekend breakfasts for men, all across the U.S.

If you want to learn more about the different ministry opportunities we can provide for your church, explore the website and contact us.

Whole Heart! Live Free!

Dr. Steve Holt

Ryan Styre