Meet the Authors
How we met
Brian and Lew first met at our Surprise, Arizona, church’s men’s retreat called ‘Dude Challenge’ in the spring of 2020. Modeled on “The Man in the Mirror” by Patrick M. Morley, part of the event involved breakout study sessions in small groups where we could get to know one another more personally. The retreat was so moving that one of our members moved his family from Seattle, WA, to Surprise, AZ, to continue being part of the group and the church! After the retreat, the groups were encouraged to meet weekly to continue building our relationships and studying God’s word. Our group has stuck together since this event, and our book grew out of it.
Our
Story
Meet the Dudes
Our Dude Group
We are a diverse group, ranging from young to more mature individuals, some new to the Christian faith and others who have been in the church since childhood. Our members include former Catholics and converted pagans, individuals who have recovered from addiction, and those in recovery. We come from various backgrounds, including Wales, Hawaii, Italy, and other global localities. Some of us enjoy the thrill of speed on motorcycles or in cars, while others prefer the comfort of scooters and RVs. Our professions span salesmen, teachers, IT professionals, carpenters, tattoo artists, professional baseball players, and retirees. We have members with advanced degrees and others with high school diplomas. Our group also includes active-duty military and veterans from various service branches, some of whom have been in combat. What binds us together is our deep and unwavering love for Jesus and our shared belief in the Bible's transformative power. We view it as our guidebook and passport to better lives and relationships, regardless of our past actions.Our Dude group still meets weekly to study the Bible, pray for one another, fellowship, tell a joke or two, maybe three, or prod one another, but all support one another.
Our work is rooted in inclusivity and is not limited to any specific gender or group. While our material originated here, we are dedicated to creating resources that cater to everyone's needs, ensuring everyone can study and understand the Bible more deeply. We firmly believe that everyone should have access to tools to enrich their biblical understan trust that you will find our materials beneficial.
How The Book Came To Be
Our Dude Group asked us in December 2022 if we would lead a small group study on the Names of God. Taking this as divine direction, we agreed to take on the task. We were not biblical scholars, but we were educated enough to perform research and relate that to our audience. So, we dove into the task of researching the topic for an eight-week study for the Dudes. The group found the topic and the presentation to be unique, interesting, and engaging, indicating that they now have a deeper understanding of who God is from this study. They unanimously encouraged us to put the study in a book for reference and, more importantly, to share our research and findings with others for their small groups so they, too, can understand God more deeply. And so, after months of additional r