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Fatherhood On Tap was founded in 2023 in Bloomington-Normal, IL after years of dedicated procrastination and false starts. Our goal is simple: let's build a generation of men who are a living image of God's fatherly love and mercy. Simple enough, eh?

 

Our first meeting was held at Casper Brewing Co in Bloomington, IL on November 19, 2023. We kicked it off with Timothy R. Olsen as the presenter, Francesco Vetri as the Emcee, and Mike Long on guitar, and that team carried the baton through Year 1 of the work. They were supported by a team of Schoenstatters from Bloomington-Normal (Rob Anderson, David Demboski, Tim Hendrickson, Tom Hendrickson, Kelsey Robson, Matt Ryan, Luke Swantek, among others) and supported from afar by Fr. Mark Niehaus (Schoenstatt) and Tim's spiritual director, Fr. Thomas Duncan (Brothers of St. John). The mission statement Tim had received in prayer and brought to the group was to 'facilitate an encounter with the Father'. So, they gathered in a bar, grabbed a beer... and gave it a shot.

 

The topics for 'Fatherhood On Tap: Year 1' came from Schoenstatt and were ones that had been particularly effective in Tim's journey of rediscovering a Childlike Adoration of the Father. Basically, we took the core topics of Schoenstatt (fundamentals of the Catholic faith) and used them to try to bring men into a deeper encounter with God the Father. The hope was that if it was an adequate gift to the Father, and He approved of it, that He would send His spirit upon them and bring them into that deeper encounter. 

 

The topics in Year 1 were:

1. The importance of the Father and fatherhood in our world

2. Trusting in the Father (Trust in Divine Providence)

3. A Childlike Soul is the Joy of the Father (Childlikeness Before the Father)

4. His Only Begotten Son (Everyday Sanctity and the Capital of Grace/Carrying your cross)

5. A Marian Father is a Tender Father (Marian Devotion and dedication to our marriage)

6. The Father He Created You to Be (Finding your Personal Ideal, who he created you to be)

7. Go Build a Domestic Church! (the Homeshrine, Forming a Family Order)

 

One topic was skipped in Year 1 due to time and fit:

1. The Father's Forgiveness (Tim thinks this could replace the first talk in later years)

 

The fruit we hope for in this work is men with tears of joy in their eyes and peace in the midst of hardship, who would have the strength to carry the weight of fatherhood in this often hostile world, through a Childlike love and dependence on Him.

 

The initial plan for Year 2 is to offer testimonial talks by a different man every month on these topics (similar to Cursillo or ACTS) but with a particular emphasis on the men's experience of fatherhood (their own fatherhood and that shown by their father figures - good and bad). Add music, time for discussion, and good brew, and you have Fatherhood On Tap. But, the team reserves the right to call an audible and try anything else that might better 'facilitate an encounter with the Father'. We are still in Beta Testing, so please excuse our construction process :).

 

The father's love is the only true balm for the wounds of this world. His love is what we were made for. Let's build a generation of men that are an image of Him in the midst of this world, images of the Father's love and mercy. Pray for us! Encourage us! Support us!

 

It's His fatherhood that needs to be on tap here. HIS! Our fatherhood flows from His. And His fatherhood changes everything! - Tim Olsen (Founder)