Defy the Clock: A Big Shift for Men’s Peer Groups

About this sermon

As many of you know, a while back we changed our name from Man Uprising to Men’s Peer Groups. Now, we’re completing that transformation—officially becoming a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Why? Because over the past few years of piloting men’s groups, one thing has become clear: we’re not just a business. We’re a mission. Our Mission: Defy the Clock Every 13 minutes, a man takes his own life in the United States. Around the world, the numbers aren’t much better. But suicide is only the extreme expression of something deeper—an epidemic of loneliness, purposelessness, disconnection, and the quiet despair of going it alone. Our mission is simple and defiant: Push the clock back to 14 minutes. That single minute means 2,888 more men alive every year—and countless others who never reach that brink. Because when men live with purpose, connection, and meaning, the world changes. -How We Do It We bring men together in community. Through Men’s Peer Groups and Men’s Peer Retreats, we create spaces where men can tell the truth, drop the mask, and discover meaning—not in isolation, but in brotherhood. We’re now running our sixth active peer group (five in Denver, one virtual) and have witnessed life after life transformed. And we’re just getting started. As a nonprofit, we’ll be expanding in two key ways: Partnering with mission-driven organizations—nonprofits, alumni networks, and conscious companies—to bring Men’s Peer Groups to their teams and communities. Growing our online and in-person network so that men everywhere can find what so many are missing: connection, meaning, and belonging. -Men’s Peer Retreats We’ve now hosted multiple retreats in the Rockies—three-day, immersive experiences where men gather face-to-face for reflection, ritual, and renewal. These retreats, occasionally including plant medicine, always include one thing: depth. They’ve been nothing short of transformative, and more are on the horizon. -The 13-Minute Mission Our broader initiative—The 13-Minute Mission—carries this same purpose forward through storytelling, publishing, and media. The 13 Minutes Podcast and blog explore the question: Why does every man need a why? I’m excited to announce that our first book under 13 Minutes Publishing—The Guy in the Glass: Six Questions to See the Man You Were Meant to Be—will launch in early 2026. It’s the first in a series designed to help men remember, reclaim, and live their why. As Viktor Frankl taught: “He who has a why can bear almost any how.” That’s my why. That’s MPG’s why. To help men—fathers, brothers, husbands, sons, friends—live theirs. -How You Can Help This mission is growing, and we need your help to fuel it. 1. Join or refer a man to a Men’s Peer Group. 2. Connect us with organizations that share our vision. 3. Support us through a tax-deductible donation at menspeergroups.com. 4. Share the story—because this isn’t just for men. It’s for everyone who loves them. And for the women reading this: Ariela continues to lead Soul Circles for Women through ArielaHaLevi.com. The work is different, but the purpose is shared—to heal, to connect, to rise. Thank you for walking this path with us—from our early Man Uprising days to this new, clear, purpose-driven chapter. We are building a movement, a community, and a mission to save lives—one man, one minute, one story at a time. Together, we can defy the clock. Together, we can push it back to 14. — Dr. Baruch “B” HaLevi Founder, Men’s Peer Groups Host, 13 Minutes Podcast bhalevi.com | menspeergroups.com