Recently at Emissary Way
Equipping families. Strengthening relationships. Building intentional leaders.
From equipping Parent-Leaders to serving marriages, this season has given us meaningful opportunities to strengthen the relationships that shape families and future generations.
Awakening the Parent-Leader in You
5-Week Experience | Grace Family Church, Land O’ Lakes
Equipping Parents to Lead with Greater Intention
We recently completed our third semester of Awakening the Parent-Leader in You, a five-week experience designed to help parents and caregivers recognize the influence they already carry and become more intentional about how they lead at home.
Over five weeks, participants explored biblical principles, practical tools, and meaningful conversations around identity, character, leadership, and preparing children for adulthood.
We are grateful for another group of Parent-Leaders who accepted the challenge to lead their families with greater faith, purpose, and intentionality.
Week 1 - “Left feeling motivated and convicted – love this!”
Week 3 – “I left aware and motivated to fight the enemy.”
Week 5 – “My children respect me more. There’s a lot less yelling.”
Interested in bringing Awakening the Parent-Leader in You to your church, organization, or community?
Weekend to Remember | Tampa
FamilyLife Marriage Getaway | Tampa, Florida
Celebrating 10 Years of Serving Marriages, Strengthening Families, and Supporting Our Military Community
For ten years, we have had the privilege of serving couples at FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway in Tampa, encouraging husbands and wives to intentionally invest in their relationships and to strengthen their families’ foundation.
This year's event brought together hundreds of couples at different stages of their journeys, from those preparing for marriage to those celebrating more than 50 years together. We witnessed meaningful moments of reconnection, renewed commitment, and restoration, underscoring that every marriage deserves intentional care and investment.
As members of the Tampa Military Ministry Team, we also had the honor of hosting a special breakout session for active-duty, National Guard, Reserve, and veteran couples. Military life presents unique challenges, including deployments, separation, transitions, and the demands of service. As a military family, we understand the importance of creating opportunities for connection, encouragement, and community among those who serve.
For us, this decade of service reflects a conviction at the heart of Emissary Way: leadership begins at home. Strong marriages build strong families, and strong families strengthen our communities. We remain grateful for every opportunity to serve couples, support military marriages, and demonstrate the principles of faith, servant leadership, and intentional living.
Strong marriages are worth the investment. Strong families are worth the commitment.
Emissary Way at the Get LIFTED Women’s Conference 2026
A conversation about intentional parenting, leadership at home, prayer, and preparing the next generation for adulthood.
THE EXPERIENCE
Emissary Way joined women at the 2026 Get LIFTED Women’s Conference for a day of meaningful conversation centered on leadership at home, intentional parenting, faith, and preparing the next generation for adulthood.
Throughout the conference, attendees engaged with author and educator Sonya D. Ferreira, explored Rites of Passage and Pathways to Purpose, shared prayer requests, reflected on their leadership at home, and discovered resources designed to help families lead with greater intentionality.
ONE QUESTION. MANY REFLECTIONS.
We invited attendees to answer one question:
“What is one word to describe your leadership at home?”
Throughout the conference, the board became a collective reflection on what leadership within the family can look like.
Faith • Prayerful • Encouraging • Intentional • Peace • Blessed • Family
What word would you add?
An Appearance on
'Good Day Tampa Bay'
Photo by Elijah Ferreira.
Featured Media Appearance
Sonya D. Ferreira on FOX 13’s Good Day Tampa Bay
Sonya D. Ferreira joined Charley Belcher live on FOX 13’s Good Day Tampa Bay, representing Emissary Way and sharing the message behind Rites of Passage: Raising Sons to Be Men of Standard. The appearance introduced a broader Tampa Bay audience to Sonya’s work and the importance of intentionally preparing the next generation through character, identity, purpose, and meaningful rites of passage.
"Preparing the next generation requires more than celebrating their achievements. It requires intentionally preparing them for who they are becoming."
"Behind the Appearance"
Photo by Elijah Ferreira.
Sonya D. Ferreira with Charley Belcher and fellow authors during the Good Day Tampa Bay visit.
An Appearance on 'Better for Today'
Parent Leadership & Rites of Passage: A Conversation with Al & Carmen Meyers
In this powerful Better for Today conversation, David and Sonya Ferreira sit down with Al and Carmen Meyers to explore what it truly means to lead as parents in a world where the next generation often struggles to find direction, identity, and purpose.
Together, they unpack the critical role of intentional parent leadership and explain why families must move beyond passive parenting toward purposeful guidance that shapes character, conviction, and legacy. At the center of the discussion is the transformative power of rites of passage—not as tradition alone, but as a structured, meaningful process that helps young people transition into adulthood with clarity, confidence, and responsibility.
This conversation challenges parents to rethink their role—not just as caregivers, but as mentors, leaders, and legacy builders—who model values, set standards, and create defining moments that mark growth and identity. From practical insights to deeper reflections on faith, family, and formation, this dialogue highlights how intentional leadership at home can shape generations.
If you are committed to raising purposeful children, strengthening your family culture, and building a lasting legacy, this is a conversation you should tune in to.
Honoring the Journey:
- Manhood Challenge -
As Father’s Day approaches, I find myself reflecting not only on the role of fathers—but on the sacred journey from boyhood to manhood. This moment of reflection inspired the Manhood Challenge, a call to celebrate, honor, and uplift the men who live with intention, integrity, and love.
In the spirit of Rites of Passage: Raising Sons to Be Men of Standard, I want to honor that passage—the deeply personal, yet profoundly communal, journey that young men take toward embracing their full identity as men.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
The transition from child to man is not a single moment—it is a series of life lessons, defining choices, and moments of accountability that shape a boy into a man. When we showcase men who are present, nurturing, and principled, we are not simply telling stories—we are helping shape the future.
Men matter. Fathers matter. So do sons, brothers, uncles, mentors, and coworkers. Their influence ripples through generations, quietly forming the moral backbone of homes, communities, and nations.
But it’s important to remember—this is not a competition.
Our world does not need another gender war. What it needs is collaboration—a recognition that men and women, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, were never meant to be pitted against each other. We were made to co-exist in mutual support, not rivalry. Our differences are real, but they should never be divisive.
Standing in My Power—and Recognizing Theirs
As a mother, a woman, and a leader, I have grown more comfortable standing in the fullness of my femininity and strength. This comfort gives me the confidence to say: I see you, men who lead with love. I honor you.
To the men raising children with tenderness and teaching strength through service.
To the mentors guiding young minds with patience.
To the fathers and father figures showing up every day, in big ways and small—thank you.
This year, I choose to publicly celebrate men who are championing REAL manhood, not with noise or ego, but through the way they love, lead, and live.
So here’s my invitation—my challenge, really. I am calling on men of all ages and all walks of life to reflect on and respond to one question:
What moment or life experience made you realize you had stepped into manhood?
In 20 words or less, or in a 20-second video, share your story then challenge a few brothers, mentors, fathers, or friends to do the same.
Use your influence and voice to inspire another man in his manhood journey. Your story may remind someone they are not alone in this journey. It is time to lift up examples of positive leadership our world desperately needs to see. So, flood your feeds with real talk, real growth, and real honor to REAL men. Together, we can build a culture that raises our standard of honor—not just for Father’s Day, but every day.
Join the Movement
Post your response on social media and tag it with:
#EmissaryWay #ManhoodChallenge #ManhoodMoment #Fatherhood2025
