FULLY AUTHORIZED: Introducing The "Samson Society Council"

 

The No Bull Briefing: The Monthly Newsletter of the Samson Society

 

THE SLOW WORK I used to think my drug of choice was pornography. Turns out my real addiction was speed — the desperate need to make bad feelings go away right now. Impatience, impulsiveness, a rock-bottom tolerance for discomfort: these weren’t side effects of my addiction, they were the engine of it. Twenty-eight years into recovery, I’m still in remedial class on this one. Allie and I are older now, and aging and cancer have ways of putting a bullhorn to a lesson I thought I’d learned. Like it or not, there’s no hack for a body that heals on its own schedule and not one minute sooner, no matter how many YouTube videos I watch at 2 a.m. convinced I’ve found the one weird trick doctors don’t want you to know. The same was true, on a much deeper level, for Allie’s healing from my betrayal. I wanted it finished. I wanted her to feel safe again by Tuesday. Every time I tried to hurry that process along — with the right words, the right gesture, the right grand romantic overture — I only slowed it down. Real trust doesn’t arrive faster because you knock on the door harder. What recovery actually gave me wasn’t a cure for impatience. It gave me a practice: one day at a time, trusting that whatever I feel — dread, grief, even joy — will pass, and that healing that comes slowly is still healing. Some things simply cannot be rushed. Least of all, apparently, me. — Nate Larkin Hey guys, I am getting amped up about our summit in October. I’ve had some great conversations with John Lynch, our main speaker, and he is putting some great effort into our time. John has always been so good at articulating how the gospel gives us the opportunity to discover a transformative identity in Christ. But at the summit this year we are going to tie that importance into the recovery walk and story work. In other words, we are going to be building bridges between what we believe in the pews and Bible studies and what we believe when guilt, shame, and condemnation come gnawing at our souls in the darkest hours of the night. Basically, we’ve all got a narrative running in our heads about who we are and what we are worth. Those stories are generally rooted in and anchored to our past experiences. It may be in childhood experiences, wounds, betrayals, loneliness, perceived failure, or struggles with sin and utter failures. All of those voices are so loud, demanding our attention and capturing our identities. How we tie our faith into our recovery and community walks is not just important; it’s vital. That’s what we are going to be working through in Michigan this fall. I can’t wait. If you haven’t signed up yet, the details are below. Do the planning team a solid and make your arrangements today so we know who all is coming and how to get ready for you. And remember, if you want to come a day early for some time with your brothers and a little heart preparation, that is available to you as well. Hoping to get to hang with you all in the fall (yes, I know, it rhymed, and was awesome). Aaron COME TO THE SAMSON SUMMIT What if you gave yourself a weekend to step away from the noise and remember what matters most? The 2026 Samson Summit is October 23–25 at Faholo Conference Center in Grass Lake, Michigan. It’s a weekend of truth, grace, and brotherhood—a place to drop the masks, tell the truth, laugh with other men, and experience the freedom that comes from not having to do this alone. This year, we’re honored to welcome John Lynch as our keynote speaker, along with teaching, small groups, conversations, walks, fun activities, and plenty of time gathered around the campfire. Come for the teaching. Come for the brotherhood. Come because sometimes you need to get out of your normal environment to see your story—and yourself—differently. And if you can’t make it to Michigan, you can JOIN US VIRTUALLY for the Summit from wherever you are. Come as you are. Bring the parts of your story you’ve learned to hide. See them through the lens of grace. Register Today!   Want to help a brother attend? Click here to donate to our Summit scholarship fund! NO BULL ABOUT THE MONEY A few guys have told us recently that they’d like more transparency about Samson House finances. I think they’re right. Samson House exists to serve the Samson Society, and the guys who support this work deserve to know where the money comes from and where it goes. So here are the numbers: Through September 2, Samson House has received about $212,000 and spent about $226,000. That puts us roughly $14,000 in the red for the year so far. Our biggest expense is people: about $118,600 in salaries and wages, a little over half of everything we spent. After that, about $21,000 on the Harbor, $15,000 on office, technology and website costs, and $9,600 on travel. Samson House also handles Sarah Society funds, and those run through our books on both sides. Counted as a whole program rather than a calendar year, that retreat is running about $13,700 short of its registrations. As of August 31, we had about $56,000 in the bank. Of that sum, $35,000 is held in reserve to pay for the Summit and $21,000 to cover upcoming fees for the website and app. We also own the Harbor, carried on our books at $690,000 with about $343,000 remaining on the loan. It brought in $28,000 in rent this year. There’s considerably more detail behind those numbers, and we’ve put it on the app for anybody who wants to look under the hood. But we’re also going to make this kind of report a regular feature. You shouldn’t need a finance degree — or an invitation to a board meeting — to have a reasonable idea of how Samson House is doing. --Nate Donate View this email in your browser.

You are receiving this email because you've previously supported or subscribed to emails from Samson House. Unsubscribe here. Samson House 412 Washington Ave, Mount Pleasant, TN 38474, USA

Recommended Reading

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/take-a-risk-for-life-and-fruitfulness

Recommended Reading

 Confess and Forsake | Desiring God

Recommended Reading

 Family Prayer Is Inconvenient and Worth It | Desiring God

Recommended Reading

 The Key to Happiness Is Self-Forgetfulness

Recommended Reading

 Raising Kids in the Faith Is Simpler Than You May Think

Recommended Reading

 How porn has broken sex for young people

Recommended Reading - Desiring God

Sin Will Find You Out | Desiring God

"The No Bull Briefing" - Samson Society Newsletter

Notes from Nate: THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN Sitting nervously in my very first 12-step meeting, I heard the host say, "We have no dues or fees, but we do have expenses, and we are self-supporting through our own contributions." He then dropped a dollar in a basket and passed it to the man on his left. I reached for my wallet. When the basket got to me, I ceremoniously dropped in a $10 bill. The man on my left reached into the basket, counted out $9, and handed them back to me. Smiling, he whispered, "It's a buck a meeting. Best deal in town." That was nearly 30 years ago. The standard contribution today is $3, but it's still the best deal in town. And because everyone contributes, every major 12-step organization can hire a few employees to support its many volunteers. When we started the Samson Society in 2004, we didn't bother passing a basket. There were only 12 of us, and we met at the church for free. But as Samson grew, expenses started to accumulate - a website, retreats, phone bills. I covered most of them myself for the first dozen years. Then in 2018, we launched the online meetings, and Samson exploded. Suddenly we needed staff. Fortunately, another brother stepped in to cover expenses for the first year, and a few more eventually joined him. We would make an appeal at the end of each annual retreat, and a few more contributions would come in - just enough to pay the bills. In those days, the expenses of the entire fellwoship were covered by roughly 10% of its members. Believe it or not, the ratio still holds. Of the 3,027 members registered on the new app, exactly 205 have taken the step of becoming Supporting Members. For 20 years, the same 10% has carried this fellowship on its shoulders. And the cost of today's Supporting Membership? Brace yourself - it's $7.95 a month. That's what keeps the lights on: the app, the online meeting infrastructure, the small staff who answer your emails and keep the groups running. If Samson has helped you, or someone you love, please consider joining the 300. You can become a member today by clicking the button below. $7.95 a month. Still the best deal in town. To everyone who already gives: thank you. You are the reason this works. Nate Larkin Samson Society Founder Become a Sustaining Member Financial Update Dear Friend of Samson House: Thank you. Every prayer, every gift, and every encouraging word you have sent over these first four months of 2026 has helped carry this work forward. You are a real part of what God is doing through Samson House, and we want you to see clearly how your generosity has been at work. This update is meant to be simple and honest - not an accounting lecture. Below you'll find what it costs to keep things going each month, what came in, where we stand year-to-date, and a few ways you can continue to walk with us. The Big Picture: Year-to-Date Here is the four-month snapshot at a glance. "Need" is what it actually cost to operate; "Received" is what came in from all of you. Through April, donations have covered 69.5% of what it costs to run Samson House. That means for every $1.00 we needed, your generosity provided $0.69 - leaving a gap of about $0.31 on every dollar. Month-By-Month Picture The bars below show what came in (teal) next to what it cost to operate (gold) for each month. The red dashed line is the average monthly need. Why There's a Gap Right Now On average, it costs about $34,116 a month to keep things running, and donations have been averaging around $23,707 - leaving roughly $10,409short most months. A meaningful piece of that shortfall is timing, not loss. About $39,002.50 of our spending so far this year went towards retreats - venues, food, deposits, materials. Those costs land before retreat registration income comes in, so the books show a gap in the months when bills are paid even though registrations help close it later. February and April look especially steep on the chart for exactly that reason. The rest of the gap is the day-to-day cost of doing the work: people, facilities, the app and website, and the small line items that add up. How You Can Help There are two simple ways to walk with us financially. Both matter, and they cover different parts of the work: Become a Supporting Member - $8/Month Supporting members give $8 a month through the app. Yes, members get access to some extra content, but please don't sign up just for the perks. The real reason we ask is that those monthly subscriptions are what keep the app and website running. Hosting, software, payment processing, and the tools that let us reach people online are funded by Supporting Members. If you've been blessed by anything we've put out there, this is the most direct way to keep it online. Give to the Rest of the Work Supporting Members dollars keep the digital doors open. Everything else - staff, facilities, retreats, outreach, the everyday work - is funded by one-time and recurring donations from people like you. Any amount helps close the monthly gap. Recurring monthly giving (at any level) is especially helpful because it lets us plan ahead instead of guessing. Our Mission & A Prayer Samson House exists to walk alongside the people God brings to us - through hospitality, programs, retreats, and the every day work that makes hard seasons survivable. Every gift, every subscription, and every prayer is a vote of confidence in that work. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3 Will you pray with us? Pray for the people we serve, for the staff who give their days to this work, and that the Lord would continue to provide what is needed - month-by-month, dollar-by-dollar, prayer-by-prayer. If you would like to be a part of our support team, click the button below: Donate We've got a lot of great opportunities coming up to hang out with your brothers coming up. We have a weekend in Italy with our European men, a walk in England at the end of June, a "story work" canoeing trip in Missouri in July, and intensive with Jim Cress in Oklahoma in August, and of course our ANNUAL SUMMIT in October in Michigan. Don't miss out! Click the link below to see the details for all upcoming events: Learn More View this email in your browser.