What is The Vanguard all about?

The Vanguard is a Christian men’s online discipleship community helping men grow in faith, leadership, and brotherhood through teaching, coaching, and accountability.

Facebook is built for distraction, not discipleship, it fragments your attention with endless noise and trains you to react instead of reflect. Intentional community requires protected space, because real brotherhood demands focus, presence, and accountability, not scrolling and posturing. Jesus “ordained twelve, that they should be with him,” and that kind of formation does not happen in an algorithm-driven feed. If you want entertainment, social media will do, but if you want transformation, you must step into community on purpose.

Because the Bible uses it, and because the Christian life is not a weekend obligation, it's a war. Jesus' church is not a pleasure yacht, it's a battleship. Scripture says, “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” and “we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” which means you are already in a fight whether you acknowledge it or not. Men resonate with battle language because God designed you for responsibility, risk, and protection, not passivity and comfort. The military feel is simply honest language for a spiritual reality, calling you to wake up, armor up, and lead with courage under the lordship of Jesus. We're at war and the battle is underway.

No, The Vanguard is not associated with any particular church, but exists to edify the body of Christ. While Anthony pastors Huikala Baptist Church in Honolulu, The Vanguard exists as a separate work designed to serve men across churches, backgrounds, and regions. The goal is not to pull you out of your church, but to sharpen you so you are battle-ready, stronger, more grounded, and more effective where God has placed you. This work is meant to complement, not compete.

Yes, and you should, your local church is God’s primary context for discipleship and accountability. But many men never experience deep, intentional brotherhood there because of time limits, surface-level engagement or a lack of focused men’s formation. The Vanguard does not replace your church, it supplements it by providing concentrated sharpening, clear expectations, and a band of brothers who push you beyond comfort. Think of it this way, your church is your home base, The Vanguard is advanced training “for the perfecting of the saints.”

Do we need another men’s ministry, maybe not, but we do need more real discipleship. Many men’s groups settle for comfort, hobbies, and shallow connection, cigars, craft beer, and conversation that never presses the soul. We’re focused on forming men who follow Jesus fully, lead their homes biblically, and think generationally about the legacy they are leaving. “The things that thou hast heard of me… commit thou to faithful men,” 2 Timothy 2:2, KJV. This isn’t about adding another activity, it’s about calling men to serious obedience and long-term faithfulness.

The difference is the setting, not the seriousness. Mastermind Coaching places you in a group of twelve men, where you are sharpened by shared wisdom, accountability, and perspective, while 1:1 Coaching gives you focused, personal attention tailored entirely to your situation. Both help you clarify your priorities, plan your work, and then actually work your plan with intention and follow-through.

The Vanguard Retreat is a four-day, Hawaii-based gathering for Christian men who are serious about leadership, legacy, and the lordship of Jesus Christ. It is not a vacation, it is intentional time set apart for biblical teaching, hard conversations, and forged brotherhood in an environment free from distraction. The retreat takes a holistic approach, preparing you to be battle ready physically, spiritually, and emotionally, because weak areas are often the enemy’s entry points.