This year’s Men of Steel Conference will focus on fatherhood.

“This year’s theme is something where if you are a father you fall into two categories,” Organizer Chris Jackson said. “One being you can always do better and two, you need to do better.”

Jackson is hoping to reach a new generation of men that saw a majority of their parents go through a divorce.

“The younger generation is the divorce generation,” Jackson said. “And what we are seeing now is that generation is starting to have kids of their own. We are just now learning what that has done and one of the issues that is hurting is the area of fathering. We all need to be fathered. So, we will be talking a lot about that.”

The guest speakers for the Men’s Conference are Jeff Kemp, Dr. Michelle Watson, Brad Stine and Michael Adler.

Kemp is a former NFL quarterback from 1981 to 1992.

In 2012, Kemp joined FamilyLife as a vice president and catalyst for helping others. FamilyLife is a national ministry leader in marriage conferences, radio outreach and empowering resources to heal and strengthen families. Jeff founded and led Stronger Families in the Pacific Northwest from 1993 to 2010. Stronger Families united communities around strengthening marriages and today assists military and high-stress couples in protecting their marriages. He has also authored a book called Facing the Blitz.

Watson hosts a radio program called “The Dad Whisperer.” In January 2010, she founded The Abba Project where she leads dads of daughters ages 13 to 30 to dial in with more intention and consistency in their heart space. She has written a book for dads of daughters titled, “Dad, Here’s What I Really Need from You: A Guide for Connecting with Your Daughter’s Heart.” And is currently in the process of completing her second book with scripts for dads to equip them to strategically lead their daughters into conversations that matter. She has a bachelor’s in biblical education from Multnomah University, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Lewis and Clark College and a Ph.D. in health psychology from Walden University.

Stine is a Christian comedian that has been a regular live social commentator on Fox & Friends every Monday morning for six months. He has been featured in the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He has been profiled on NBC Nightly News, HBO, Showtime, CNN, Glenn Beck, Hannity and Colmes, NPR’S Fresh Air, ABC Nightline TWICE, MTV, and Comedy Central. He has had material published in Readers Digest and Focus on the Family magazine.

Stine has five original DVDs featuring his comedy, and has written two books, Live from Middle America; Rants from a Red-State Comedian, published by Hudson Street Press and Being a Christian Without Being an Idiot.

He has appeared in numerous films as an actor and producer including, Persecuted, Christmas With a Capital C, My Many Sons, Welcome to Paradise, Sarah’s Choice, Homeless for the Holidays, Marriage Retreat, and many more to come.

He tours nationally on a regular basis performing in clubs, churches, and fundraisers for Crisis pregnancy centers, ministries and conservative causes and candidates.

Adler is the worship pastor from Shades Mountain Baptist Church. He joined the staff at Shades in March of 2001. He oversees, creates and facilitates worship environments for all Shades endeavors. He is a published songwriter, arranger and producer with professional credits including Promise Keepers, TRUTH, the Billy Graham Association, and Lifeway among others and is a frequent guest worship leader and speaker at conferences and conventions across the U.S., and abroad. He has also served in an advisory capacity and guest teacher for several major Christian universities and seminaries in the areas of worship leadership and the local church.

Jackson said that 800 people participated in last year’s conference and he is hoping for the same turnout this year.

“We know that we are geographically challenged,” Jackson said. “So, we are very happy with that number. To us, it’s not about the number of men that attend, because if we just reach one man then that is all that matters.”

He hopes that men walk away from the conference with the information on how to be a better father.

“Even those that are not fathers yet,” Jackson said. “They can still come and have a better plan for when they do become a father.”

There will be free food provided at the tailgate event on August 2, at 5 p.m., and tickets are $25.

The conference is August 2 and 3, at the Kiwanis Community Center.

For more information, contact Mark Perry at 334-488-1129, or email mark@therealironworks.org.