David Shepard — Co-Founder / Leader

I am one of the two original co-founders of Reviving US, which began in May 2009 when a small group of men — including co-founder Matt Marooney — chose to look honestly at their own hearts instead of defending them. What started inside Celebrate Recovery at 12Stone Church grew into a place where men could pursue real heart transformation before Christ.

My journey into this work was personal long before it became leadership. I came into marriage ministry while walking through separation, divorce, and the deep work of learning how to take responsibility for my own heart. During that season I served with God Save My Marriage Ministry, helping on men’s marriage calls and supporting husbands who were trying to find their way forward.

Over time, God used both training and experience to shape how I lead. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Counseling from Cornerstone University and became a Professional Clinical Member and Certified Temperament Counselor through the NCCA. I have also completed Elijah House School of Ministry courses 201 and 202 and was ordained as a Pastor in 2014.

But more than titles or training, my conviction is simple: heart transformation changes everything. When a man’s heart changes, the entire atmosphere of his life and home can change.

My passion is helping men walk honestly with God, face their patterns without fear, and learn how to lead from a restored heart. I don’t ask men to become someone else — only to become the man God created them to be.

Clay Meek — Leader

In the spring of 2011, after nearly 30 years of marriage, my wife Susan sat me down and told me she deserved to be loved and deeply cherished as God created her to be — and that if I wasn’t willing to grow and truly connect, our marriage would end.

Over the years, she had asked me to join her in counseling, and I went — but I didn’t realize how much trouble our marriage was actually in. That conversation was a wake-up call I didn’t see coming, but one I clearly needed.

I took it seriously. I joined a men’s group at 12Stone Church and began doing the work of growing emotionally. Through the guidance of other men who had walked this path before me, I started learning how to open up, serve authentically, and become the husband Susan needed.

Over time, our marriage was transformed.

Today, we have a relationship that is steady, connected, and genuinely enjoyable. We not only share life together — we even run a business side by side. What we have now is something we had to build, not something we stumbled into.

It is an honor to now walk with other men on that same journey — helping them grow, take responsibility, and become the men God created them to be.

Jim Pawson — Leader

In 2008 my marriage was all but over. I was overly frustrated that the woman I absolutely loved was not responding, and I didn’t understand why. I had my marriage all wrong and was certain it was not my fault that we were failing.

I felt overwhelmed and confused, but mostly guilty and full of shame because of my behavior — behavior that was destroying my marriage, my life, and the people I loved.

I didn’t know what to expect when I joined the group. I only knew that everything I was doing was failing, and the tighter I tried to grip my wife and my life, the more everything seemed to slip through my fingers. I was willing to try anything.

Because of my life experience related to marriage, I thought I had it all figured out. I learned early on that what I believed was normal was not healthy and was not God’s intended plan for marriage.

Before my marriage could change, my understanding of what it means to love my wife like Christ loves the Church had to change. How I listened, how I cared for her heart, and how I learned to die to my selfish needs all had to be rebuilt.

The wife I once thought I would never understand — the one I believed I could never live in harmony with — has become the wife of my dreams. And I have become the husband, father, and man that God intended me to be.

This men’s group not only helped restore my marriage, but shaped the rest of my life and my relationships with my children and loved ones. After making so many mistakes and living with frustration for so many years, Reviving US opened my heart and mind and gave me tools that changed everything. Since 2011, I have gladly answered God’s call to share my journey with others. Helping men walk free from frustration, anger, guilt, and shame has become an important and blessed part of my life.

If your marriage has left you feeling frustrated, or if divorce seems like the only option, you are not alone. If you feel like you’ve tried everything you know to try and nothing is working, I encourage you to come and see what it looks like to try it God’s way.

Paul Mayo — Leader

In 2008, my marriage was in a tailspin. I could feel and see the end coming… and it would eventually become the end of my third marriage. We were separated, living apart, and still fighting. At that point, we had spent as much time apart as we had together, and divorce felt inevitable.

I was angry, scared, and desperate. I was trying to hold on to the idea of marriage more than the reality of it. My identity and validation were tied to the relationship. If my wife was in a bad mood, my whole world felt off. If she was happy, everything felt safe. It didn’t matter how I treated her or how she actually felt — what mattered was my perspective and how I thought I was being treated. I was insecure, immature, and threatened by anything I couldn’t control.

When I first walked into the group, I thought I had it figured out. I expected to come in, win people over, prove my point, and ultimately save my marriage. I was convinced I was right.

What hit me early on was hearing that I was narcissistic and manipulative. Later, I realized I was operating with a victim mindset and making decisions out of fear instead of love. That was hard to hear — but it was true.

Before anything changed in my marriage, something had to change in me. My perspective shifted. I started to see clearly. I wasn’t living from a place of fear and shame anymore, but I also wasn’t hiding from truth. I became teachable. I wanted to grow. I wanted my head and my heart to finally align.

Our marriage today looks completely different than it did before. Back then, I was carrying wounds I didn’t understand, and those wounds came out as anger, control, and fear. I thought strength meant being right, being loud, or being in charge. Now I understand that real strength is the ability to listen, to pause, and to take responsibility.

We communicate now instead of reacting. We talk about things we used to avoid. When something hurts, we say it instead of letting it turn into resentment. I’ve learned to recognize what I’m feeling before it becomes anger, and over time, my wife has seen through my actions that the change is real.

Trust didn’t come back overnight. It was rebuilt slowly through consistency and patience. What we have now feels steadier and more real than anything we had before. This didn’t happen by chance — it came through hard work, honesty, and a willingness to change. Now we choose each other on purpose.

I stayed to help other men because I know if I could change, anyone can. I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it. And it’s what makes me come alive — watching other men find peace, clarity, and restoration in their lives and families.

If you’re thinking about coming, I’ll be honest — this group might not be for you. Nobody is going to chase you down or convince you that you need it. But chances are, you need it more than you realize.

Most of us didn’t come because someone talked us into it. We came because we got tired of doing the same things and getting the same results. This only works if you actually want to be here.

You won’t be forced to talk. You won’t be pushed before you’re ready. But if the day comes when you’re willing to be honest with yourself, there will be a seat for you.

And for most of us, walking into that room became one of the turning points of our lives.