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From Men’s Ministry in the 21st Century, Group Publishing, 2004, chapter 1 (by Steve Soderman), with some of my own inclusions and comments.
- Men’s ministry is all about relationships.
- At least one man with another man.
- A man can be a part of a church of 1000 and still be alone and unaccounted for.
- How can we get men to connect in meaningful ways?
- How can we get men to help each other become all that God desires for them to become?
- Verses I love for Men’s Ministry: Proverbs 27:17, Isaiah 32:8, Philippians 3:13-15, and in my older years, 2 Timothy 4:7
- Problems with Men’s ministry.
- Led by one person with a passion: there needs to be a team of men’s champions.
- Based only on activities and events: hard to build necessary relationships.
- Based on random activities: without a strategy that involves high challenge leading to high commitment.
- Based on methods: a strategy with defined methods will come after focusing on necessary mentoring and discipleship relationships (life on life).
- Why Men’s Ministry is Needed in the Church.
- Men have many needs.
- Men are confuses on what godly masculinity means: and it is not buying into the current patriarchal system in churches today.
- American men are relationally bankrupt: they don’t have any real friends.
- American men are sexually addicted.
- American men are socially isolated.
- American men are spiritually searching.
- American men are morally confused.
- Men will come to know Jesus.
- American men vote with their feet and their absence.
- Traditional church is no longer appealing to men: so we need to go after them.
- Most people come to Jesus through a relationship with a follower of Christ: not a church program, event, preacher, or publication.
- Men will grow into following Jesus.
- Men cannot remain as spiritual infants: no more Peter Pan syndrome.
- Men deep to be intellectually challenged.
- Men need mentoring through godly male relationships and groups.
- Men need to be discipled: a man’s spiritual growth has largely been by accident.
- Men will get out of the pews.
- Men who are following Jesus have gifts (from the Holy Spirit) and abilities (natural talents) that can be utilized in the church.
- Men cannot be satisfied with sitting in the bleachers: they are designed to play in the game.
- Church was never intended to be a spectator sport: no more bench sitting.
- Men will build authentic relationships
- Following Jesus was never intended to be done solo: it’s about being on a team, called the church, in relationship with other men striving to become more like Christ and carry out God’s purposes in the world.
- Men can accomplish more together than they can by themselves.
- Men need relationships to challenge them to greater maturity and involvement.
- Men need the accountability of other trusted men to call them out when they are flirting with sinful activities.
- Men will become leaders
- Leadership is not being the one in charge, it is about servanthood, integrity, fidelity, and influence.
- Men’s ministry can shape a man’s character.
- Men’s ministry can spark a man’s passion to get involved in and stand up for something greater than himself.
- Men’s ministry is about helping men to become all that God desires for them to be.
- Men have many needs.
- Doing Ministry with a Purpose.
- If one does not have a goal, he will hit nothing all the time.
- One significant goal in life is to embrace one’s purpose: God’s global purpose.
- We don’t ask, “what is God’s purpose for my life?” That is the wrong question.
- We must ask, “What is God’s purpose, and how will I redirect my life around his purpose?”
- Our stating point is the Call if Jesus.
- Matthew 4:19 – answering the call of Jesus.
- Luke 9:23 – counting the cost of following Jesus.
- Matthew 28:18-20 – his last command should be our first concern. First GO, then…
- Make disciples
- Baptize
- Teach them all I have commanded you
- The purpose in men’s ministry has to be better than helping men to be better husbands, fathers, bosses, and employees: these are good but not the best.
- Developing a philosophy of men’s ministry.
- Pray – connect with God: Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12, 11:1
- Preach – connect with others: Matthew 9:9-13, Mark 2:15-17, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:4-26
- People matter to God.
- Evangelism is relationship building above all else.
- Events must be “bring someone with you” efforts.
- Establish – as Jesus build relationship he developed them into leaders, establishing them in the faith.
- Preaching may build the church but discipleship builds men.
- Spiritual formation happens when men of connected.
- Establish spiritual disciplines in their life.
- Establish a community of faith (modeling Paul, Timothy, and Barnabas).
- Establish the pattern of service: finding a place to serve before they find a place to sit and soak.
- Small groups are where relationships and spiritual growth happen.
- God’s Word is our only source for faith and practice: help men to read it and know it.
- Equip – this is all about developing leaders for now and the future (Mark 6:7-11, Luke 10:1-16).
- Be convinced about the priesthood of all believers: direct connection with God with soul competency before God.
- Workers and servants are built in relationships: men will often serve alongside an other men before he will ever sit across from one in a small group.
- Empower – this is developing men to continue long after I have gone.
- This is the most important thing you can do in a ministry.
- Keep in mind what is called, “the leadership pipeline,” investing in men’s…
- Character formation – the being.
- Competency development – the doing.
- Cognitive training – the knowing.
- Calling clarification – the focus.
- Chemistry – leading as a team.
- Communion – in relationship with God and others.
- Pastoral support is crucial.
- Include your pastor.
- Inform your pastor.
- Intercede for your pastor.
- Encourage your pastor.
- Develop a purpose statement.
- Make it memorable: one they can quote at gunpoint.
- Statement development.
- Study biblical passages: Matthew 28:19-20, Ephesians 4:11-12, Colossians 1:28, 2:6-7, 2 Timothy 2:2
- What themes come out of studying these passages?
- Evaluate the overall church purpose statement.
- Write a rough draft and tweak the statement.
- Communicate the statement to the church: personally, one to one, in publicity, in print, on the website.
- Build a prayer team.
- Find a group of men who will do the heavy lifting of prayer.
- Send prayer requests and praise reports to this team.
- Move forward and grow.
- Go slow.
- Start small.
- See your ministry as a process.
- Start with the men you already have.
- Build bridges to the next level of maturity.
- Provide a variety of open doors.
- Decentralize the ministry: the best ministry happens where men feel comfortable; and that’s not in the church but the marketplace or workplace.