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PART II - Instructions for Building a Successful Men’s Ministry
Ask God to send the leaders for the Men’s Ministry that
will honor Him. Ask God to help you recognize them when they arrive.
Some of the leaders that “show up” may act like they
were born in a barn - so was Jesus! Historically, wounded and healing
leaders are what God uses best.
Partner and pray regularly with:
God
The Men’s Ministry leadership team
Your Pastor
Ask God how we can honor and glorify Him via a Men’s Ministry?
Listen for the answer:
Still small voice
The Word of God
Other men
Circumstances
Do not create a strategy for Men’s Ministry and ask
God to bless it. Do seek God for His strategy for
Men’s Ministry in your church. Wait on the Lord - for as
long as it takes - to clearly know the first step. God typically
builds slow so as to establish a strong foundation. Furthermore,
God rarely gives more than one step at a time (faith walk).
We are constantly on a stretch, if not a strain, to devise new
methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the church and
secure enlargement and efficiency for the GOSPEL.... MEN are God's
method. The CHURCH is looking for better methods; God is looking
for better MEN.... The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods,
but through MEN. He does not empower machinery, but MEN. He does
not bless plans, but MEN of PRAYER
adapted from The Preacher and Prayer by E.M. Bounds
The key to effective prayer is an intimate relationship with God.
Likewise, the key to effective Men’s Ministry is an intimate
relationship with other Men who share a growing intimate relationship
with God.
Men’s Ministry is about relationships, not events, not tasks, not rules.
Praying together sets the pattern for a relationship-based Men’s
Ministry.
In Sid Woodruff’s “Success Strategies for Men’s
Ministry” (Lifeway), he highlights the importance of having
the church’s men’s ministry be founded and fueled
by prayer. The need for a men’s prayer team remains
constant even as other aspects of the ministry may change. So,
from the beginning, there must be a group of men gathering regularly
to pray for the needs of the their church and their men’s
ministry. Woodruff reminds us that “Men will grow weary without
the supernatural power of the Spirit of God, who grants wisdom,
encouragement and power for ministry to those who call upon Him.”
Do not overlook, at this stage, the critical role of an active
and supportive Pastor. He should feel strongly that having a successful
and growing men’s ministry is a key component of his ministry
and to the church’s growth and mission work. The Pastor should
be an active member of the men’s group and serve as its Spiritual
Advisor. Although he should not be totally relied on as the only
teacher and prayer leader, he should be called on at appropriate
intervals to teach and guide the men spiritually. A Men’s
Ministry that lacks the full support and/or involvement of the
Pastor risks being out of synch with the overall ministry of the
church, and undesired misunderstandings and divisions can result.
Distill the vision God gives you into a concise purpose statement.
A purpose statement ensures that your Men’s Ministry is “purpose” driven
instead of “event” driven by:
Maintaining the focus of “why” your Men’s
Ministry exists.
Assisting in decision making of what to do or not do.
As indicated previously, having a clear and agreed upon vision
and purpose for a church’s Men’s Ministry will help
it stay on track and focused on its strengths, and will serve as
the basis for decision-making regarding ministry direction. Your
vision and purpose statements should be concise, measurable, and
in harmony with church goals. We believe that they serve to define
the important Biblical parameters of your balanced ministry, and
to limit your activities to only those as defined by your clear
and agreed-upon purpose statement.
Men’s Ministry should be balanced – Ministry to Men
and Ministry by Men. Rather than simply gathering men to just eat,
fellowship and/or do work, men should first see their role as brothers
in Christ…. repenting, worshipping, praying, learning, sharing
together and helping each other to grow in Christ-likeness. The
Men’s Ministry should incorporate several methods for discipling
men to spiritual maturity. This can include making your monthly
meetings less business and program oriented, and more focused on
testimonies, teaching, praise and small group prayer. Separate
men’s Bible study groups should be established and encouraged.
Men should also be encouraged to come together weekly in small
accountability and prayer groups. These and other approaches will
help fulfill Proverbs 27:17 (“As iron sharpens iron, so one
man sharpens another.”)
This is commonly known as the Systems Approach to Training (SAT):
Analysis Phase
What do we want our men to become?
What knowledge and skills do they need to know in order to
become this?
Design Phase
What is the best way to teach our men these knowledge and skills?
How can we measure their progress?
Development Phase
Is there existing material we can use?
What is Ike’s phone number?
Implementation Phase
Publicize the start of the training.
Have an entry point periodically for new men.
Continuously offer the courses to move the men from spiritual
children to spiritual young men to spiritual
fathers.
Evaluation Phase
Ask for feedback from the men upon completion of each course.
Adjust the program based on feedback.
Pilot the development program on the Men’s Leadership Team.
All men must actively participate in the development program. No
grandfathering - all courses must be completed. Provide a means
of accelerated program completion for more mature believers (e.g.,
self study with accountability, on-line courses).
One of the major cornerstones of men’s ministry is evangelizing men
to salvation and into the church. As godly men, we are called by our Lord
to “go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark
16:15). The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is a clear command,
not a suggestion or optional assignment, to share Jesus with those around us.
This is God’s plan to “bring in the harvest.” Therefore, all
saved Christians are to share the message of salvation in our ungodly world,
leading the lost to the saving grace of Christ. Accordingly, a major element
of your Men’s Ministry is to encourage and equip each man to actively and
boldly evangelize the lost. We should all be actively sharing our faith with
others, particularly other men. It has been determined that when men accept Christ
and grow spiritually, over 90% of the families will follow. It is the greatest
gift we could ever give a friend, neighbor, co-worker or loved one. Your men
should participate regularly on the church Visitation Team and visit the homes
of new and prospective members as well as people who sign a visitor’s card
at one of your services. As men of God, growing in Christ, we should all prepare
ourselves to win others to Jesus and disciple them in their walk (1 Peter
3:15). Each man should be able to give his personal testimony and to present
the salvation story with appropriate supporting Scriptures. This is simply a
matter of obedience to God’s Word and personal commitment, prayer and practice.
Are you uncomfortable sharing the salvation story with a family member, friend
or others? There are several good programs and booklets that help with this process.
Each of us should be able to “Share Jesus Without Fear.”
We believe that men cannot “truly be on their feet for God unless they
first get on their knees before His throne.” This being our first priority,
we recommend several methods for discipling men to spiritual maturity, including
small accountability groups, weekly men’s Bible studies, one-on-one discipling,
etc. As the men grow spiritually, they are more willing to share their testimony,
discover and use their spiritual gifts, and lead their families in daily devotions.
Each and every Men’s Ministry meeting should start with praise, prayer,
testimonies, Biblical teaching and personal sharing before we focus on our
mission and outside ministries. Our emphasis is on Ministry to Men as well
as Ministry by Men.
Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done for me. I pray that I can grow
to be more like You every day. Thank you for my brothers who help and encourage
me. Through and for You, I will use the gifts You have given me to serve
those in need and to bring others to know You.
As they grow spiritually together, men will become internally motivated by
the Holy Spirit to read and obey God’s Word and to discover and activate
their spiritual gifts to serve others. This inside-out approach builds Biblical
men whose changed heart convicts them to become godly husbands and fathers
and to eagerly get involved in personal evangelism and local, national and/or
international missions.
Men will begin to devote much of their otherwise free, leisure time to working
for the Lord. As men grow in their walk with Christ, they are convicted by
His calling on their life. These spiritually maturing men activate their spiritual
gifts in ministry and service to others. Getting started in some of these mission
projects, especially those around the community, can be fantastic experiences
and blessings for the men. Once men get involved, and help people less fortunate,
their hearts are never the same. As men get a taste of mission work and continue
to grow spiritually, they will generally stay involved in outside missions.
As our Lord promised, “He will finish the good work started in us.” These
projects allow men to show Christ’s love and share Him with those they
are helping. Our Lord left no Christian man out in His distribution of gifts
and talents to do His work. None are more important than any other -the man
that cleans the kitchen is as special to our Lord as the man who does the teaching
or rebuilds the roof. All men are uniquely gifted and the leaders should help
each man discover his giftedness and use it in service for our Lord. Strive
to be a “gifts permissive” ministry, where you help and encourage
men to discover and use their unique gifts in ministry for God. Encourage men
to join one or more of the existing ministry teams or start a new one.
The men’s group in the church can sometimes be seen by other men of
the church to be one dimensional in its focus and mission work. This is often
unintentional and may result from the good efforts of a small group called
to a particular work. However, in order to have broad appeal to the men of
the church, the ministry should be seen as (and be) broad based in its outreach
and open to all men. Furthermore, men of the church and the surrounding community
often have different backgrounds, incomes, interests and needs. The Men’s
Ministry should establish ways (e.g. small groups) to reach out to, connect
with, and appeal to men of varying interests. Try to form special groups, activities
and ministries that will help your men connect with other men, whom they perceive
like themselves. These “comfortable” entry points will bring new
men into the ministry.
As Paul recorded in 1 Corinthians, God wants order in His church. Therefore,
men’s meetings should not be left to chance. Yes, it is true that through
prayer and seeking God’s direction, the Holy Spirit will guide the men’s
gatherings. However, prayerful preplanning, and developing a well-thought-out
agenda helps make Men’s Ministry meetings run smoothly and orderly, while
still allowing the Holy Spirit to flow freely in your gathering.
Everyone has their own opinions about the purpose, frequency and length of
meetings. The following represents what we believe works best for many. We
recognize there are several options to effective men’s meetings.
Men in the church should meet at least monthly to build trusting relationships,
through which they can help each other know and trust Christ and grow in His
likeness. A large monthly meeting is a good format for general fellowship,
personal testimonies, Bible teachings, business/mission project discussions,
and for bringing new men into the group. Meetings also provide a good forum
to discuss ways to support the spiritual growth of youth in the church, and
talk about ways to raise godly children and grandchildren in a godless society.
During meetings men can encourage each other to share their faith and discover
and use their unique spiritual gifts to serve others for Christ. A separate
regular prayer gathering of dedicated “prayer warriors” to specifically
pray for men and the Men’s Ministry is vital and perhaps the most
important aspect of our ministry.
The leadership team should meet one Saturday morning each month for a light
breakfast, a devotional, extended prayer time, and a meeting to discuss Men’s
Ministry business. The Saturday morning prayer time should be an intentional
prayer session in which you pray specifically for your Men’s Ministry
and special needs of your church and men. This small leadership team, typically
a small group of dedicated “prayer warriors,” including Men’s
Ministry leaders, the pastor, deacons and other men, should meet at the church
for this important prayer time. You might even consider a manly prayer walk
around the church following the prayer time and before the meeting. However,
other men might not join this type of group or may have legitimate work and
family conflicts on Saturdays. Consequently, a weeknight meeting (e.g., Tuesday
night) should be utilized for all men in the church and also open to men in
the community. We believe that the twice-a-month gatherings of your men represent
a good balance and frequency through which you can grow together as men of
God.
Important! One Ministry, Not Two!
Although we recognize men with young families may have somewhat different issues
than older men, we do not encourage two separate men’s groups
divided by age, interests, or meeting times. You should not have a separate
morning group and an evening group, a Baptist Men’s group and a Promise
Keeper group, a young men’s group and an older men’s group. You
should have only one Men’s Ministry with several sub-ministries. Therefore,
all interests, needs and giftedness can be addressed without splitting the
main body. We encourage all the men to attend every meeting their schedule
will permit and to place the Men’s Ministry and its activities high
on their priority list. Typically, the men who attend Saturday morning prayer
meetings will also attend Tuesday nights. Several men also participate in
weekly prayer, accountability, and Bible study groups.
How Long to Meet?
The big monthly gathering on Tuesday nights should include a dinner and last
about 2 hours (e.g., 6:30 to 8:30 PM). We believe one hour is too short and
any longer than 2 or 2 ½ hours is too long. Not everyone agrees, but
it works for us.
The word “meeting” is not really descriptive of what a monthly
men’s gathering should include. You could use terms like Worship Rally,
Fellowship Gathering, Prayer and Praise, Sharing Time, Mission Meeting, Prayer
and Program, etc. The point is that you should do all of these things every
time you meet monthly, and what you call it is not nearly as important as what
it is, why you do it and, of course, what God does with it.
Much of your growth and excitement will come from your focus on putting God
first, making sure that every meeting is also a worship service. A balance
of spiritual growth content and mission work discussion in your meetings is
about 2/3 and 1/3, respectively. We believe this effectively incorporates the “ministry
to men” ingredients of Promise Keepers with the “ministry by men” programs
of Baptist Men.
The following Key Elements should be incorporated into each monthly evening
meeting, normally in this order:
Fellowship Time, Blessing (and Dinner)
Praise and Worship -Standing and Singing Together
Prayer Requests and Opening Prayer
Welcome Guests and Brief Introductory Comments
Testimony/Devotional
Teaching from Scripture (spiritual development applied to men)
Pastor Comments
Small Group Prayer and Sharing Time (3 to 5 men groups)
Monthly Mandate Mission Video
Missions, Ministries and Youth Activity Reports -Ministry Team Leaders
Administrative Announcements
Final Song and Closing Prayer
This order of events in our gatherings prepares our hearts for the Holy Spirit
to convict us, teach us, and guide us. We can then continue to work together
to grow in Christ and be internally motivated by God to do His work. We believe
this is essential, as we stated earlier in this material.
Prepare and distribute an agenda for every meeting. While this may appear
unnecessary and overkill, the men will like the order and clarity it brings
to your meetings. While we attempt to stay on our agenda, we try not to rush
through our meeting or eliminate items through which Holy Spirit is leading
us.
As far as who does the teaching, pick those who are blessed and called to
teach (not just the Pastor) and men who step forward (with a week’s notice
or so) to give a testimony or devotional (their salvation story and/or what
God has been doing in their life).
During your regular monthly meetings, after the personal testimony and Bible
teaching, always break into small groups of 4 to 6 men for approximately 15
minutes for prayer and sharing. This gives men the opportunity to share prayer
requests and concerns or burdens that they may not be comfortable sharing in
a large assembled group. Men have said that this “small group” time
is often the highlight of our monthly men’s gathering.
An influential speaker at a Saturday morning breakfast
A father and son breakfast
The strategy should be to have different types of motivational events in order
to reach the following types of men:
Those that are about to be saved
Cultural Christians
Disciples, or those who want to be
Leaders, or those who want to be
The wounded and hurting
Holding periodic momentum-building events or attending a Promise Keepers meeting
(which are large-scale momentum-building events) are adrenaline for your Men’s
Ministry. They are motivational. They create excitement, interest, converts,
and get the message out. They will give you a quantum leap forward. Plan to
hold an event not more than quarterly (rest your players) and not less than
twice a year (an entire year between events seems light). Men equate money
with value; therefore, charge enough for the event to make it seem valuable
to the men but not cost prohibitive.
Invite a men’s speaker to your church. Host a “Success That
Matters” seminar. Hold an evangelistic luncheon in a downtown
club or country club. Plan an evangelistic fishing retreat. Buy tables at
your Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast. Find out which national and regional
Men’s Ministries are active in your city and meet with them to find
out how you can work together. Support and co-host city-wide men’s
events sponsored by others.
Caution: The problem with momentum-building events is that they only create
momentum. The momentum must be captured, and then relationships must be built
to sustain momentum. If the only reason men get together is to plan and execute
events, what do they do when the event is over? What is the basis for continuing
to be together?
Remember, relationships are the glue that will keep men together. Maintain
a dual focus between events to provide energy and relationships to keep your
men together. Be proactive in the planning process as to how an event is going
to deepen relationships among the men.
We agree strongly with Sid Woodruff when he says that believers are not to
be “lone rangers.” He refers to the many “one another” passages
in the Bible that tell us that men need each other for encouragement, accountability
and spiritual growth (Proverbs 27:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 15:14, and
Hebrews 10:24). A Christian man needs to surround himself with trusted friends,
who will be honest, transparent and confidential as weaknesses, struggles and
burdens are shared. Having these Christ-centered relationships are crucial
to building and maintaining an effective Men’s Ministry because men are
far more interested in relationships than programs.
The strategy needs to capture and sustain the momentum created by motivational
events. Some ways of capturing this momentum are:
Grace-based Accountability Groups
Development Program Training entry
Continuing training focused on issues:
Victory over anger
Victory over sexual temptation
Victory over pride, etc.
Ministry projects (repairs for the elderly, furnish the poor, etc.)
Momentum-building events only create momentum. The momentum must be captured
and sustained by forming and growing relationships. Relationships are the glue
that will keep men together. Must strike the balance between motivational events
and relationship building events.
Discipleship Groups
This is the place where men receive ongoing spiritual care. There is no such
thing as a Lone Ranger Christian. Men cannot do it on their own. We need other
men to become all God wants us to be. Disciples are “pupils.” They
are students of Jesus. They are men who desire to become more like Christ.
These goals can best be accomplished in two types of discipleship groups.
First, and most important, is an organized Bible study. I
can say with confidence that I have never known a man whose life has changed
in any significant way apart from the regular study of God’s Word. The
Bible is the living Word that changes lives. And, in the end, success in ministry
is changed life. Some groups study Christian books (like mine, for
which I’m grateful), but book studies, fellowship groups, and prayer
partner groups are no substitute for bringing men into direct contact with
the living Lord through His living Word.
Second, and a close second, is an accountability group. We
define accountability: “to be regularly answerable for each of the key
areas of our lives to qualified people.” Accountability groups are a
tool for men to get beyond news, sports, and weather. Accountability means
to give permission to a small group of men to ask you how you are really doing.
Accountability brings objectivity. Other men are able to help us add to our
lives everything God would add and subtract from our lives everything God would
subtract. We love and disciple both our weak and strong men.
We all know the value of good communications. We like to know what’s
going on and we feel more attached to a group if we are “up on things.” Also,
while we don’t always admit it, men appreciate getting a flyer, a note,
or a phone call reminding us of a meeting or other important event. Part of
your success at Men’s Ministry will be directly dependent upon regular
communications to the men of the church and many other men in the surrounding
area. Communicate aggressively with men, seeing it as a separate ministry.
This ministry reaches out to men who are not active in church and/or Men’s
Ministry. Provide information and encouragement to those who regularly attend
the men’s meetings and are active in personal ministries.
You do not want to hear “I didn’t know the men had a meeting Tuesday
night. Sorry I missed it. Let me know when you guys are meeting again.” There
is no substitute for good, quality communications. It is a Key Success Ingredient
for Men’s Ministry. Consequently, we recommend forming two separate ministries
to handle communications -the Newsletter/Mailings Team and the Calling/Membership
Team.
There are several ways that you can get the word out. Here are some proven
methods:
Event Flyers
Prepare an attention-getting 8 ½ x 11 flyer for each meeting. These
are handed out to men on Sundays and often mailed with the Newsletter. They
are also reduced to 4 ¼ x 5 ½ for insertion into the Sunday morning
church service bulletin. Flyers are also posted prominently on bulletin boards
and in the church men’s rooms.
Monthly Newsletter
The Men’s Ministry Newsletter includes news of recent events, teachings
especially for men, announcements and dates for future programs and events,
and names of new men in the church. The Newsletter is a major undertaking and
is mailed to all men of the church, and also men from other churches who have
visited and want to grow their ministry. As a minimum, insert a Men’s
Ministry page in your church’s monthly newsletter. This Newsletter is
a separate ministry of the Men’s Ministry and is read by both men and
women of the church. With Computers and software like Word and Microsoft Publisher,
preparing the newsletter is not as difficult as one might imagine. Still, it
requires considerable commitment and effort. See your Men’s Ministry
as reaching out and ministering to all men of the church and the community,
not just those who attend the meetings. Therefore, the primary audience for
the newsletter are the men who are not active in church and/or the men’s
meetings.
Monthly or Quarterly Mailing
The men need to receive Men’s Ministry information once a month or quarterly,
including important future events and dates. Periodically, also send a cover
letter and other Men’s Ministry material, address lists, ministry opportunities,
etc. Your men will look forward to receiving this informative mailing, and
may share it with their wives and other family members.
Church Bulletin Notices/Inserts
Announcements are included in the Sunday church bulletin. Have someone responsible
to get these notices in the bulletin ib a timely manner. As previously noted,
reduced versions of the event flyers are also inserted in the bulletins.
Bulletin Board
The Men’s Ministry should have a large, prominently placed bulletin board
in the classroom/fellowship area. The bulletin board should be kept up-to-date
and well organized. It should contain the current Newsletter, event notices,
ministry purpose, pictures of recent Men’s Ministry activities, Association
and State-wide Men’s information and events, etc. Also, have a large
brochure rack adjacent to the bulletin board, for copies of the newsletters,
flyers, ministry information, etc. for people to take with them.
Calling Ministry
Have a ministry of men who call every man in the church once or twice a month
to remind them of the next men’s meeting, and to just talk about anything
from Men’s Ministry, church, fishing, golf, etc. The calling team should
be made up of some of your best “talkers” (and listeners), who
truly enjoy reaching out to the other men in this way. Seldom, if ever, have
we had a man tell us to stop calling. More often than not, men look forward
to the calls. This is true for active men who attend our meetings regularly,
as well as men whom we seldom see around the church, even on Sunday. There
is no way to determine how many men are at a particular meeting because they
received the reminder/encouragement call from this team. It is probably more
than we would guess. Many men have joined our ministry because of a “call,” so
this is really also a new members committee. There are men in your church
whom God will provide for this type of outreach. Just start the ministry
and men will step forward without arm-twisting. Others will join them and
spread the growing calling load. This is also a great ministry for men who
are unable to do physical work. According to Man in the Mirror Ministries,
you can triple your attendance at men’s events by forming a team responsible
for phoning and inviting ten men each.
Ministry Brochure and Manual
As a start, have a one-page summary of your ministry and a multi-page in depth
description of all aspects of your ministry. Latter, produce a more formal
compact Men’s Ministry brochure/flyer, as well as a flyer for each
of your team ministries. They will be great for newcomers.
Verbal Messages during Sunday Services
Your pastor needs to routinely refer to your Men’s Ministry either in
an announcement and/or occasionally weaving it into his sermon or comments.
The pastor should often challenge your men to “put on their spiritual
britches” as godly, Biblical men, called by God to spiritual headship
in our homes. What a blessing to have your pastor frequently encourage all
men present on Sunday morning to get involved in ministry. Also, the announcement
time on Sunday morning, led by the worship leader, a deacon, Men’s Ministry
Director or a team leader, is a good time to make a verbal announcement to
the entire congregation concerning one of your men’s meetings or special
event.
Testimonies
Men should be given the opportunity to share how your Men’s Ministry
or a Promise Keeper event, etc. has impacted their life. This can have a major
impact on other men. Another good opportunity to witness is when the men conduct
all aspects of the services (e.g., Men’s Day).
Surveys and Input Sheets
Having the men of the church, especially those active in the Men’s Ministry,
fill out periodic interest survey forms is very useful. From these survey input
sheets you can find out what men would like to do and how God is calling them
to serve in the ministry.
Word of Mouth
This is the best possible way to “advertise” the Men’s Ministry!
As men (and their families) are positively impacted and see their lives changing,
they will talk up the ministry and encourage others to participate.
