Number
86
A Theology and Philosophy of Men's Ministry
Foundations for the Battle for Men's Souls™
by Patrick Morley
Christian writer J. C. Ryle
wrote, "He must dig down very low if he would build high." The
potential height of a building is limited to the actual depth of its foundation.
What foundations are deep and strong enough to support us in The Battle
For Men's Souls™?
This article raises what we
think are some of the central foundations that a church must have in place
to be successful in winning the battle for men's souls.
1. THE CENTRALITY OF CHRIST
Our most important question
is not, "How do we do the ministry?" but "Who does the
ministry?" (Dick Kaufman's insight). Christ does the ministry. Christ
ministers the gospel through us, Christ overcomes the obstacles, Christ
raises the money, Christ sets the agenda, Christ changes life, Christ
seeks men's souls, Christ transforms the heart, Christ uses events to
reach men, Christ helps men use resources and books, Christ starts the
small groups, Christ develops the leaders, Christ builds the team, and
Christ builds the church.
The direction, agenda, and
results of the ministry belong to Christ. Our job is not to produce a
particular outcome. Our job is to be faithful-to execute the plan Christ
revealed to us. And our plan must be the person of Jesus Christ. We have
no other plan. He is our agenda. He is our message.
2. THE CENTRALITY OF THE HEART
Paul said, "For me to
live is Christ." To help a man change the core affections of his
heart is easily the greatest contribution we can make to Christ's work.
We need to encourage men to let Jesus be their highest and best thought
in every situation. It is an error to deal with the outward actions and
not deal with the motivational structure of the heart. The focal point
of our message must be a man's heart.
Let's go beyond asking men
to conform. We are not merely concerned about the specific sins a man
commits, but the unbelief that would make a man sin at all.
Idols make promises they cannot
keep, which is why you can be on a winning streak and still feel empty.
We will help men understand that the battleground is the heart. The issue
is looking to anything except Jesus Christ for what we need. An idol is
anything of which we say, "I need this to be happy."
Our culture anesthetizes the
heart. We are so distracted by the promises of worldly pleasure and a
desire to dull our pain that we choose to simply exist, rather than really
live. It's easier to put on a façade of spirituality than it is
to find an authentic heart relationship with Christ.
Men need someone who will challenge
them afresh to "Not have any gods before Me" and to "Love
the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."
3. THE CENTRALITY OF LEADERSHIP
How many leaders do you have
in your church? How many do you need? Can you think of any better way
to raise them up than discipling men?
Everything boils down to leadership.
There is a leadership deficit in the church. Men are not stepping up,
they are not motivated, and they don't know how to live for and serve
God. Often they have not encountered a faith for which they would be willing
to forsake the world. As someone has said, "Until you find a cause
worth dying for you will not have a cause worth living for."
Church consultant Carl George
explains that every trained group leader results in ten new people in
the church. This alone is ample reason to develop a relationship-based
ministry to men.
4. THE CENTRALITY OF DISCIPLESHIP
THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS
At Redeemer Presbyterian Church
in New York it is said, "If you're not in a small group, you're not
in the church." The purpose of bringing men together in relationships
is to give Jesus an opportunity to transform a man's heart. The soul is
the goal.
One of our foundational principles
at Man in the Mirror is that most lasting change takes place in the context
of church-based relationships. Some people will change just by hearing,
others just by reading, but most will change as they enter into a relationship
with someone who cares.
One of the key functions of
relational ministry is leadership development. Seven years ago my brother-in-law,
Hal Wilson began a small group using our materials at Vestavia Hills United
Methodist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Today his ministry has grown
to seven groups with 128 men. His church needs about 150 leaders to function
properly. One hundred of those leaders have come through his groups. He
notes that approximately 75 of those men-1/2 of the church's leadership!-started
as cultural Christians who would not have otherwise become church leaders.
The second role of small groups
is to provide the first line of pastoral care. Carl George says, "People
don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Men need a place where they feel Christianity is taking them seriously.
People come the first time for many reasons, but they stay if they find
a friend.
5. THE CENTRALITY OF GOD'S
WORD
The Scriptures have the power
to solve the problem that 63,000,000 do not know Christ: "Jesus'
disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded
in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus
is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will
have life" (John 20:30-31).
The Scriptures have the power
to solve the problem that 90,000,000 are not disciples: "All Scripture
is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make
us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches
us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way,
fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do" (2 Timothy
3:16-17).
J. I. Packer said, "Disregard
the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through
life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding
of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your
soul."
I have always said that I have
never known a single man whose life has changed in any significant way
apart from the regular study of God's Word. It is the Word of God that
transforms us into new life, gives us power and an authoritative reference
point.
One of our goals in the battle
should be to help men become saturated with the Word of God.
APPLICATION
How are you doing in the foundational
areas we've been discussing, both personally and in your ministry to other
men?
- Christ - Is Jesus the central
focus of your life? Are you divided or lukewarm in any way? Why is talking
to men about the person of Christ so important?
- Heart - "To help a
man change the core affections of his heart is easily the greatest contribution
we can make to Christ's work." Do you agree? If so, what are the
implications for the ways you are currently trying to reach men? In
your ministry to other men, do you go beyond "news, sports, and
weather" and help them deal with the issues of the heart?
- Leadership - Do you have
a leadership deficit in your church? Does it make sense that discipling
men is a long-term solution to the leadership problem? Are you fulfilling
your leadership potential and, if not, what is something concrete and
practical you can do about it?
- Relationships - How have
small group relationships impacted you in the past? How could small
group relationships bring change to the men of your church and community?
- God's Word - Can you picture
any way that men will be able to change their lives apart from getting
into God's Word for themselves? If you agree about the centrality of
God's Word, what should happen to your program for men?
Business leader,
author, and speaker, Patrick Morley helps men to think more deeply about
their lives, to be reconciled with Christ, and to be equipped for a larger
impact on the world.
©2000. Patrick
M. Morley. All rights reserved. This may be reproduced with proper attribution
for non-commercial purposes.
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