News
C&MA Men Announce Plans for 2008. The purpose of C&MA Men’s Ministry is to strengthen our local churches by discipling men. The national leadership team supports this mission by providing tools for district and local church leadership teams, organizing construction teams to support the construction needs of churches, conference centers and camps; and supporting the needs of Alliance mission fields. Our budget for carrying out these ministries for 2008 is $28,100. We are in a battle for the souls of men. We focus on evangelism, discipling and service. Jesus invested in the lives of twelve men and they changed the world. George Barna’s data illustrates the crucial role men play in the health of our churches. Go to Action 2008 on our website for details on our plans and goals for the coming year.

C&MA Men receive support from the voluntary gifts of districts and individuals. The ministry does not receive support from the Great Commission Fund. Send your contributions to C&MA Men, P.O. Box 518, Linwood, NC 27299.

Northeastern District. David Wheatley, district men’s ministry coordinator, reports that 50 men gathered at Delta Lake Bible Conference Center, November 2-3 for a successful retreat. He noted that the speakers, father-son team, Dennis and Nathan Johnson from Colorado Springs, really connected with the men and reawakened them to their Christian leadership responsibilities in their homes, churches, and work. The Johnsons challenged the men to be active participants in the battle to advance God’s Kingdom.

Rocky Mountain District. Jim Woods, district men’s ministry coordinator, reports that a short-term work team of fifteen people returned from Conakry Guinea West Africa November 15. The team invested two weeks of renovation and refurbishing and literally restructuring the Conakry Guesthouse. The guesthouse ministers to several hundred people from the Alliance and other ministries in Guinea over the course of a year. Guinea, one of Africa's poorest countries has a national church of 80,000 members but still has millions who do not know Christ. Team members had opportunity to bless those with who they worked with and around and were blessed as they shared thier commonality in Christ.

Sacramento Gateway Church. Michael Swain, Alliance Men President, reports that 46 men from Gateway attended the Central Pacific District annual men's retreat. At least 2 men recommitted their lives to Christ and many more were inspired by our Speaker Dave Dravecky. Gateway will be having its own retreat in May where Michael hopes to have 30 to 35 men. The focus will be on some of the wild at heart material from John Eldredge.

For Work: Bible Study Boom in Workplaces. According to the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries, the number of books published about faith and work has skyrocketed in the last two years. One of the key drivers to this is that there are more Bible studies happening in the workplace.

Are you equipping and preparing men to reach others for Christ in their workplace? Looking for great material for an office Bible Study? What about flying Pat Morley in each week to teach your group for about 30 minutes, and then lead a 30 minute discussion? Oh wait – that would be too expensive.

Here's a better idea: The Man in the Mirror Bible Study can be downloaded each week for free off our webcasting site. Or, you can purchase the series on CD or DVD to make it even easier.

Life
Stats:
10% the likelihood that a visitor will join the church.
50% The likelihood to join if invited to a small group. (Outreach 9-10/07)

Dads & Work: 27% of working dads say they spend more than 50 hours a week on work 8% spend more than 60 hours. 25% spend less than one hour with their kids each day. 42% spend less than two hours each day. Fathers.com Weekly News 9/28/2007

37% of all working dads said they would consider the option of taking a new job with less pay if it offered a better work/life balance. 36% of working dads reported they bring work home at least one day a week and 30% say they often or always work weekends. (from CNN.com)

How is your work/life balance? Learn more at fathers.com (Ministry of the Month)

New Man Magazine On-Line. New Man Magazine is now published only in an on-line format. The magazine contains articles on faith, family, finance, sex: passion and purity, and guy gear. It is oriented to Christian men with testimonies from public figures and guidance and advice on the challenges that men face in their families and workplaces. Men can sign up e-mail delivery. Go to New Man.

Leadership
Unexpected Global Lessons. How short-term mission is becoming a two-way street.
In 2007 the Christian Vision Project asked, What must we learn, and unlearn, to be agents of God's mission in the world? CVP editorial director Andy Crouch has been exploring this question with mission leaders not just in the pages of Christianity Today and its sister magazines, but with the help of a documentary film crew, producing a curriculum on short-term missions that will be released in October 2008. Here he describes what some churches are learning, and unlearning, as they rethink the meaning of mission trips. Read the article here. (Article of the Month)

Reboot (with Joshua) Characteristics of a Leader (Joshua 1:17-18)

Joshua gave the Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manassah instructions on their role in advancing into the Promised Land. He exhorted them to be accountable to the commitment they made to Moses, to “go in front” of the Israelites, to help their brothers and to be persistent. They responded by stating their willingness to go and pledged their obedience. They were an encouragement to Joshua and swore to be on guard against those do not obey their leader.

Be On Guard (v18).

¹⁸"Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

There will always be those who will revolt when the going gets tough. The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh knew that those who rose up against their commanders must be removed (eliminated).

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh were experienced enough to know that rebellion was serious and had to be removed or their attitude would undermine the effectiveness of the army. They must be removed.

How many times have you seen churches disintegrate or split because men rise up against their pastor or the leadership team or fail to stand firm when leaders are under attack? God is a unifier not a divider. The Devil is the divider. As leaders we need to have discernment. We need to not only know when a man or men are rebelling against the leadership or direction of the church; we need to take action to remove those who are poisoning the atmosphere or are barriers to progress. Do we have the courage to act, to follow through? Are we willing to stand up and commit to our leaders that we will not accept those among us who undermine and oppose the way the Lord is leading the body.

Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! (Acts 20:30-31).

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. (1 Cor 16:13).

Those to whom God is giving rest are to be guardians of truth.