NEWS Clear mind, reduce stress (from USA Today. August 18, 2008)

In other research presented to the APA [American Psychological Association], Herbert Benson, a physician and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, explained how repetitious exercises that clear the mind of everyday thoughts, such as yoga or prayer, evoke what he terms the "relaxation response" and reduce psychological distress.

He compared 19 adults who regularly engaged in activities that evoked the relaxation response with 19 who did not and found, through blood tests, differences in their white-cell activity, which affects stress levels. Then 20 people who hadn't tried the practice were assigned to do it for eight weeks. They developed the same changes as those who evoked the relaxation response regularly.

"This is firm proof that the mind can affect the body in a therapeutic way," Benson says.

OCTOBER: PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH
Men, how do you show your appreciation to your pastor? It is important to take time to honor and say thanks to these special people. After all, they have one of the toughest jobs in the world. The Parsonage.org (a web site from Focus on the Family) explains why it is so necessary to do this, and has suggestions on what you can do to show your appreciation. Read more on their site.

Wonder how your pastor feels about men's ministry? Click here to read Pat Morley's article, "An Open Letter to Laymen from a Pastor about Men's Ministry."

Want to honor your pastor this month with a gift? Pick out a gift here - a book and a coffee mug that will remind them to pray for the men of the church.

What are some things that men have done to encourage their pastor? Pastor Pete responds:

I love it when men encourage me via email with a specific point of impact, like sharing a sermon point that really helped them. I belong to a target shooting club, so at 49 my elders bought me a gun (a bit unconventional). I love when a guy gives me a DVD of a movie I really like. Once, a guy shared a book he'd been reading that I found very interesting. He offered to loan it to me, but surprised me by buying me a copy. (Pete adds: Remember, pastors have LOTS of books, so make sure we're really interested and not just being nice!)

Dr. Pete Alwinson is Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Church (PCA) in Winter Springs, Florida (www.willowcreekchurch.org). Pete has built his church by building his men. Pete's motto since he planted the church 20 years ago is "No Man Left Behind," which Man in the Mirror stole (with his blessing) for the title of their book on discipling men in the church.

MINISTRY OF THE MONTH: The Midwest District (Indiana and Illinois), Seaford, DE. (www.mwcma.org/mens.php)

We have been doing a fall retreat for the last 3 years. The first year we had a 'rep' from "Man in the Mirror". While the material was good and the leader was excellent, it was too much material for a Friday/Saturday retreat. The second year, Jay Kesler was our main speaker. We allowed time for interaction and recreational activities. We found that the men liked a looser schedule. The retreat last year was at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Cedar Lake, Indiana. Our theme was "relationships:" Our relationship with God, family and community. Our speakers were pastors Angel Collazo and Jon Rich and our district superintendent, Dr. Fred Polding. It went well. Fifty men attended.

This fall we are going back to Cedar Lake for Friday evening thru Saturday 8:00 PM. Feedback indicated that some men had a problem being away from their church on Sunday. Our speaker will be Dave Wager. He is from Silver Birch Camp in White Lake, Wisconsin. Has spoken at many men's meetings. Our goal is 60 men. For more information contact Brice Fennig at 260-589-2907.

The Midwest District website: http://www.mwcma.org/mens.php.

What is God doing in your men’s ministry?
Let us know at editor@cmamen.org.

PERSONAL TOOLKIT

Breaking With Busyness by Mike Erre, (New Man Magazine, August 26, 2008). Twenty-first century America owns me. Like most people, I have too much to do. With a full-time job, a wife, two small children, a house, various church commitments, involvement in multiple Bible studies, and an attempt at launching a career as a novelist, I constantly feel overwhelmed and overmatched by my obligations. Long days are my reality, and as a product of our culture, I have brought... Read More here. (Article of the Month).

LEADERSHIP TOOLKIT

Tool: Return. Man in the Mirror Ministries asks the question when addressing how to create momentum in your men's ministry, "How do you overcome the inertia in men?" Many men in the local church are not moving forward in their spiritual life. Our challenge is to help them move from their prolonged state of rest to ongoing growth and change. The challenge is great! Read more here.

Get-up-and-go policy draws guys to church. Few people would expect a 100-year-old church in Wales to be pioneering an exciting new strategy for reaching men. But that’s exactly what I (David Murrow) found at Highfields Church in Cardiff, during my visit to the UK in January. This unusual congregation is growing, thanks in part to a “get-up-and-go policy" instituted by its senior minister, Peter Baker. Read more here.

God works through funnels, not sponges.