Men's Ministry Update

Where are the 20 Year Olds?
Have you noticed an absence of 20 to 30-year-olds in your church? If so, you're not alone. Last year, the Barna Research Group reported some startling statistics about this generation (click here to read the entire report).

"Americans in their twenties are significantly less likely than any other age group to attend church services, to donate to churches, to be absolutely committed to Christianity, to read the Bible, or to serve as a volunteer or lay leader in churches...Perhaps the most striking reality of twenty-somethings' faith is their relative absence from Christian churches. Only 3 out of 10 twenty-somethings (31%) attend church in a typical week, compared to 4 out of 10 of those in their thirties (42%) and nearly half of all adults age 40 and older (49%).”

What are you doing to reach and mentor the twenty year olds in your church or community? Click here to discover some resources to help you disciple men.

Ministering to Men Daily through the Air Waves
For almost a year now, Man 2 Man Express radio broadcast have encouraged men with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and addressed the top issues men face each day. This five-minute daily message is currently heard on 30 stations across America with a 90-second broadcast soon to come.

Last week David Delk, president of Man in the Mirror, spoke on taking hold of the true calling of a man. Click here to hear the interview with David which aired on Friday, July 31 (this 5-minute MP3 file will open in a new window). You can also listen to their daily broadcast online at www.man2manexpress.com.

If you would like to bring Man 2 Man Express to your local station, please email them at radio@man2manexpress.com, and let them know what city you live in and the call letters of your local radio station.

From the Front Lines:
Rites of Passage for Young Men
"Each May, our congregation confirms about a dozen 14 year-olds. Last year, I invited the boys to attend a Sunday night gathering called "The Young Man in the Mirror" and we used Pat's book as our resource study guide. I had eight guys faithfully attend for 15 weeks. Each week we gathered at 6:00 p.m. and started with food -- pizza, Chinese, burritos, chips, and/or soft drinks. We would talk about what was happening in their lives that past week -- school, social, etc. After about a half-hour we would get to the chapter of The Young Man in the Mirror that was the topic of the week."

Click here to read the entire story of how one church is discipling the young men in their congregation.

Highlighted Resource: Beneath the Surface
Two leaders: one stood firm, one fell flat. Joseph resisted the seductive advances of his master's wife, while David gave in to temptation and had an adulterous affair with Bathsheba. In Bob Reccord's book Beneath the Surface, he observes that both men had human limitations, but Joseph recognized his weaknesses while David over-estimated his strengths.

Using the backdrop of these familiar Biblical examples, Reccord urges readers to set boundaries before temptation arises. “When the alarm bells go off ... [respond] to the alarm.” Urging readers to choose now to resist temptation, Reccord advises them to guard their hearts in an unguarded world, because a drifting heart has only one way to go—away from God.

Equip the men in your small groups this fall with Beneath the Surface. This book is only $2 when purchased in cases of 48 books.