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2:
Creating, Capture, and Sustain: A Men's Ministry Model |
| The maximum amount of
energy required in nature is the amount needed to begin a stationary
object in motion. It takes a lot of energy to overcome inertia. The
first challenge in creating a dynamic men’s ministry is, "How do you overcome the inertia in men?"
To get stationary men moving you need an event that creates "church-scale" momentum. These are events that function much like the stadium events of recent years, except that they bring the momentum into the local church. |
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The key is to maintain a variety
of events that will appeal to all kinds of men. You could schedule a seminar
on men’s issues, a New Year’s Day Bowl Game party, a Saturday
outreach breakfast, a seminar on money, an inner city work project, or
a father & son breakfast.
Plan to hold an event not more
than quarterly (rest your players) and not less than twice a year.
Three Key
Principles for Creating Momentum…
- Long Term Low-Pressure.
We must give men permission to come along at their own pace. Don’t
expect more from men than they can, or should, realistically give. It’s
ironic. We often make men feel guilty because they won’t leave
their families and come to a meeting so that we can tell them they should
spend more time with their families.
- Don’t Be Angry with
Men Because They Are Not More Spiritually Mature.
It is easy for us to become impatient with men who are not as mature
as we might wish. This is one of the greatest problems among the leaders
of men’s ministries today. Don’t be frustrated or angry with
men because they are not more involved. They can sense your frustration
and anger. Instead, continue to show them Christ through your lifestyle
so they find themselves strangely drawn to be with you.
- Give Men What They Want
in the Context of What They Need.
If a man needs to work on 20 areas, but he is only willing and able
to engage 3 of them, it doesn’t make much sense to harp on him
about the seventeen. Instead, focus on the three and then add other
subjects as he grows. Speak God’s truth to men in a language they
can understand.
Capturing
Momentum
It takes an enormous amount
of energy to stage a successful event. Why is it that we often put very
little thought into how we will capture that momentum? It’s like
turning on the heat in the winter and then leaving all the doors open.
The two common mistakes following
a good event are 1) to do nothing or 2) to attempt too much.
You’ve driven a car and
accidentally shifted from first to top gear. What happens? It’s the
same when the follow-up opportunity we ask men to do is too much. They
bog down.
Find materials that men can
use in a one-time commitment of four to six weeks. Make sure it is an
appropriate first step, a "second-gear" kind of material that
allows men to transition into the life of your church.
Sustaining
Momentum
Men’s ministry is not
for near-sighted men. It takes a long time to make a disciple. Some men will need to go thru several create-capture experiences before it "sticks," they are ready to move forward in their spiritual journey.
Each time you ask men to take
another step, some will drop by the wayside. That’s okay. The principle
of the sower is always at work. Reach out to the men who want help and
entrust the others to God in prayer.
Create a variety of opportunities
for men to get to know Christ better, since men will learn in different
ways. Get men into relationships with one another, particularly in small
group and fellowship type environments.
Your ultimate goal should be
to get men studying God’s Word with other men. It is the Bible that
changes lives.
5 Truths to Remember as You
Sustain Momentum.
- Show Men Christ vs.
Fix Their Behavior.
Too often we ask men to conform to our "Christian men’s sub-culture"
as a show of spirituality. When this happens we can end up asking men
to be "religious" at the expense of being spiritual.
Rather than showing
men a list of "do’s" and "don’ts", show
men Christ. We can only give a man a new rule book; Jesus will give
him a new heart.
- True Obedience Flows
from a Heart of Faith.
Everything a man does represents what is in his heart. We must help
men want to do what God wants him to do. Hebrews 11 shows that faith
motivates men to obedience. When we work with men, don’t just tell
them what to do, try to increase their faith in Christ.
- Invest in Men Who Will
Invest in Other Men -- 2 Tim. 2:2
The focus of a men’s ministry leader should be to make disciples
of men who will in turn disciple others, and so on. This was the method
of Jesus. Keep your eye out for men who want to make disciples. The
greatest return on your time will come from investing in men who will
invest in other men.
- Create a Culture of Prayer
and Love for God’s Word.
Prayer is God’s designated way of releasing His will in men’s
lives. Pray that your ministry would be a part of what God wants to
accomplish in your church and community. Help men to know Christ through
the regular study of God’s Word.
- Truth Flows Through Our
Heads to Our Hearts and Out Our Hands.
The truth must be understood, believed, and lived out.
Men must understand the truth
of the gospel in their heads. They need to grow in their knowledge of
God. They also need to grow in their love for God. They need to develop
an emotional connection to Christ. Then they have to put the truth into
practice by living it out. Give men the opportunity to live out the
truths they are learning through your ministry.
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