One of the most common questions I hear about men’s ministry is how to start or restart a relevant ministry to men. Given that every church is different and defines men’s ministry in various ways, there are a ton of ways to approach this issue. So before starting the journey of revamping or beginning your men’s discipleship ministry, let me suggest beginning with these three elements:
PRAYER
Pray for God’s help to reach and disciple men. Ask God to awaken a drive and a passion in at least one other man in your church to reach other men. You don’t have to bear the burden or vision for this ministry alone. Pray for more if you’d like, but start with one person to walk alongside you to go deeper in their faith and help other guys do the same. You’ll need help in this ministry. Once you have that co-laborer, pray together for another to join the effort and see what God does.
PURPOSE
What’s the purpose of your ministry to men? What do you hope to accomplish? What’s the vision? You wouldn’t leave the church parking lot in a bus full of guys heading to a retreat without knowing the destination. It’s simple. You’re much more likely to arrive at your destination when you have the correct address in your GPS. Have the same unwavering, purpose-filled focus for your men’s ministry. Hopefully your purpose will include the Biblical mandate to see the number of mature male believers increase in your church. Jesus’ words in Matt. 28:19-20 should ring loudly when we ask about the purpose of any ministry: “Make disciples of all nations…”
PLAN
There is no shortage of men’s resources or ideas for men’s discipleship. What Bible studies will you offer? What events can be strategically put on the calendar to help men, teens and boys grow spiritually? Which guys will you recruit to lead retreats, cook, mentor, teach, etc.? This is what most guys want to know when they ask us for help with their men’s ministry. This stage will be fruitless if the first two steps are ignored. However, when a ministry leader starts with prayer and sees a clear purpose for a ministry, this step becomes much more effective and easier to do. Pray about how to plan Bible studies and calendar events for maximum effect to help drive your men toward the destination of making disciples.
If you’d like to discuss how this can apply to your church, let’s talk. You can also check out our website and previous blogs for more information.
State Missionary Larry Hyche may be reached at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 2268, or (334) 613-2268, lhyche@alsbom.org.
