Do you remember the first time you wanted to build something from scratch?
For me, it was a Lego set.
Now, I’m the kind of guy who likes to jump in and start without reading the instructions. After all, how difficult can it be?
I learned that having a desire to do something and being able to do it are two different things.
It’s great that you have a desire to see the men in your church and community grow stronger as disciples of Jesus and as men of God. But there’s a difference between a desire to do it and the ability to do it well.
If you’re building a new ministry to men, here are a few key steps to help you get started.
Step 1: Build a Team
If you’re trying to do this on your own—don’t. No ministry to men should ride on the shoulders of one man.
Pray for God to help you identify other men who can serve with you. Then start going out for coffee with some guys, talk to them about what you sense is the need in men’s lives, and ask them if they see the same thing and if they would be willing to be part of a team with you.
One of the most common barriers churches face in their ministry to men is a pattern of starting and then stopping. You start to build momentum, but once the leader no longer wants to serve, the ministry dies. Building a team addresses both a short-term need and lays the foundation for a future beyond you.
One of the most common barriers churches face in their ministry to men is a pattern of starting and then stopping.
In a perfect world, your team should also be men who have different strengths than you. One man might be great at planning, another at mentoring or teaching, and another at serving in practical ways, etc.
Step 2: Pray
Begin meeting with your team at least once a month for prayer. Here’s the secret: don’t spend your time praying for what to do (yet), pray for what God wants to do in the lives of men.
If you don’t know what that means, spend some time reading many of the first chapters of the letters Paul wrote to churches. For example, at the beginning of Colossians, he prayed this: “We are asking that you may be filled with all the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him …” (Colossians 1:9-10 CSB). He goes on to describe what a life fully pleasing to God looks like and asks God to do that work in the people he is writing to.
The beauty of Scripture is that you don’t have to look far to find out what a God-honouring man looks like. Pray for that to happen in the men you are seeking to reach.
Step 3: Get to Know Your Men
What do you know about your men? If you have a smaller group of men, you may know them well, but once you get above 10 men, there’s a lot you don’t know. Get a contact list of every man in your church and take a survey to get to know them better. Make most of your questions an opportunity to find out who they are (type of job, what a workweek looks like, family, how long they have been a believer, where they are thriving or struggling, etc.). Knowing your men will help you make your plans.
Step 4: Meet with Your Pastor
Sit down with your pastor to find out what they see as the challenges and opportunities in reaching men. Learn more about the church’s strategies and find out how your ministry to men can contribute to what God is calling the church to be.
This is critical. You don’t want to compete with your pastor or your church; you want to be part of the bigger mission God has planned.
Ask your pastor this question: “What would be one big win you would want to see in our ministry to men?”
Step 5: Build a Plan
Take all the information you have been gathering and, with your team, begin building a plan for your ministry to men. Your plan is not about a single event or a single Bible study. The goal Jesus has set for all of us is to disciple men, so make sure your plan is moving towards that goal.
A well-rounded plan will consider different themes and types of activities. You want to connect with a man’s heart (what he feels), head (how he thinks), and hands (what he does).
Impactus can help you develop your plan and find the resources you need to implement it—click here to learn more.
Take your time to walk through these steps. The foundation you create will help determine the strength of what you are building.
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