Ministries or Fellowship
A few years ago, the men's groups in our churches
were called fellowships. They started out as small groups; sometimes
there would only be two or three. Their main function was to get
together occasionally on a Saturday, usually with the pastor, and
work on or around the church. Later on, as the group got larger,
they began to get together once a month to share a meal. Church
maintenance and perhaps a yearly fund-raiser were the fellowship's
agenda. We thank God for these early pioneers, for they gave the
church a foundation to build on.
In the late '90s, the name was changed from Men's Fellowship to
Men's Ministries. The name change called for an end to the meet-and-eat
syndrome. It called for pastors to release laymen to ministry. It
called for men to be more than repairmen and fundraisers. It gave
them golden opportunities to become ministers in and through the
local church. How did existing fellowships react to the name change
and the new call to ministry? Many churches, led by their pastors,
embraced the new concept and are now doing greater things for the
church and the Lord.
Sad to say, however, there are still many churches that accepted
the name but still function as a fellowship and not a ministry.
A few days ago in a conversation concerning Men's Ministries, the
question was asked, "How is your Men's Ministries doing?"
The reply was, "We don't have a ministry; we have a fellowship;
we just meet and eat." When I heard this, it touched my heart
and inspired me to write this article. In today's world, with so
many professed Christian marriages ending in divorce, so many Christian
men hurting and struggling in so many areas of their lives, we cannot
afford to continue on as mere fellowships. We must identify those
who are hurting and find a way to help them. We must also reach
as many as possible for Christ before it is eternally too late.
Men's Ministries has many avenues to accomplish these goals.
One of the most important segments of Men's Ministries is Pastor's
Prayer Partners: Men getting together with their pastor to life
him up in prayer. Sunday morning, an hour or so prior to service,
is a great time for this ministry. Friendship Evangelism is an outreach
program that trains men how to lead an individual to Christ. Disaster
relief and Men of Action go hand in had, helping others in time
of crisis. Supply people with basic needs in an emergency situation;
then share Christ and His love with them.
The Royal Rangers mission statement is "reach, teach, and keep
boys for Christ." A recent survey by the Barna Research Group
sys the probability of accepting Christ is as follows: ages 5 to
13, 32%; ages 14 to 18, 4%; ages 19 to death, 6%. Men, we must grow
this program. If we don't, there will be no church for our grandchildren.
Intentionally Making Disciples is a new ministry that calls for
making not only converts, but also disciples for Christ. There are
many more ministry opportunities not mentioned. Every church should
have an active Men's Ministries.
I challenge every pastor, for you the key to Men's Ministries in
the local church, and I challenge every able-bodied man in the IPHC
to be a minister in Men's Ministries.
If you need help or have questions concerning Men's
Ministries, please call the numbers listed above.
If you would like additional information
regarding Men's Ministries including events, availalbe resources
and ministry programs, please visit our Men's Minisries main page
on the International Pentecostal Holinss Church website. That website
address is http://men.iphc.org/.
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