Most men's ministries fail, not for lack of heart but for lack of intentionality. Historically, men's ministries in modern churches have not seen long and sustained lives. This is because they have operated in one of two ways. They occasionally hold an event generating lots of excitement and enthusiasm which fades quickly, or they start and top over and over again. Either way when the emotion fades away so does the ministry and after enough false starts church leadership adopts a "been there done that" attitude. They lose sight of the importance of ministry for men and rightly do not want to continue an unsuccessful ministry.
So, what is the problem? Why do these ministries fail? They fail because they are emotional, not intentional. There is no bigger vision. There is no sustainable plan to succeed.
Let me paint a picture for you. Have you ever taken a ride on a city bus? The bus stops at every street corner, and people get on and off at every stop. The people on the bus never have the chance to get to know each other. They sit by themselves and never engage with others on the bus. The bus takes the same route each day. Over and over the same thing happens, day after day always the same. Many people got on, some may have even been excited about the trip, but they all got off and went their own ways. No greater purpose was accomplished. Conversely, take a group on a plane trip. Everybody gets on together. They sit with people who have common goals and going to the same destination. The jet has a flight plan. It moves directly to the common goal. It moves along at great speed and everyone on board is moving forward together.
An effective ministry for men needs a flight plan. It needs a model for sustained momentum and growth. This is what most men's ministries miss. Leaders see the value in men's ministry but they fail because they don't have a plan. An intentional ministry for men has a plan. It has a pathway for the growth of the men and the growth of the ministry.
An intentional ministry for men builds leaders from within to be deployed in the local church. It connects men, aligns itself with the church and builds funnels that attract men. Men want to belong to things that have a bigger purpose. No one has time these days to waste on something that does not move them forward and help them grow. For those men who have the desire to grow and to become the men that God has called them to be, men's ministry leaders have to create an intentional and sustainable pathway for them to be part of.
Does your church have a plan for your men's ministry? Is it a sustainable plan for growth of the ministry and men of the church? If not, contact me to see how you can develop an Intentional Men's Ministry in your church.
