After a create event, the next right step for your men is to capture interest. Some may need more of the create momentum activities to build confidence in moving onto activities with deeper spiritual content.  Others may be ready to go deeper spiritually. Therefore, moving your men from create momentum to capture momentum must be handled with specific attention to where each man may be on his spiritual journey.

Capture activities or events include workshops, seminars or conferences that address the needs that men have; such as, finances, marriage, parenting, career planning, etc. These can be one-day or weekend events or four to six-week studies. Capture events should be biblically based. They need to be of duration, that is not requiring a "lifetime commitment." Finally, these events need to be a bridge to ongoing discipleship ministries such as a small group or mentoring. See No Man Left Behind, pgs 146-159.

SixKey Issues When Planning an Event for Men by Brian Doyle, Director, Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences. My wife, Barb, was helping host a women's tea at the church. We arrived at church early on Sunday morning so she could post some details of the upcoming event on a white board in the church lobby. She wrote that it was a ladies tea, the date of the event, when it started, what women could bring, and to please bring a friend. I love my wife and I want her to succeed in her ministry endeavors. I reviewed what she wrote and offered what I believed to be some thoughtful insight. I asked her:"When does the event end?" "Is there a theme for the tea?""Will you have a guest speaker?" "What else will there be to eat?" Before I could ask another question, Barb stopped me short and graciously shared with me. "This isn't a men's ministry meeting - we like to get together!"

Return. Man in the Mirror Ministries asks the question when addressing how to create momentum in your men's ministry: "How do you overcome the inertia in men?" Many men in the local church are not moving forward in their spiritual life. Our challenge is to help them move from their prolonged state of rest to on going growth and change. The challenge is great!

Relevance. In1996, Promise Keepers asked the men attending PK conferences to describe their local church experience. Two words came up more than any others. Two words from men who not only attend church but accepted an invitation to attend a national men's conference! What words would you use to describe your own experience in your own local church?

GettingMen to Your Men's Event. Develop a plan to give every man five to seven touches. Men need the facts, and they need to hear them many times in many ways. The average woman will be informed of an event, and she will check her calendar to see if she can go. She has a disposition to say yes to the invitation. Most men do not have this disposition. The average man may not even check his availability until he becomes convinced that he would like to attend the event. My experience is that it often takes five to seven touches to move a man to the point of checking his availability. Men are different and you reach them in different ways. Make sure to develop a comprehensive plan to promote your event. Here are a few ideas:

MakeEntry-Level Events Distinctly Masculine. A men's event should not just be a church sponsored men’s event. The planning and preparation should make sure that the event is distinctively masculine. Here are a few ideas to help that happen:

More Articles...

• Men's Ministry Ideas (MS Word)
• ‍Event Planning Worksheet (MS Word)
• Survey Your Men
• Establish a Tradition
• Building the Kingdom through Relationships

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