|
Sunday after Sunday, pastors and ministers in churches across our nation go up to their pulpits and frequently preach to a congregation of mostly women and children (assuming there's no children's church.) This is so common that we take it for granted. It is not something that is restricted to our denomination; it is the rule in many evangelical churches. Beyond the doors of the church - on the golf course, at the football game or bowling alley, or in the backyard - men absent themselves from the house of God. Today in the U.S. men represent the fastest growing portion of the population to abandon meaningful belief in God. They frequently embrace secularism, a "religion" in its own right whose growth threatens both the eternities of those who embrace it and the ability of everyone else to freely live for Christ. Why is this? One reason is that there is no organization in many local churches for men to find fellowship, to learn who God is and how they might live for Him, and how they might then serve Him in a meaningful way. By "organization" we don't mean a quasi-governmental structure as has been common in churches. Our goal is to facilitate ministry teams, men bonded together in love for Jesus and each other, discipled in the essentials of Christianity, instructed to interact with people around them in a Christian way, and sent forth in service to the lost and hurting world around them. Our world is changing, and we must change with it even as we serve "the Maker of the Lights in the heavens, who is himself never subject to change or to eclipse." (James 1:17b) Men's ministries must become more relational if it is to be meaningful both to men newly saved or for those who have walked with the Lord for many years.
Our mission is to create an environment in which the men of COGWMC can grow and be more effective in their families, work, and communities. A man who has a daily, growing relationship with Christ will be able to tackle the stresses of life with power.
The men of our church need to be visible, serving and leading. The possibilities are endless, be a Sunday School teacher, a kitchen volunteer, sing in the choir, play in the band, usher, be a youth volunteer, jail visitation, missions, lead a small group Bible study.
|