Without an intentional strategy, the best we will do is develop a cultural Christian, one who looks a lot like the culture but with a Christian veneer.  Last month I asked the question, "Are we using men/women or equipping them?" This month I want to look at the question, "What are we equipping them to become?"

Many men's/women's ministries rely on current Christian topics for their plan.  Who is the current popular author/speaker?  What is selling?  What are the hot topics that men are interested in?  Often the topic is determined by what the current leader is interested in?  If he/she has been helped by a book, then certainly others should be interested.  So we offer a class or small group based on the latest book hoping to create interest so people will come to something besides the worship service.  And usually we can get a handful together on any given topic.

Yet most churches (and their men's/women's ministry) have as their mission statement an expression of the Great Commission to make disciples of Christ.  But the challenge comes when asked,  "What does that look like?"  "How does your ministry describe a disciple of Christ?"  If we can't describe it clearly, we wind up shooting an arrow at the side of a barn and then painting a target around it, announcing with confidence, "Look, we hit the bull's-eye!".  Our goal becomes to produce whatever we have.  No chance of failure there. 

Stephen Covey made popular the statement, "Begin with the end in mind".   What if we stop and ask the question, "What should success look like through our men's/women's ministry?"  What kind of person are we trying to develop?"  If we say a disciple of Christ, then what are the convictions, character and competencies that would reflect Christ rather than simply the culture?

The word “call” or “calling” is used in Scripture to mean an invitation to faith (salvation) in Christ.  It also refers to Christ’s invitation to follow him in every way, everywhere, all the time.   This calling relates closely to the concept of discipleship when Jesus called twelve men out from the crowd and equipped them to follow him 24/7.   Most of the gospel record is the account of those men learning to be his disciples: struggling, progressing, failing, yet gradually learning.  They were common, ordinary men who were personally transformed and commissioned to launch a movement that changed the world.  Those men, having been with Jesus, were so radically marked by him that even their enemies took notice (Acts 4:13). 

Discipleship was a common term used both in the Hebrew and Hellenistic worlds of the first century.  There were disciples of Moses as well as Aristotle.  The Greek definition of the word disciple means a learner.  Jesus, however, was not Greek but Hebrew.  The Hebrew word is talmid which, in the cultural context, means one who follows and imitates the Rabbi’s in all areas of life.   A disciple of Jesus was one who surrendered to him and his ways.

If we follow Christ through the Gospels, we can develop a pretty clear picture of what he considered to be his disciple.  He did not leave it up to each generation and culture.  On several occasions he made the statement, "If you...then you are my disciple" or "if you do not....then you are not my disciple".  If we are to begin with the end in mind, these critical statements should become foundational to our calling, our equipping and our success.

Consider the following passages and a corresponding description as you think through what you are trying to produce:

1.  Whole Life Transformation
"A pupil (disciple) is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).
A disciple is one who identifies with Christ, whose whole life is being transformed to share his character, values, purpose and destiny.

2.  Sacrificial Allegiance
"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). 
A disciple is one who intentionally submits to the authority and leadership of Christ, choosing His kingdom over self interests.

3.  Faithful Obedience
“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32).
A disciple is one who continually makes God’s Word the final authority for all of life, seeking to know His truth, obey His commands, and live by a biblical world view.

4.  Servant Love
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).
A disciple is one who has an increasing love for others expressed by grace, community, and acts of service.

5.  Spiritual Fruitfulness
"My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8).
A disciple is one who continually abides in Christ resulting in godly character and kingdom influence.

Discipleship is not a course that we complete or series of activities we attend; rather it is a life-long pursuit.  Neither is discipleship the result of personality, gifting, or abilities; it is the result of choosing to submissively and faithfully follow Christ.  The qualities Jesus identified are not a check list to be accomplished, but marks of the path we are to follow. (For more information on the marks of a disciple, see the HighQuest unit:  His Calling)

Are these traits typical of the men/women in your ministry?  Are they even identified?  Is leadership modeling the pursuit of these traits and inviting men to join them.  How are you describing the product of your ministry?  What will happen if we take these traits seriously?  What would happen if we don't?

Why Focus on Ministry to Men?
As we start a new church year, what will the focus of your local church be this year?  I suggest we focus on MEN. There are 108,000,000 men in America 15 years of age and older. How are they doing?  Take a look at some of the numbers I copied from an article a few years ago.  I forgot the source, but assume for a moment that these stats, if not fairly accurate, are close.

Men & Culture
·   Men will change jobs on an average of every 3.2 years and will have 14-16 jobs in their lifetime. Men, especially
    as fathers, are more than eight times more likely to be portrayed negatively on television than women.
·   Men are four times more likely to die from suicide than women with white males having the highest rate. Men
    make up 93% of the present prison population.
·   95% of Christian men, with the average age of 40, state that they do not have a best friend who is a male.
·   There are 68,000,000 pornographic search engine requests every day – a vast majority from men. Note: This
    makes up 25% of all search engine requests.

Men & Church
·   66,000,000 men in America make no profession of faith.
·   6,000,000 women in America come to church each week without their husband.
·   85% of lay leadership in American churches are women.
·   Young men who attend church will tend to disengage from church at nine years of age.
·   When the church reaches the man of the home, 93% of the time the entire family will follow. This compares with
    3.5% when reaching children/youth and 17% when reaching wiives/mothers.

Men & Family
·   40% of married men who attend church will get divorced.
·   Women initiate 66% of divorces after the age of 40.
·   The divorce rate for couples who pray together daily is 1 out of 1,152.
·   1,000,000 children in America each year will be affected by divorce.
·   33% of all children in America are born out of wedlock.
·   Men with children will talk with their child 11 days (accumulative hours) in a lifetime.
·   90% of men in the church will have children who will leave the church.

Most men's ministries in churches are a disconnected set of poorly attended activities.  We are content if we get men to attend something, anything... from pancake breakfasts, golfathons, or Habitat for Humanity work days.  Our men's  ministries  activities are often like a bunch of hot air balloons drifting along with the cultural winds, launching as many as possible, frantically trying to keep them aloft.  Are we entertaining men or are we equipping them? 

If we are not entertaining men we are using them.  We think since men are doers, let's give them something to do.  This will make them feel needed, wanted and connected.  This strategy will activate some men, but eventually this too will fail as men see the church as a place that only wants their service and their money...not a whole lot different from the other community service groups to which they belong.   Are we using men or equipping them?

If the above stats are even close to accurate, then we need to seriously figure out how to equip men to lead in their personal, family, business, and church life.  We need to develop leaders rather than just hope they survive.  We need to equip them to walk with God in an unfriendly if not brutal world. 

Is this perception valid?  How is your church equipping men to walk with a real God in a real world?