Time to evaluate your ministry
By the Rev. Dr. Rick Vance
One of the missions of the General Commission on UM Men is to “help every man in the UMC and the communities served by the churches to have an on-growing relationship with Christ.”
As we begin 2019, I would like to challenge you, as leaders in UM Men, to evaluate the men’s ministry of your church. The evaluation should not only look at what you have accomplished but should also include what men are active in the ministry and what men are “missing in action.”
At the 2016 General Conference, Bishop Swanson and Gil Hanke challenged the church to connect men to God and then connect them to the church.
How successful is your total church’s men’s ministry accomplishing this task? As leaders in the UM Men, we are charged with helping the church have a cohesive ministry that reaches beyond the “breakfast meeting” into the church, so that all men can be encouraged to grow into disciples of Christ.
The community surrounding your church is also important. Is your church doing things to reach your next-door neighbors? Have you ever planned an event and invited folk from outside your church family to attend?
Men are “missing in action!” There should never be a time where any man is left behind. Statistics tell us that less than 10 percent of men have another man with whom they feel safe to talk when they have a problem. Your total men’s ministry should provide a place for this to happen.
So please evaluate your total men’s ministry. Where are you connecting men with God? How are you including all men, not just those who look and think like you?
How are you breaking down the “club” model and moving to a “ministry” model for your chartered subscribed men’s ministry?
The Center for Men’s Ministries has resources that can help you on the journey. We would also like to hear about the ministries you are doing. Please email me and let me know.
Blessings
The Rev. Dr. Rick Vance, director of the Center for Men’s Ministries
General Commission on UM Men