Often, men's ministry can look like a fellowship hour or handing someone a book. But true men’s ministry builds a movement of discipled men who make a church strong. And to do that, men need to be employed.
THE VALUE OF EMPLOYMENT
In a culture of serving within the church, we tend to serve instead of asking others to serve.
But, predicated on the Word of God, men need a job. The principle comes right out of the Garden of Eden. Before Adam ever had a wife, God gave him a job. At CMN with some humor, we shorten that to, “No job? No wife.” Perhaps more men should know that before falling in love.
Unemployment in the workforce can lead men to have low self-worth, to feel disconnected, discouraged, and even depressed.
Ultimately, it can lead to illegal and illicit activities. The same is true in the church. “Spiritual unemployment” can result in men doing things illegal, illicit, and immoral.
THE THREE E’S
As leaders, we spiritually employ men through the three E’s: Equip, Empower, and Employ.
- We equip men by giving them the tools to do a job in the church. Giving men jobs to do in the church lets them “have skin in the game.”
- We empower men when we say, “Here, take what I've given you and run with it.”
- We employ men when they do the job well. It’s now their job. They own it.
This follows the pattern of the New Testament: “Win them, train them, send them.”
WHO TO ASSIGN JOBS TO
Training men and assigning jobs has some pitfalls. We can routinely make the mistake of thinking first of the most available person. However, sometimes available men are not doing anything because they don’t get anything done.
People who are doing something are the ones who will get something done. The people Jesus called into his ministry were extremely active, productive people.
It’s also important not to mistake passion for influence when looking for leaders. We often find a man who’s passionate about ministry to men, and we want to make him a leader. However, if he has no influence, he'll gather no one to himself. The whole thing falls flat without influence.
Not that passion doesn’t have its place. Passionate men are great to greet people, park cars, or even straighten chairs and make coffee. As he does his job, the passionate man creates an atmosphere of hospitality.
But passion isn’t enough when it comes to choosing men for important roles. You need men of influence in those roles.
When men of influence are placed at the center of the ministry, they draw other men into it. Think of the men you want to be around, the men who, when they asked you to do something, you were happy to do it.
If you were building a new extension on the church and needed to raise money, who are the three men you would call? Who are the men you'd name in front of everyone because you know other men would say, “Hey, if he’s involved, I’m going to be involved.” Men like that are influential.
EMPLOY ALL MEN, ESPECIALLY IN EVANGELISM
It is important to value and employ all of your men. If a man is brand new, start by letting him pick up and set things out, or wave people in from the parking lot. Give him a partner to do it with. Whatever it may be, give your men a job.
There is also one job that all Christians are tasked with: evangelism. Most Christians are uncomfortable with the term evangelism, even if their church talks about it often. However, evangelism doesn’t have to look like convincing your neighbor or the man in the elevator to come to Christ.
Through discipleship, people naturally reproduce themselves. When a man is following Jesus Christ with his whole heart, it becomes natural to bring another man into the group or bring someone to church. In fact, when other men see a discipled man’s example—how he’s living, or perhaps how he’s changed, the peace in his home, the respect of his wife—it’s natural for others to want to know what happened to him.
Before I went into full-time ministry, I was in media and entertainment, a very secular field. Still, men would ask me to pray for them, or for someone they knew, all the time. People just know there is something about a follower of Christ. They trust that you can give them wisdom that they can’t find anywhere else.
Evangelism is the first job all your discipled men should be encouraged to develop. At first, you can remind them to talk to other men and bring people to church. But as they become discipled, it will be the simplest job they do.
PERSONAL EFFECT
As you equip, empower, and employ your men, you yourself will change. You will be encouraged and have an increased capacity of encouragement to give in return.
James 1:5 is a good verse of Scripture to pray over yourself as you discern where to place men in jobs, so that their skill set and their gifts are fully engaged. This will help in the process of building a powerful, generational, reproducing men's movement.
For more insight on ministry to men, get a copy of Seven Keys: Building a Powerful Ministry to Men available on Amazon or from Christian Men's Network.
