May 2008
Men’s Ministry Best Practices: Avoiding Common Failures
Pillar 3: "The Plan and the Calendar" - The Importance of Structure
Why are the plan and the calendar so important? Because they show vision. And when there is vision, men will get involved. No vision....no men.
When you develop a plan and an annual calendar you are showing your guys that it's not "the same old thing". They are invited to be a part of something purposeful.
The calendar is profound because of the integration and momentum power. When you look at the calendar, one thing should lead to the next thing. In our "Special Event Best Practices" document, we emphasize the importance of post-event planning. It is critical to use each event to build toward the next thing. You want to be intentional about challenging your men to take their next step. Your plan and calendar should be moving guys along.
Your plan and calendar should reflect two priorities: feeding brothers & community outreach. These are 2 different things - how do you make them happen? Here's an example: let's say you host a community outreach around fishing that is hosted offsite. Ideally, there's the survey at this event. And guys will fill it out because they want the give-away. Then, imagine you have handouts at your event with your relevant fishing tips, etc. and on the back is a calendar of what's going on at your church for men. Wouldn't it be great to have another event within the next 120 days with a topic that is relevant to guy's life (like balancing work and family, being a better husband, managing money, etc.), and maybe that event is hosted onsite at your church, so men are gradually connecting with your church? And what if your subsequent men's breakfast has a seeker-sensitive agenda that creates another entry point for guys moving along in their spiritual journey?
Do you see why you need structure? You won't move your men forward without it. This kind of planning takes long-term thinking and your events need to connect together.
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