June 2008
Men’s Ministry Best Practices: Avoiding Common Failures
Pillar 4: Create Opportunities for Outreach
We have found that churches who provide few or no opportunities for evangelism or outreach will not attract as many men as those who do. Without a passion for outreach, men do not become engaged. Men like to serve and "do" - give them ways to do that by tapping their skills and interests.
There are hundreds of different programs your men's ministry can execute to serve and connect with your community. Take time to understand who you seek to serve. What are your demographics (age, profession, etc)? What type of community do you live in (four seasons, urban, rural, etc.)? What are some practical needs in your area? Next, tap into the passions and abilities of the men in your church. Maybe there are guys who have a passion for fixing cars...consider offering a car clinic once a month to serve those in need. Perhaps there are guys who want to help kids and could organize a weekly tutoring program. MMC has a list of suggested projects or missions for men to get you started if you are interested.
Critical components for a passionate outreach strategy include creating a measurable and accountable goal and then mapping out the pre-, during, and post-event plans. How will you promote the event or service? How will you encourage those who attend or are served to take their next step of involvement with your church during the event or service? How will you follow up? Make sure those who are leading your outreach/service teams have developed their measurable goals and then schedule a time to debrief to evaluate how things went.
Stop singing to the choir and reach out and serve somebody! You'll engage more men in the life of your church when you do.
Read the other articles in this issue:
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