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What the CHURCH Needs is More MEN!!!!
What would you say all men want out of life? If we were honest, all of us
men would want to be successful, to feel significant & to have meaning in
life. We want to be good husbands, good fathers, & the spiritual leaders of
our families. Unfortunately, many men do not know how to accomplish these
goals. A Men’s Ministry can provide the spiritual direction men need to join
God’s work in every area of our lives. A Men’s Ministry that draws men to
Christ & mobilizes them for a ministry must be based on thorough knowledge
of their specific needs & characteristics.
The apostle Paul’s ministry to all people indicates that he found joy &
hardship in sharing the Word of God. The Word of God that helps in
completing the work that Jesus came to do for the sake of the Church. Jesus
came to build the Church which would become the body of Christ. Paul found
joy & hardship because his work involved people; people who shared the same
joy he found & people who rejected what he shared. It is quite clear that
what is still lacking in regards to Jesus’ affliction is the lack of MEN in
His ministry. Men who are complete & ready to fulfill God’s purpose which
would compliment the body of Christ. When a man grows in the body of Christ
(the Church), through the Word, he becomes a servant with a desire to share
what he has heard & learned.
The following statistics illustrate the spiritual state of American men
today: approximately 94 million males are 18 or older. On a typical weekend,
about 26 million men attend church services; 68 million DO NOT! During a
typical week, roughly 27 million men read the Bible, while 67 million DO
NOT! One of three men embraces Jesus as Savior; 60 million rely on other
means “for salvation.” Eighty-five percent of all non-churched men were
previously churched. Since 1991, church attendance, Bible reading, Sunday
school attendance, volunteering at church & contributions to church have all
decreased among men. The average church attendance among men has declined!
These alarming statistics as stated above enforce the need for churches &
ministries to connect men to God’ life-changing power. God has given the
Jesus Name Pentecostal Church a “vision statement.” Our Vision Statement is
as follows: “WE ARE MODELING JESUS EVERY DAY BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT
LAST, & MAKING NEW FRIENDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.” When a early fog reduces our
vision, we must drive more slowly. But when the fog lifts, we can “speed
up.” We all go through periods when we know where we want to go, but the way
to get there seems “fogged.” The KEY is to help men keep driving toward the
“vision,” even if they must drive slowly because they are in a “fog.”
Through the Men’s Ministry at the Jesus Name Pentecostal Church, we are
striving towards our goal & that goal is “TO HELP OUR MEN TO BECOME MORE
CHRIST-LIKE!” To help us to discern His will, God has given us three means
of guidance: the Bible, prayer, & the Holy Ghost. It isn’t how we look,
where we work, what we have, whom we know, or what we know that counts it is
who we are when no one else is looking. It is a man’s character that counts!
Men of character drive real ministries. I Samuel 16:7 states, “But the Lord
said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his
stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the
heart.”
From the time God created Adam & Eve, wives & children have looked to their
husbands & fathers to be a “leader.” If we can reach the MEN, we can reach
the families! What every Church needs is “MORE MEN!” If a child is the first
person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5 percent
probability that everyone else in the household will follow. If the mother
is first, there is a 17 percent probability that everyone else in the
household will follow. BUT if the FATHER is the first person in a household
to become a Christian, there is a 93 percent probability that everyone else
in the household will follow. But to reach the men, we have to enter into
their “world.” Out of 94 million men in the United States that are 18 &
older, 85 percent of those say they grew up with some sort of church
background. Amazing!
The Word of God was a mystery to all of us. It was not until we made a
conscious decision to seek out a better life through our Lord & Savior Jesus
Christ, that the mystery of the Gospel was revealed. What we found is a
ministry in the Gospel that taught us how to live a better life in all that
we do. Sometime back, Pastor Rob had an acrostic for MEN; it is Meeting
Every Need. I am going to add to that as Meeting Every Need to provide a
better life in family & marriage; work & finances; play & fun; but most of
all to give PRAISE & WORSHIP to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ! Through the
Men’s Ministry at the Jesus Name Pentecostal Church, “WE ARE MODELING JESUS
EVERY DAY BY BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT LAST AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. God bless you all!!!!
Bro. Danny, 6/4/06
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