Ten Practical Secrets to Attract and Retain Men
(An article from past No Man Left Behind Training events by David Delk & Patrick Morley)
- Pastor Prayer Group: Organize a group of men to pray for your Pastor every Sunday morning before the services begin.
- The Bill Gates Idea: Come up with a dynamic purpose statement that gets men excited about getting involved.
- A “Care Call” Team: Form a “call team” of trained men responsible for 10 guys each. They establish a regular phone or email relationship that communicates, “I care.”
- Word of Wife: Use a “Word of Wife” campaign to have her get him out. Methodically make an appeal to all women’s groups and studies.
- The World’s Biggest Small Group: Help your Senior Pastor facilitate a kick-off gathering at the beginning of each semester for four weeks. Then, funnel these guys into small groups. The larger setting is a safer first step for guys and allows them a chance to develop relationships before entering a group.
- Work Teams: When a guy comes up with a ministry idea, put him in charge of a “work team” and turn him loose to make something happen.
- A Great Bible Teacher: Don’t overlook the obvious. Men will get up early to hear good male-context, application-oriented Bible study.
- Mom’s Night Out: Get dozens more men involved in small groups by offering childcare and children’s programs concurrent with evening meeting of men’s small groups at the church.
- The Prayer Chair: Change a man’s life by putting a chair in the middle of a circle, have him share his need or struggle, then pray for him.
- Leadership Training: Recruit new leaders by constantly “evangelizing” men about your purpose. Train leaders for vacancies in the church by getting cultural Christians in small groups where they come to authentic faith and get turned on.
One Idea That Just Missed the Cut
- Free Books: Hand out free copies of the Man in the Mirror (or another one of the inexpensive books from the Books! by the Box [booksbythebox.org] program) to build friendships and help men change their lives.