Sustain Change Through Relationships

To sustain momentum with men, get them into real relationships with other men who are seeking Christ. You can’t sustain without small groups and one-on-one relationships. Why is this so important?

1. You want to help men maintain the spiritual progress they have made. This is particularly important for men early in their spiritual journey.
2. You want to get men into regular prayer and the study of Scripture.

If you work hard to gain ground in the battle for men’s time and attention but then don’t find ways to sustain that effort, you’ll just find yourself starting over. The men will begin to lose heart, feeling that nothing ever changes.

A ministry to men must be more than just events; it must be about helping men become mature in Christ. Remember, it takes a long time to make a disciple. Discipleship almost always takes place over a period of years in the context of significant relationships with other men.

Rather than showing men a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” we must show them Christ. Our job is not to “fix” their behavior. Our job is to make Christ ever more attractive so that He can do His life-transforming work in them. God’s grace changes men, not some effort on their part to be good enough. When we help men connect with Jesus, He works the change in behavior from the inside out. He changes the desires of the man.

Sustain by creating a culture of prayer. Ensure that prayer is a part of everything you do for the men of your church. Train your leaders to integrate prayer into every activity. Pray that you will become a part of what God wants to do in your church and community.

The focus of a men’s ministry leader should be to make disciples of men who will in turn disciple others, and so on. This was the method of Jesus. Your ministry to men will grow in proportion to your ability to build not just disciples but disciple-makers.

Remember this:

• Two goals for sustaining momentum in your ministry are to get men into relationships, and get men into small groups and the study of Scripture.
• It takes a long time to make a disciple. Don’t get angry with men because you are more interested in their spiritual success than they are.
• Rather than showing men a list of “do’s” and “don’ts,” show them Christ.
• Build everything – your leadership team, your ministry, your discipleship programs, and every activity for men – on a foundation of prayer.
• We have never known a man whose life was changed in any significant way apart from the regular study of God’s Word.

Connect men to the best disciple-making processes in your church. Men won’t make it on their own. But together, they can become authentic disciples who can change the world.