Commencement. That’s what we call graduation ceremonies.
You may be like me. When I attend a commencement ceremony for myself or someone else, I’m thinking more about what was completed or accomplished. I’m focused on the ending and not thinking about what is to begin. But the end is truly just the beginning. There’s a sense of accomplishment when you finish something, but often, it’s the good stuff that comes next! That’s the way it should be with your men’s ministry. As you invest in men, whether it’s your son, a mentee, a small group, or the whole men’s ministry at your church, don’t just focus on completing an event or a series, be thinking about the right next step.
You may plan and execute an awesome men’s event with great food, a powerful speaker, and a better-than-expected turnout, but if you don’t give your men direction for their next step, you really haven’t accomplished much. Events for men fill the calendar, attract attention, and stir things up, but discipleship takes place in small groups. Guys, everything you do with your men should point them to the right next step!
Just remember that visible ministry, like a men’s steak night, or annual camping trip, should launch much invisible ministry like a small group of guys learning spiritual disciplines together or learning what Father God teaches us about being a dad in His Word. What’s happening next is more important than what’s happening now!
So, what does this look like? The possibilities are endless. Let’s map out what I call a Men’s Discipleship Campaign together.
DEVELOP A MEN’S DISCIPLESHIP CAMPAIGN
Campaign: An organized course of action to achieve a goal.
Notice the language here. Don’t plan an event. Develop a campaign plan. An event is part of the campaign, but not the most important part. Noble Warriors is hosting three men’s conferences across the state this spring. Mobilizing your men to participate in one of these conferences could be the catalytic event in your campaign. Here’s how it would work:
- Start planning now! Go to the Noble Warriors Events and Conferences webpage and request a mobilization packet for instructions and tools to help you develop a plan. You can also download digital assets from the site.
- Follow the instructions to invite your men to join you and others from your church to be sharpened in Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, or Yorktown, Virginia.
- Do the hard but rewarding work of making personal invitations and preparing for a high-impact day.
- AND, most importantly, pray, plan, and prepare to give the guys the next right step.
MAP OUT THE RIGHT NEXT STEP
So what does a right next step look like for your guys? Here are some options to consider…
- Launch BetterMan groups for your men after the conference.
- Video driven studies are great because the content is proven and you simply need solid facilitators to lead small groups.
- Use 33 The Series Vol. 3: A Man and His Traps to get guys talking about the idols in their lives in order to address hard issues.
- Launch small groups that will study a solid book on a particular topic.
- Point Man: How a Man Can Lead His Family by Steve Farrar
- Disciplines for a Godly Man by Kent Hughes
- Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis
- Dad, Here’s What I Need from You by Michelle Watson Canfield
- The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz
- Or a book of the Bible…
- James is a favorite starting point. It’s short, practical, and full of wisdom for men.
- Proverbs is a high impact study for guys!
- Joshua would give you some great discussion topics.
- Or even a section of the Bible…
- Guys can learn much from studying the Sermon of the Mount together (Matthew 5-7).
- The qualifications of elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 is another high impact study.
The list only scratches the surface. There are others that I could recommend. The bottom line is this though, don’t just do events and pat yourself on the back when it’s done like you’ve finished the task. No, the end of a highly visible men’s event is actually the beginning of highly valuable, but often invisible, men’s discipleship. Remember the great commission speaks of making disciples not corn hole champions or chili cook-off winners.
So, plan the big event, execute with excellence, and leverage it to launch some men on a discipleship journey. Let the end be the beginning of the right next step.
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’.” Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
Resources available from Noble Warriors
Podcasts:
Course:
5 Keys to Effective Men’s Discipleship