Part 2 of THE RIGHT NEXT STEP series.
When was the last time a pep rally helped anyone take THE RIGHT NEXT STEP?
Over twenty years ago, Nate and Allison were high school sweethearts. He was the captain of the football team, and she was the captain of the cheerleading squad. Now they are still cheering each other on as they raise their five children, and both work in ministry at Southside Baptist Church in Suffolk, VA.
He’s a Team Player
He wasn’t going to sit on the bench; he got in the game. When Nate’s pastor, Fred Gray, asked men to step up to the plate in a ministry that was on their heart, Nate knew what his RIGHT NEXT STEP would be. He launched a church ministry that he called Men Ready and began to eat, sleep, and breathe men’s ministry.
Since Southside Baptist is my hometown church, Nate and I connected, and knew right away that we were cut from the same cloth. Since then, Noble Warriors has been an extensive resource for the Men Ready ministry.
Using Men’s Fraternity curriculum, he formed multiple teams, each led by a Coach to facilitate. At the end of the first year of Men Ready, Mike spoke at the “graduation” for the team to encourage the men over a huge steak dinner.
Something different happened this year …
In Lock Step Together
In September, the men kicked off another session of Men’s Fraternity, and Allison saw an opportunity.
She remembered a time when Pastor Brian Autry, who had served as interim pastor at Southside Baptist in previous years, had preached on submission. The term is often misunderstood or given a bad rap, but Brian taught it in a new light. Submission to anything is coming up under the mission. It’s a necessary support that gives energy and wings to any mission.
These men were striving to create brotherhood and pursue discipleship. The women knew their RIGHT NEXT STEP was to get behind them and support what they are doing to be spiritual leaders and build relationships with one another.
“We want to encourage them, especially when they are trying to be the men God created them to be.”
Once a Cheerleader, Always a Cheerleader
The Men Ready group – aka the “MR”s, were getting ready to be surprised by the Men Ready Support – the “MRS”s. And they went all out!
“If the men are doing a football team, we are going to have a pep rally.”
They had it all – matching tees, pom poms, a balloon arch and run-through banner, the theme from Space Jam, and an official announcer to shout, “Let’s get rrrready to rrrrumble!”
It was more than wives supporting husbands. The whole women’s ministry rallied behind the men. One single dad brought his children with him, not knowing there was no childcare, and the ladies jumped in to care for his children so he could stay and study with the men.
They saw a need, filled it, and even decided to begin rotating childcare so that any single dad could come.
The Right Next Step is a Multiplier
Nate’s RIGHT NEXT STEP was to start Men Ready.
Allison’s RIGHT NEXT STEP was to rally Men Ready Support.
Noble Warriors’ RIGHT NEXT STEP is to equip and encourage men like Nate to walk with Christ and lead well.
Next month you’ll see how men and families come together in a dire health situation to love and support one of their own and truly step up to be the body of Christ for one another.
You’ll hear how men from other churches came to a Men Ready session so they could go back to their churches to start men’s ministry there.
These testimonies arose directly from the Men Ready group.
When you take THE RIGHT NEXT STEP, it has a ripple effect.