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Men’s Ministry |
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Our weekly meeting is on Wednesday night in the parsonage basement from 6:45 pm to 8:00 pm. We break from the schedule every fourth Wednesday night and a few additional holidays. We also break at the end of each May until the following September. Our Vision Our vision is to see men restored to God, reconciled to each other, and reconnected to the creation is another way of phrasing the vision of our church to love God, each other, and our community. Our Mission is to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment by serving men as they seek to follow the way to Jesus. The 3 R’s Restored to God In other words, this means being vitally connected to God in life giving relationship. For some, this may mean encountering God in His saving work for the first time. For others, this may require restoring the image that we have of God. We believe that grace alone ushers us and anchors us in restorative relationship with God. We can never earn this place of favor. Yet, out of gratitude we are motivated to actively pursue practices, disciplines and experiences that will help shape, mold and transform our heads, hearts and hands to be more like those of Christ. Reconciled to Each Other We were intended to be vitally connected people. In the beginning, God made it clear that it was not good for man to be alone. Later it was communicated that a Godward life could be summed up in two directives. Love God intensely and love your neighbor as yourself. The second call to love flows out of the first. It is a call that is intentionally aimed at shaking up our social scene. It is a call to boldly love and pursue connectedness with those of other tribes. In other words, we should start drawing our circle at home and finish at the ends of the earth. Reconnected to the Creation Perhaps the best way to reconnect with the creation is to acknowledge the Creator. Through history, the Bible and church leaders speak of knowing God in and through His creation. Creation is a word of God. Martin Luther wrote, “God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the clouds and stars.” For this reason, we work with men to help them recover a sense of appreciation for the outdoors and challenge them to explore places that their day planners normally leave out. Growing Band of Brothers We are trusting the Spirit of God to use us in creating an authentic fraternity of faith. Far too many of us have experienced the journey of faith as a solo act. One man describes this all too common scenario. "Most Christians I meet harbor secret feelings of failure. Most of them are waging a daily war against some sort of chronic self-defeating behavior, and many of them are alone in that fight. It's a lousy way to live. I know. I was a solitary fighter for years. What I wanted was a private solution to my private problems. I was willing to trust Christ, but not the Body of Christ. I didn't really believe that God's Spirit inhabits all believers, and I didn't think He could use broken people to help me. I considered the Church a loose association of individual God-followers, not a single organism whose members are so interdependent that they can only move together. " -Nate Larkin We are seeking to become a band of brothers that can move together through the challenging seasons of a man's life. Our intent is to serve men in any season and any challenge. Our Strategy Outpost Men’s Ministry intends to build on a foundation of biblical truth and prayer that inspires Christ-centered worship. It will develop a framework of life-giving relationships to which men can relate. The process will be guided by clear vision and goals, while including a plan that equips men with resources and training. We trust that God’s Spirit uses such strategies to conform men to His image and strengthen gifts that can be used to influence their world for Christ. The vision of Outpost is to see this happen intentionally through restoration to God, reconciliation to self/others, and reconnection to the creation by ministering to the needs of church and community both locally and globally.
The illustration above develops a strategic image of how meetings and events can be used to channel the momentum that God brings. These events can be used to create momentum, capture momentum, and sustain momentum.
Where are we on the Map?
In addition to an annual men's advance, we meet in one small group format on Wednesday night and many of our men are already actively involved in ministries to family, church, and community. Some men have been serving with little to no support, others have doggedly plodded with few friends and fewer resources, and many in our congregation and community have become casualties or wounded soldiers in the battles that all men face. Let me ask, "Where are you on the map?" Let me offer a challenge for you to envision a God of grace who has more in store for you, your family, the Church, and your circles of influence. Let's build a ministry that can leave a mark. Let's take the expedition together!
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