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 Ministries Men's Ministry
Men's Ministry
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." -- Proverbs 27:17
The Holy Redeemer Men's Ministry provides a Christian fellowship where "guys can be guys". In the past
two years we have followed the Men's Fraternity curriculum and learned about authentic (Biblical)
manhood followed by a study on success at home and at work. One guiding principle throughouth these
lessons is the "paradox principle" - that we must "die to live".
A small but dedicated group of men has just completed the second Men’s Fraternity DVD series – Winning
at Work and Home. After completion of the series, we met for breakfast to discuss future plans for the
Holy Redeemer Men’s Ministry.
A number of possibilities were discussed but one recurring theme was particularly exciting – what can
we do to involve more men? After a sixteen week commitment to waking up early and spending a few minutes
sharing and learning from one another, something happens. Friendships deepen, bonds strengthen, and a
realization occurs that we indeed in this together. There is no need to go through life "independently"
when you have Christ and a group of like-minded men. With these shared experiences come excitement and
a desire to share them with other men in our community.
So, if someone comes alongside you and says "I’d like to get to know you better; would you consider
coming to Men’s Ministry?" don’t dwell on how busy you are (this group knows that you are and understands
it), but consider how these few minutes a week might help you to know what’s truly important so you can
set other things aside and feel less burdened. What Christ first taught, Robert Lewis repackaged in DVD
format - we must "die to live". We die to ourselves in order that we might be closer to God and those
around us. Ninety minutes a week is a small "death" for the "life" (in fact, lives) you gain in return.
Coming Soon!
Up next in the Men's Fraternity curriculum is "The Great Adventure". Discussions
will turn toward vision and destiny through a greater understanding of who we are. The study will
challenge men to continually ask themselves "Who am I?"; "What are my dreams in life?"; and "Do I have
the courage to follow those dreams?"
We may also pick up a new Men's Fraternity resource - "Becoming a Man: A Father and Son Journey Together".
This program is geared toward helping fathers with high school aged sons lead their sons toward authentic
manhood. The group has talked much about having a program geared toward mentoring sons to be "real men".
Schedule
The men’s group is currently taking a short recess until after Easter. This break has two purposes.
First, it keeps us both "out of the way" and available to serve during these last weeks of building
construction. Second, it provides us with the opportunity to consider how to best serve more men.
To that aim, we are considering multiple session times, varied series lengths, and a variety of
topics and activities.
Watch this space as well as bulletin inserts and newsletters for upcoming schedules.
Future Ideas
Throughout the course of the men's ministry we will gather and maintain a list of other men's activities and make every effort
to involve as many men at different schedule times as possible. If you are interested in these or other men's activities, please
contact Jeff Hand.
- Retreat
- Modern-Day Knights program for mentoring "sons" toward authentic manhood
- Service projects
- Getting to know one another on a deeper level through sharing life stories
- Ways for Men's Ministry to "grow to and for Christ" (and increase our numbers)
Quotes by and for Men
"No man has ever risen to the real stature of spiritual manhood until he has found that it is finer to serve somebody else
than it is to serve himself." -- Woodrow Wilson
"Show me the man you honor, and I will know what kind of man you are, for it shows me what your ideal of manhood is and what
kind of man you long to be." -- Thomas Carlyle
"Politicians fascinate because they constitute such a paradox; they are an elite that accomplishes mediocrity for the public
good. They define themselves in terms of what they oppose." -- George Will
Men's Fraternity
For additional information about Men's Fraternity, "The Quest for Authentic Manhood", "Winning at
Work and Home", "The Great Adventure" and other resources, please refer to the
Men's Fraternity website.
Additional Resources
For additional men's resources, you may be interested in the following web sites:
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