Next month marks New Commandment Men’s Ministries’ fifteenth anniversary. It’s hard to believe we’ve been helping churches start men’s team ministries to their widowed and single parents for a decade and a half. I thought I’d celebrate by briefly reviewing a history of men’s team ministry.
- The first men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents begins in Omaha, Nebraska. No, I didn’t “think up” men’s team ministry. I read about it in a Promise Keepers pamphlet entitled, Focusing Your Men’s Ministry: A Strategy for Layleaders and Pastors(Pictured at right). I picked it up at a PK stadium event in Indianapolis in 1996. In the back is an appendix that listed examples of successful men’s ministries. One of them was a church in Nebraska that had formed their men into teams to serve their widows and single mothers. I thought, “This is exactly what our widows and single moms need!”
- 1996 – I begin a men’s team ministry in Quincy, Illinois. At the time, I was the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Quincy. I took the idea to the men in our church and they eagerly responded. We formed four teams out of the sixteen men who volunteered and began to see immediate results.
- 1999 – I begin a second men’s team ministry in Broomfield, Colorado. Several months after God called me to Good News Community Church in Broomfield, Colorado, we began a men’s team ministry there as well. We were able to cover all of our widows with a team.
- August, 2002 – Fullerton Evangelical Free Church forms a team for my sister. In July, 2002, my brother-in-law died and left my sister with two teenage girls. I asked the men of EvFree to form a team for her at his funeral and they did! I realized soon after that funeral that God was calling me full-time to help churches begin men’s team ministries.
- January, 2003 – New Commandment Men’s Ministries begins. In January of 2003 I raised support, formed a board, and incorporated New Commandment as a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- January, 2003 – I start a monthly newsletter. Producing the hard copy (and later, email) monthly newsletter is when I realized that I really, really enjoy writing.
- April, 2003 – New Commandment partners with Iron Sharpens Iron men’s conferences. A giant step forward for New Commandment came when I was invited to do workshops on men’s team ministry at Iron Sharpens Iron men’s conferences around the country. Over the years, I and my associates have given over 150 of these workshops.
- 2003 to present – Men’s team ministry spreads across America and around the world. Over the past fifteen years, hundreds of churches in 49 states (pray for Delaware!) and 9 foreign countries have started men’s team ministries.
- August, 2016 – My monthly newsletter becomes a three-times-a-week blog. Realizing that the Internet has now made it possible to leverage my ministry to reach thousands, I made a decision last year to focus on digital ministry. One result is that my blog now goes out to an audience of about 6,000 three times a week.
- March, 2017 – Meeting to Meet Needs begins. Part of this new focus on digital ministry has been training. Toward that end, I began a membership site for those who want to receive in-depth training for starting a men’s team ministry.
- October, 2017 – Online video training course completed. Two months ago, the video course was completed. I am now adding additional material to the site and planning a special section on loving our neighbors.
To all those who have helped this ministry succeed by praying, giving, volunteering – and especially by starting a men’s team ministry in your church! – I want to say thank you! You have helped make this ministry one of the greatest joys of my life.
If you would like to make a special year end gift in support of New Commandment Men’s Ministries, you can do so here.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
A Simple Ministry Concept with Profound Implications
Teams of four men serving widows, single moms, fatherless children and others with long-term pressing needs in their churches and communities.
