The widowed and single parents in our churches have long term needs that, by definition, can last for years and even decades. Men’s team ministry meets those needs in a revolutionary way: by providing consistent and effective care that also lasts for years and decades.
Why? We do this because their widowed and single parents in our churches are part of our eternal family (Matthew 12:46-50), because the love of Christ never ends (1 Corinthians 13:7-8), because we are obligated to our widowed and single parents under the terms of our New Covenant (John 13:34-35), and because Jesus and the early church serve as examples by providing for the long term needs of their own widowed and single parents (John 19:25-27; Acts 6:1-4).
The main question at the beginning of this ministry nineteen years ago was whether or not we could actually meet long term needs with long term men’s ministry. Would men’s team ministry work? After all, men’s ministry in general is notoriously one of the weakest ministries in most churches, if it exists at all. Proposing a decades-long men’s ministry for these types of needs seemed like a stretch.
But after nineteen years, I can report that church after church are reaching the ten year mark with its men’s team ministry. And if a men’s team ministry can last for ten years, then why not twenty? It seems that the goal of decades long service is clearly attainable.
Here are some keys to long term men’s team ministry.
- Keep things simple. The more complexity you add to your men’s team ministry, the less likely you will be able to sustain it. For example, including a breakfast before your teams go out to serve means you will have to plan meals and have volunteers available to cook and clean up.
- Refill vacancies on teams. Starting with four men on a team provides a cushion when one or two leave. But eventually, these positions need to be filled again, or your teams will eventually fade away.
- Prepare for leadership transitions. All ministries eventually experience leadership transitions. Having a backup leader for your men’s team ministry will enable it to weather change.
- Take breaks. I suggest your men’s team ministry take one month off each year. The men’s team ministry at our church takes the month of August off.
- Don’t constantly recruit. If you do, your men will eventually tune you out. Have specific recruitment times – maybe once a year or, at most, twice a year.
- Evaluate and make adjustments. Look at what’s working and what’s not. Adjust accordingly. The men’s team ministry model we provide is just that: a model and nothing more.
I had a pastor at one time who liked to use the acronym K.I.S.S: “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” We all love simplicity. Serving their widowed and single parents doesn’t have to be complex or burdensome. By keeping things simple and employing some of these other easy keys to long term men’s team ministry, we should be able to accomplish an important church goal: meeting the long term needs of our widowed and single parents.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
Does your church have a men’s team ministry that is ten years old or more? What are some of the keys to your success?
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Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
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