9 Qualities of Effective Men’s Ministry

What are the qualities of a genuinely effective men’s ministry? Not all men’s ministries are created equal. Some are more effective than others.

During the past eighteen years, it’s been my privilege to teach workshops at over 150 men’s conferences throughout the U.S. As a result, I’ve learned about hundreds of men’s ministries all over the country. Here are 9 qualities of effective men’s ministry that I have observed.

1. Your Men’s Ministry has Clear, Biblical Goals and is Implementing Them

There are churches with men’s meetings and there are churches with men’s ministries. A men’s ministry is Bible based and achieves Bible based goals with deep and profound spiritual, emotional and social results. For ideas on how to ground your men’s ministry on the Word of God, see this post “What are Your Ten Year Goals for Your Men’s Ministry?“

2. Your Men’s Ministry has Quality, Godly Men on its Leadership Team

The men in your men’s ministry are not going to rise higher than its leadership. Therefore, it is critical that you have godly leaders who are filled with the Spirit, knowledgeable in the Word and living consistent lives at home and at work.

3. Your Men’s Ministry has the Support of Your Senior Pastor

Ask your pastor to attend your meetings and frequently mention your men’s ministry from the pulpit. Your pastor’s enthusiastic support will be a great boon to your ministry.

4. Your Men’s Ministry Supports Your Senior Pastor

One of the primary purposes of your men’s ministry is to train men who will help implement the vision for the church that the Lord has given your pastor. Ask your pastor to speak to your men and share that vision.

5. Your Men’s Ministry is Male Oriented

This seems like a truism, but it is not. A lot of men’s ministry has a feminine tinge to it. I suggest you get David Murrow’s best seller, “Why Men Hate Going to Church,” and digest it thoroughly.

6. Your Men’s Ministry Addresses the Felt Needs of Your Men

Your men have very specific needs in the areas of goals, self image, sexuality, money, marriage, fathering, grandfathering, temptation, guilt, shame, and on and on. Speak to these areas with your men and show them how to apply their faith to them.

7. Your Men’s Ministry Stresses Relationships, Openness, and Accountability

Get your men into small groups with male friends they can trust. Over time, help them open up with their deepest struggles. This will take time with men. But transparent relationships are critical to a Christian man’s growth.

8. Your Men’s Ministry Addresses the Needs of All the Men in your Church

While your primary focus is on the men who regularly attend your meetings, remember that all the men in your church are your ultimate target group. Figure out ways to address their needs as well.

9. Your Men’s Ministry Teaches Men How to do Good Works by Serving Others in Love

Good works — and especially good works for widows, single moms, and fatherless children in your church — is a special focus of New Commandment Men’s Ministries. But all men’s ministries should have a good works component. Without that, we are falling short of the ultimate goal of our salvation as stated in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

How to Tell if You have an Effective Men’s Ministry

Finally, here’s a simple way to tell if your men’s ministry is doing what it is supposed to do. Are your men talking about it at work on Monday morning? If your men’s ministry is accomplishing significant things both in your men and through your men, then they will be excited to talk about it when someone at work asks them on Monday morning, “So, what did you do this weekend?”

*A single mom and her fatherless child with their team of men*

Since 2003 New Commandment Men’s Ministries has helped hundreds of churches throughout North America and around the world recruit teams of men who permanently adopt widows, single moms and fatherless children in their congregations for the purpose of donating two hours of service to them one Saturday morning each month. We accomplish this with a free training site called New Commandment Men’s Ministry Learn how to mobilize your men’s ministry to meet every pressing need in your church at newcommandment.org.

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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.