Those of you who have been following my ministry for the past nineteen years know that I have been advocating using teams of men to serve widows, single moms, and anyone else in their churches with long term needs.
This men’s team ministry model has been implemented in hundreds of churches across America and around the world with great success. There are several reasons why the Lord has blessed it.
Men’s team ministry is biblical
Men serving widows and single moms is a long biblical tradition that includes Job,1 Elijah and the widow of Zarephath,2 John,3 the first deacons,4 and James.5
Men’s team ministry is culture specific
Biblical culture was intimate and personal. Most people lived in small villages and towns, walked everywhere, and saw each other frequently. In contrast, our culture is individualistic, mobile, isolated, and impersonal. Using teams of men who meet and serve their care receivers regularly for years compensates for these weaknesses.
Men’s team ministry is simple
Men’s team ministry is easy to start and and easy to maintain over years and even decades.
Men’s team ministry is effective
Men’s team ministry is effective because it is a relational ministry, not just a project ministry. As a result, it provides profound spiritual, social and physical ministry to its care receivers.
Men’s team ministry utilizes a huge unused resource
Men’s ministry is generally the weakest ministry in most churches, if it exists at all. Using men to serve widows and single moms activates a massive reserve of volunteer energy in the church. Men’s team ministry draws men in from the periphery of the church and engages them in very significant ministry.
Men’s team ministry provides healing for women and children
Many women have been abused and/or abandoned by men. And many children of single moms lack godly adult male role models. In fact, one in five children in America grow up without a man in the household. Men’s team ministry is a healing balm for hurting and abused women and fatherless children.
Men’s team ministry is natural for men
Men relate best by doing things together. We love teams, like sports teams and work teams. Why not ministry teams? Doing something practical with other men for someone in need is a primary love language for men.
Men’s team ministry is purely pragmatic
But having said all of this, I want to emphasize that I don’t care whether churches use teams of men to serve their widowed and single parents. There is nothing in the Bible that says we must use teams of men to serve these people. The model I present to churches is purely pragmatic. It works very well in our particular culture.
What I do care about is that churches love their widowed, single parents, and others with long term needs with the radical love of Christ. That is, churches need to move beyond simply doing kind gestures for these dear saints every now and then and provide consistent and effective relational ministry for them for as long as they need it, which is often years and decades. How churches do this is irrelevant, so long as they do it.
It’s time for churches to take a deep and prolonged look at what it means to love each other genuinely with the love of Christ, especially what that love looks like for the neediest in our congregations. If, after having done that, you decide to use the model I’ve been proposing, that is great. But if you decide to do something entirely different, that is great too. (And let me know what it is that you are doing so I can promote it!)
Start your own men’s team ministry
If you want to start your own men’s team ministry to your widows and single moms, check out these six free videos in How to Start a Men’s Team Ministry.
This post first appeared in 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.
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- “The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.” Job 29:13, New International Version
- 1 Kings 17:7-24
- “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, her is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” John 19:25-27, New International Version
- “‘Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” Acts 6:3-6, New International Version
- James 1:27
