Even Small Churches can do Some Form of Men’s Team Ministry
I get this a lot: “We’re a small church. We have less than fifty members. I don’t think men’s team ministry is going to work in our church.”
True. Men’s team ministry as we normally describe it normally won’t work well in churches under fifty. But I always emphasize that the model we present is just that – a model, and nothing more. There are ways to modify the model so that even really small churches under fifty can do some form of men’s team ministry – or maybe something completely different.
The Basic Principles Apply to All Churches, Large or Small
First of all, the principles we’re trying to practice with men’s team ministry apply to all churches regardless of size. Here’s a summary of these principles: All churches are covenant communities based on the New Covenant as expressed in Communion. Included in this New Covenant is a New Commandment: we’re to love each other as Christ has loved us. The love of Christ has special relevance to the weakest among us. These people are often, but not always, people who have long term needs, such as the widowed and single parents. If we’re going to love the weakest in our congregation the way Christ loves us, then we need to identify with them, commit to them, and sacrifice for them over an extended period of time.
Smaller churches can do two things when it comes to putting these principles into practice: they can modify the model or they can completely reinvent the model. Here are some ideas on how they can do both.
Suggestions on How Small Churches can Modify the Men’s Team Ministry Model
- Start with fewer men on each team. Instead of four men on a team start with three men. This will make the long term nature of the ministry a little less secure. But you’ll be able to spread your men out more.
- Assign two or even three care receivers to each team. Then alternate between care receivers every month. The relationships the teams develop with their care receivers won’t be quite as deep, but you’re still providing consistent and effective ministry over years.
- Form a pool of care receivers. If you only have enough men in your church to form one team, organize your care receivers into a pool. Have someone be in charge of calling each of them every month to find out who has the greatest need, and then work on that need for that month. I don’t know that this will provide significant relational ministry, so only do this as a last resort.
Suggestions on How Small Churches can Reinvent the Men’s Team Ministry Model
- Use high school guys on your teams. Augment teams with one high school guy per team. I have done this myself and it makes for a great mentoring opportunity.
- Use women on your teams. I recommend using two couples or mixed singles only on teams. But when you start using women, your ministry ceases to be a men’s ministry per se.
- Entire congregation serves care receivers Sunday morning instead of Saturday morning. Here’s a really radical concept: get the entire church involved. Divide the congregation (including children) into teams and assign them to your care receivers. One Sunday morning a month from 8-10 am, the congregation suspends Sunday School and serves their care receivers in their homes instead. Then they all meet at church with their care receivers for a worship service (dirty work clothes and all), capped with a celebration pot luck dinner.
I don’t know any church that has done that last idea. If one does, let me know. I’d consider joining it.
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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