11 Obstacles to Starting a Men’s Team Ministry and How to Overcome Them

Sharing is caring!

Believers sometimes get excited about a particular parachurch ministry but then run into a brick wall when they try to get their church to start it. Men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents is no exception. Men often see this ministry as a no-brainer, but then draw blank stares when they talk about it at their church.

Here are 11 obstacles to starting a men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents that I have observed in churches.

You can be an example

1. Your pastor and/or church leadership are not in favor of starting a men’s team ministry to your widowed and single parents.

Accept this as God’s leading for you and your church. But I don’t know of any pastor who would object to you taking a friend and ministering to a widow or single mother in your church on an informal basis. Perhaps after a couple of years of serving your widow, your example can serve as a basis for your pastor and church to reconsider.

2. Your church is without a pastor.

A transition time like this is probably not the best time to start a new ministry in your church. Wait a year or so after your new pastor arrives, and then introduce it to him.

You can use other people

3. You do not have enough men in your church for a men’s team ministry.

Then use women. Use teens. We start with men because men are often an unused resource in the church and because men love this ministry. But there’s nothing that says others can’t participate as well. Just realize that when women start participating, it will no longer be a men’s ministry per se.

4. Your church doesn’t think it can afford to start or maintain a men’s team ministry.

Any church can start a men’s team ministry for free at newcommandment.org.

As far as running the ministry itself, the vast majority of churches experience no cost at all.

All ministry involves liability

5. Your church is concerned about liability issues.

This concern comes up often. But it is not insurmountable. All ministry involves liability. Liability issues relating to men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents can be dealt with appropriately. For a more in depth discussion of this topic, see my post, “How to Deal with Issues of Liability with Your Men’s Team Ministry.”

6. Your church cannot find anyone to lead a men’s team ministry.

Well, how about YOU? Anyone can lead a men’s team ministry. In fact, the ministry is so simple, it almost runs itself.

7. Your church does not have any men’s ministry at all.

Men’s team ministry to their widowed and single parents is a great way to begin a men’s ministry in your church if your church does not have one. It’s easy to start and easy to administer. And since it meets only once a month, your church will be free to expand your men’s team ministry into other areas, such as men’s bible studies and disciplesip groups.

Sooner or later you church will have widows, widowers, and/or single parents

8. Your church doesn’t have any widows, widowers or single parents.

If your church is one of the rare outliers that has no widowed or single parents, just wait a while. It will. In the meantime, you can start by serving their widowed and single parents in your community.

9. Your church doesn’t understand the need for men’s team ministry.

Churches sometimes think that meetings at the church that are dedicated to their widowed and single parents are the same as, or better than, serving them in their homes. While there are genuine benefits for church-based meetings that focus on the widowed and single parents, nothing substitutes for consistent, effective home service over years by teams of men.

10. Your church already has a project ministry for its widowed and single parents.

Some churches do a skills inventory of its men and then match the skill to the need on an on-call basis. But project ministry like this often fades over time because relationships are not being developed. It’s important to explain to your church leadership the difference between project ministry and relational ministry, which is what their widowed and single parents really need.

New Commandment is not a franchise ministry

11. Your church doesn’t want to affiliate with New Commandment Men’s Ministries.

That’s okay. We will get over it. In fact, New Commandment isn’t a franchise ministry at all. We don’t have any “affiliate” churches. You can call your men’s team ministry anything you want. You don’t even have to use any of our training material. You are welcome to take the idea and run with it. Many churches already have.

And by the way, if your church comes up with a better way to serve the widowed and single parents, let me know. I’ll spread the word.

Have I missed something? Are there other issues that have kept your church from starting a men’s team ministry to its widowed and single parents?

This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.

_______________________________________________________________

Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom

and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.

_______________________________________________________________