Thoroughly educating your congregation on what men’s team ministry is and does is a prerequisite for starting the ministry in your church. Here are some of the typical questions you’ll need to address.
- What is men’s team ministry? Men’s team ministry is a men’s ministry that uses teams of men to serve people with long term needs. Each team is permanently assigned to a care receiver. The teams meet at their care receiver’s home one Saturday a month for two hours to do whatever needs to be done around the home. Each month the teams return to the same person for years long service.
- How long do teams serve their care receiver? The teams serve their care receiver as long as they are needed.
- Who is men’s team ministry for? It’s for anyone with a long term need, such as the widowed, single parents, and the disabled.
- What is the difference between men’s team ministry ministry and project ministry? Project ministry focuses on single to-do tasks. Men’s team ministry is a relationship ministry focuses on establishing a long term relationship between the team and the care receiver by doing projects around their home on a regular, monthly basis. The widowed and single parents have experienced a loss in relationship. One of the purposes of men’s team ministry is to help fill this void with the love of Christ by providing years-long relational ministry through practical service.
- Is men’s team ministry just for people in our church? No, it isn’t. However, the Bible instructs us to give preference to people in our church because we are in covenant relationship with each other. Our goal is to be able to say, “There is no needy person among us.” But having said that, we also want to serve people outside the church. Paul summarizes this balance well in Galatians 6:10 – “Let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
- Why are just men serving? Men’s team ministry is first a ministry to men and then a ministry through men. Men are a great underutilized resource in the local church. Men also work well together on teams and love doing physical projects for people. Because of these realities, men’s team ministry transforms what is often a weaker ministry in the church – men’s ministry – into one of the church’s great strengths. It also draws men who are normally on the periphery of the church into significant relational ministry with broad impact, both on others and on themselves.
- Will we be able to cover everyone in our church who needs and wants a team? Probably not at first. The pastoral staff will develop a list of people who may benefit from this type of ministry. They will prioritize the list and contact potential care receivers as they work down the list. If you cannot cover every one at first who needs a team, ask them to please be patient. It may take some time to get to them. Emphasize that the ultimate goal is for everyone who needs and wants a team to have one.
- Besides serving people with long term needs, will the men’s team ministry also help out with special projects? The teams may help out with special projects if they are genuine emergencies. However, the primary focus of men’s team ministry is on meeting long term needs with long term, committed service.
The critical issue for every congregation to understand is the difference between one-off project ministry and long term relational ministry that does projects on a regular basis. Once your people grasp these concepts and understand the significance of relational ministry, your church will be well prepared for a men’s team ministry launch.
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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