How do I determine a successful Men’s Ministry event…

The following blog post was written back in 2013. However, I feel the content is relevant for men ministries today!

How do I determine a successful Men’s Ministry event?

I have been involved in pastoral ministry for over 45 years and have been Ministering to Men for the past 20 years.  Over those years I have seen several things work, and I have seen several others fall flat. However, what is interesting is that some ideas I implemented were successful in one place, and a failure elsewhere.  This difference in success from place to place can be found in the attitudes of the attendees and the opinions of the leaders.  As a leader, I would sometimes view an event or activity as a failure or unproductive, but this may have been the farthest thing from the truth. 

I have spent a great deal of time looking at the activities and events I have encouraged men to partake in, trying to determine the success and flop of each. The only formula that I have come up with is what the Lord has laid on my heart.

• Was the activity/event Christ-centered?  Personally, this is the most important aspect.  If Christ is not the center of the activity, then there is no reason to have it. 
• Did the attendees see Christ lifted up through my actions, and speech, and those that participated in the event?
• Did the men engage and participate in the activity/event?
• Do you see a number of the men making changes as a result of their participation? 

Planning an activity or event that provides the following principles will help you to answer yes to the questions above.

• Use a variety of methods that will reach, engage, and challenge men of various ages and cultural groups. 
• Avoid the trap of only ministering to one age group, because that is where we feel most comfortable, and it is the path of least resistance. 
• Ask your men questions, such as what are your men interested in doing? How can you make their interest a successful event?
• Be willing to think outside the box.
• Remember … an outcome is simply a matter of someone’s opinion!
• Continue to try, and improve on those that work.
• Understand your personal limits and search for help from others who have a special skill that will help you.

For Example … I love to write, but my grammar is really bad (most editors say I “write like I talk”) So over the years, I have surrounded myself with some awesome editors, who take time to proofread and clean up everything I write (Including this post).

The key to success is simple …

Keep trying and give God the glory!