- many of our congregations do not have an identifiable men's ministry;
- most of our congregations can point to two to three men or a group of men who qualify "loosely" as the men's group there;
- some congregations have a remnant of men's ministry, mostly made up of WW 2 veterans. Their work and devotion to Christ's Church must be celebrated & affirmed;
- some congregations are doing unique things with men that old established former ALC congregations would be understood as "different" or "strange;"
- some congregations have a men's ministry but do not have any connection to Lutheran Men in Mission, existing as "isolated" men's group, not relating to other congregations;
- some congregations are hopeful to build and establish a kind of men's ministry that many are talking about.
But, the bottom line is that men's ministry is most often misunderstood or described in a way that minimizes the amazing work and call that Godly men respond to day after day. The confusion is summed up in the old saying... "we put on our God face on Sunday and the rest of the week we do as we want." And even as how untrue this really is, it's a posture that leads to minimizing the impact Lutheran men actually have. But, there is hope as one man after the next discovers that faith and daily work are intertwined, that faith and family are indivisible, that faith and self-direction are essential and the quality of life in a man increases when these elements are tended to daily and in an intentioanl way. We all desire a stable world; we all want a strong nation; we all wish for peaceful communities; and we all want our homes and congregations to be filled with love and generosity and harvest for God's kingdom. I beleive this can all be true...at all levels and it will take one many at a time to make the difference and our goal is to leave no man behind...
It is my hope that this blog will open doors to men around our synod. Men of all ages and especially the young men in our church ages 19-30. As I said, it's my hope and prayer that we do not leave one man behind and I hope you will prayerfully join me in that same posture. It is already happening...God is doing a great thing ...again...as a ground-swell of ministry to and and with men and those most important to them, empowered by the Holy Spirit continues to surface and grow stronger each day. So, let us trust God's faithfulness, as we open our hearts and minds to the teaching of his Son, Jesus. We have nothing else to do but commit our lives to the work we have been given in this time and place as we await the fullness of the coming Kingdom of God.
So, your thoughts, quips, comments and questions are welcome here....just "blog on," and join in the conversation or write me directly--- brian@newlifelutheran.com.
Brian Gigee, Lead Pastor
New Life, Pearland, TX
2 comments:
I am very happy to have read these words...and now as a "senior citizen" in life I more clearly recognize the need for such a ministry . Not only does it give men an opportunity to share feelings, ideas, and ideals but it creates an environment to strenghen home and country life that has been compromised due to role reversals, isolation, and society in general. I am just a gal with some old-fashioned beliefs in love, hope, joy, faith, etc.and I think these groups will help all of us remember the value of such beliefs. Thanks, again, Brian, for expressing yourself on this topic and for passing it along. Sending you much love,light and aloha! Yours oldest cousin, Carla
Brian, thanks for all the work you do for Christ and the Body. Your leadership with Men's Ministires for our synod will make a difference.
My hunch in regard to the men's ministries, (and I'm no expert)rather an ordinary parish pastor, is that the church is no longer adventurous, risky and challenging to the 21st. century male.
The church has somehow "tamed" men's ministry to the point where ministry with men is no longer a source of encountering the Divine with other brothers in the faith.
In my experience of working with men's groups, often it is men sharing complants with one another. Kinda like the movie, "Grumpy Old Men" in which each man tries to one-up the other with his complaints. And other than the fellowship over the fire pits for congregational BBQ's, it's hard for me to find a spark of the divine. Could it be that men are searching for something, but the church has not assisted men with their quest? Perhaps men are searching for testosterone in church. Of course, that is not to isolate the women of church, in some way that I can't necessarily explain in this blog, I believe women are just as an important part to men's ministries as men are.
St. Paul writes in Rom. 6, the need for each to present himself to God as those who have been brought from death to life.... Maybe the old models of "doing" men's ministries need to die in order to find life.....in order to find the risk, and adventure and put zeal back into men's ministry.
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