'WHAT'S NEXT?' -- an honest and rite question
To all the KING's men...
+ The man said the church was 'culpable' for the failure of his family. "What's next?"
+ My friend tried to take his own life when he got fired at work. "What's next?"
+ My nephew told me his girlfriend's pregnant. He wants to know, "what's next?"
+ The young man just finished college. The job market is thin. "What's next?"
+ The men from our church just returned from a 'mission trip.' "What's next?"
"What's next?" It's always the right question to ask! Whether it be asked in the AM on Monday after a restful holiday weekend, on Thursday at 4:45 PM with one more work day to go or at 10:30 PM on Friday as you climb into bed... "What's next?" is ALWAYS the question Lutheran Christian men ask in the middle of being servant-minded or as a new project, event or opportunity arises...
"What's next?" I write this just about 10 days after returning from the National Lutheran Men in Mission Gathering in Denver, Colorado. I'm encouraged by what I experienced, what I saw and heard and by remains in my heart now that I'm home and in my corner of God's kingdom... So, "what's next?" is the nagging question in my head and heart and so I am asking you, too... 'what's next?" NEXT for the Men in Mission in your congregation, NEXT for the men in your cluster of congregations and NEXT for the men in our synod...
In a recent memo to our men's ministry leaders in all three TX and LA synods I shared the following information and want all the men of our synod to know as well... pastors, AiMs, Youth & Family Ministry leaders, etc... what just happened and WHAT's NEXT!
National LMM News
A. Denver was fantastic... perhaps the best effort LMM has given us in a 12 years
1. Numbers were down 30% from previous 2 gatherings, but...
2. The average age of the assembly was lower also due to the work of the LMM Young Men's Council
3. We now have Bishop Hanson's ear... he stayed the whole time and preached us out on Sunday AM
4. Almost 400 men were there... less than 20 pastors and only 3 bishops. There needs to be a change in approach here...
NOTE: 2 years ago Saddleback Church (Rick Warren) 'cancelled a men's ministry training for lack of registrants and this year the UMC wanted to gather 500 men for their national gathering but cancelled it when less than 75 registrations were received. ASTOUNDING NEWS!) B. Emphasis for the "ONE YEAR to LIVE" retreat ...changing men's lives! More soon!
C. A site for 2014 has not been set; however talks of two gatherings (east and west) are in the making. We would be 'West.' This would be more work on planning teams but would reach more men overall.
II. Region 4 News
A. Region 4 has representation from all synods except OK-ARK and Central States
1. Thanksgiving for the work of Henry Howe was acknowledged (more than once)
2. Tom Ness (from NTNL Synod) was elected our new Region 4 LMM REP over another candidate from NE. Both are committed to the ongoing work of LMM
B. The three synods for TX-LA had young and older men in attendance;
1. From TX-LA Gulf Coast was me and Kenneth Peterson from New Life/Pearland;
Chaplain Richard Brunk/Ft. Hood; Richard Baker/Christ. Brenham; Mark Dentler/Advent. Houston
2. Kyle Pederson (LMM Young Men's Ministry Specialist) sought out Kenneth Peterson @ New Life about reaching out to congregations in our synod re: LMM and seeking out the age 19-30 men. Kenneth currently lives in NW Houston and will reach out to Pastor Brad Otto (Messiah/Cypress) as a first step. Then he can reach out to Celebration and connect w/ the men at Covenant & Living Word.
3. A brief conversation was held in Denver at the Region 4 Caucus to consider having a REGION 4 gathering in Spring of 2013 as a 'pre-gathering to the Nat'l Gathering
III. Gulf Coast LMM News
A. We continue to reach out to each other
1. Pastor, AiMs and Youth and Family ministers will need to keep talking... L M M!
B. Facebook page needs some energy... we need to have a national LMM/FB push... where men all over the country log on to the local congregation/synod/national FB pages/groups
C. We have a weekend blocked off for a Men's Weekend @ Camp Lutherhill in LaGrange. I spoke to Matt Kindsvatter and there is no program per/se so we have an opportunity here to promote and go... nice time of year to be there...
1. OR we could use Denver men to come here to lead a "One Year to Live" retreat;
2. But, Spring 2012 after Easter may work best
D. 2012 Synod Meeting on the calendar! EJ Hanhart has secured Christ the King LC/Kenner LA for THRS - SUN FEB 9-12 for our annual synod gathering
1. In Brenham we spoke of doing it this way:
a. pre-gathering on THRS nite and leave early in the AM for a day's fishing trip for those who desired it
b. Friday nite gathering for all synod me @ CtK (NOTE: this is also Mardi Gras season so we will need to stay on top of housing and airfare)
c. This gathering has the intention of putting TX and LA men in the same room to build friendships for a return in July 2012 for the ELCA Youth Gathering. Jessica Noonan in our synod is in charge of "service projects"
2. I met Rev. Jay Gamelin (campus pastor @ Ohio St) in Denver and he and I are talking about him coming to NOLA that weekend. The best part of this event is to have the TX men stay in south LA to worship and have a lunch to talk about how we get back together in July. Jay gave a great sermon in Denver and I think he is a classmate or knows Pastor Barb Simmers in Slidell. Maybe he could preach there on Sunday?
3. Evan Moilan could also come from LWR Malaria Initiative and bring more men in on this great opportunity!
That is what I know about where we are... KING's Men... "What's next for you?" Please fill in the blanks... what are you doing in your congregation? Your cluster?.... please drop me a note and I will forward it to those who need to know...
Remember... if Lutheran Men in Mission in each congregation were 'a baseball' team ...only one of our 9 men would have a clear understanding of how we are, what we do and why... that's not good news...but it's the place we start...
One man @ a time; no man left behind,
Brian
Coordinator, TX - LA Gulf Coast Synod Men's Ministry
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