This week, we wanted to share spotlight on a church that is using the No Man Left Behind model to change the lives of their men. Here’s the story of how Centreville Baptist Church created momentum by providing value through a Man in the Mirror event:
“It takes a lot of grit to walk as Christ would walk…” Kelly Chestnut, Director of CBC Men, told us, a few weeks into their new small groups. And grit is what their men are developing together.
Kelly had first called our offices late one afternoon about their church’s upcoming ropes course. They wanted to illustrate to their guys through the teamwork aspect of the ropes course how much they need brothers around them in this discipleship journey. After talking with Kelly at length, we realized that our Rock Solid Men event would be the perfect complement to the day they were planning. And best of all, our event comes with curriculum for a six-week small-group study, which is what they hoped to establish.
“I really sense God’s leading in this,” Kelly told us, “and I am so thankful we connected on the phone that first day. Your advice and leading has been a big part in helping our vision become clearer.” His ultimate goal? To “move men from the bleachers to the field of play,” as he put it, growing in their faith as they depend on each other and on Christ as their Rock.
On Saturday, September 29th, 83 men came to the event, and 65 committed to being in a small group! They call these groups Fight Clubs. And after announcing it Sunday morning, that number grew to 130. They started meeting, using our curriculum Rock Solid Men: Strong Foundations. The results were amazing.
“Every night of the week, there are Fight Clubs meeting around the city,” Kelly told us. “We have men coming who were so far out on the fringe that they rarely stepped foot inside the church walls. And everyone is opening up like we hoped. The discussion is very real and authentic.”
His original goal of moving men from the bleachers to the field of play has taken on a deeper dynamic, as he and the other leaders have realized that many men had been struggling silently, isolated. “We didn’t realize the triage we needed to give them first to get them back in the game, but now we do,” Kelly said. “And these groups are doing that.” There’s been another exciting outcome from this process—new leaders, stepping up to fight for the souls of other men. “It’s crazy! These new leaders are already asking, ‘What’s next?’”
Myron (left) at his baptism.
On December 2nd, Myron, one of the men who had joined a group, made the incredible decision to be baptized. And the men from his Fight Club were there to praise God with the rest of the congregation.
THIS is why we do what we do. Myron’s story—just one of many—is going to be different because he has other men around him to help him grow. And that means Myron’s loved ones’ stories are going to be different.
Your church can have the same kind of impact on the lives of men. As Kelly noted, it is about having a clear vision for the men of your church that goes beyond checking off the “men’s ministry” box on the checklist of things you are supposed to do.
And when you capture the momentum you’ve created in this way, men get excited about what God is doing in your church and want to be a part of it. We will be talking more about how to capture momentum in future posts. For now, consider how your church is currently providing value for men and whether you have an intentional process to capture the momentum you create.
