Through the help of a coach, practical training, prayer, and the right resource, here’s how one church in Alabama went from a patchwork approach for men’s discipleship to a ministry plan with a purpose. And how God us using it to lift the church as a whole.
By the Man in the Mirror Team
Pastor Tim and the team at LifeChurch in Birmingham has always had the desire to help men grow in their faith. But with no real model to follow, they’d taken a patchwork approach to men’s ministry, with limited results.
That’s when Jonathan Murray, their Man in the Mirror local Area Director, reached out to them. “When I started working with the church,” Jonathan said, “they were seeking a strategic way to begin discipling their men. They had no programs in place, and they were looking for a point from which to start.”
He felt their natural next step would be our No Man Left Behind training. So in August of last year, a small group of men, along with Pastor Tim, attended the training that Jonathan hosted, and a ministry plan began to take shape.
Ready to GO with a Ministry Plan
They formed the core of a new leadership team and made the decision, with Jonathan’s guidance, to utilize the Man in the Mirror resource GO: Jumpstart your Ministry to Men, a nine-week plan that incorporates the No Man Left Behind Model.
Pastor Tim shared, “The process of GO gave confidence to our guys, and through it all, we grew together.”
One key takeaway for them was the effectiveness of personal invitation, emphasized throughout the GO planning materials. He told us, “The men’s leadership team followed the provided plan for inviting men to the kick-off breakfast, and the men showed up. There was a lot of excitement generated from just seeing men gather together—especially coming out of COVID.”
Before men left the breakfast, they were invited to participate in the GO small-group study. Two-thirds of them accepted the challenge, including one man named Byron.*
Byron had never come to anything outside of occasionally attending a Sunday morning worship service, despite attempts from Pastor Tim to help him get more engaged. By God’s grace, Byron heard about the gathering and decided to join them!
The morning was a turning point not just for Byron, but for the men’s ministry of LifeChurch.
Moving Forward Discipling Men
Today, months later, Byron is connected to other men and regularly interacts with the curriculum and discussions. “For the first time in 10 years,” Pastor Tim said, “I see growth and commitment in him.”
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Pastor Tim shared, “The process of GO gave confidence to our guys, and through it all, we grew together.”” quote=”Pastor Tim shared, “The process of GO gave confidence to our guys, and through it all, we grew together.””]
It’s stories like these that motivate and encourage Jonathan in his work as an Area Director. “From no specific strategy to men meeting regularly with a hunger for more in just one year!” he marveled. “Praise be to God.”
LifeChurch has no plans to slow down, either! Pastor Tim told us: “We hope to continue to grow in men’s discipleship. I see the men at LifeChurch passionately pursuing Jesus, loving and supporting one another, and serving their families, church, and community.
“I really appreciate Jonathan’s help. His work has helped produce growth and momentum in our men’s ministry, and this has lifted the church as a whole.”
Discipleship changes everything.
