What do you think?
Many of you responded to my last post about Men: The Fogotten Audience.
Obviously, I'm passionate about that subject. And I am going to be curious as to what you guys are actually going to "do" about what we are "talking" about!
I think Jay, who responded to the last post, has a good point. Discipleship is experienced as much as it is taught. It made me think: Jesus said, "Come follow Me." Those guys were not in a class room. Yes, there were taught as students, but they walked with Jesus for 3 years. They had their discipleship put to immediate use in how it came to play out in their daily lives. They experienced ministry, not just learned about it.
Let me run this past you: at Outdoor Ministry Network, we are in the process of a new project. Many men who do go to church are not connected in a small group bible study. They just attend church. And it's not an issue where they don't love God as much as they should! I honestly believe they don't see that a "Sunday School" is going to add value to their lives. Whether we like that or not, that's the deal. And we'd better respond with that knowledge in mind.
So our concept is that we are going to take the hunts we are filming, as well as fishing segments, and turn them into small group bible study material. Basically, you'd watch a hunt or a fishing segment, and it would lead you into a bible study. There's no "homework." You watch the segment on DVD, and then your group interacts with the DVD that takes you beyond a hunt or fishing moment and into spiritual development.
What we want to do is encourage churches who really do want to reach outdoorsmen to go the extra mile. Have a bible study room that has the look and feel of an outdoorsmen. Make church a place where a guy is challenged, and yet a place that speaks his language.
What do you think?
posted by Jason Cruise @ 7:37 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Action. Action. Action. We all love to talk about ideas and creating vision statements and teams. We'll spend lots of money going on staff retreats or working with a consulting firm to create visions, messages, etc. But it all comes down to action. I think what Jason is driving home is the reality that a lot of churches are TALKING about men's ministry but what are churches DOING about it.
Actions will always speak louder than words. The world-those outside the church-are no longer interested in what we have to say. They are in fact interested in what we do-how we live out our faith. Isn't that was the Sermon on the Mount was all about?--ACTION!!!
Doyle, I'm glad you asked. Discipleship isn't something that you teach. Rather, it's a transformative and participatory process. A modern understanding of the world produces people who think and theorize about discipleship. A postmordern understanding of theology is grounded in experience. And that experience comes as a result of activities--action.
My point is that each church needs to do something. The difference between a successful outdoor ministry and an unsuccessful one is the successful one is doing something. That's what Jason's ministry is all about. Helping churches do something.
So, plan activities. Learn from the ones that achieve high participation and ones that have low participation. Keep doing the ones that people get excited about and participate. Stop doing what doesn't work (even thought it may seem like it should).
Out of those activties, people will be discipled. But maybe not in the traditional sense of sitting in a classroom and working through a leader/learner based curriculum.
So, what is your church doing today to create participatory events for men in an outdoory/adventure context? That's the point.
Later!
Doyle,
You're doing it man! Action. Just reading your last two posts fired me up. Keep at it and the fire will spread. Jason would be the one to ask for some additional info.
He told me something once, and I'll never forget it...."Look it in the teeth, even if it bites back!"
Keep it up. Later!
Doyle: you mentioned that you are looking for ways to get men as interested as you are about outodor ministry. Awareness is always a huge challenge when it comes creating passion in men.
It got me to thinking actuall about a preaching principle I have always used ... "why talk about it when you can show it!"
Most preachers talk about their chain saw in a spiritual illustration during a sermon; I'd bring mine on stage!! People love to see things.
In the last church I pastored we began to use the power of film clips. Not from movies so much as ones we'd create. In fact, I'm shooting a DVD for a church now that is going to show different men using the outdoors for ministry, fellowship, and evangelism.
My point is that this is something to consider. This church is actually going to take hunting and fishing video footage, make their own DVD, Outdoor Ministry Network is going to edit it professionally, and then they'll mass produce it to their community for the sake of the gospel.
I can promise you - they will not have any problem getting men on board when they see this thing!!
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