In his book Got Your Back, Dr. Gary Yagel states, “Research reveals that 19 out of 20 Christian men have no best friend, no one helping them fight their spiritual battles, much less a brother who has their back.” When I first shared this quote with men in our new Iron Man study on Wednesday evenings, the consensus was that this may not be true for 95% of men at our church but probably 75%. Combine that with a truth we use within CPC Men’s Ministry - “A man alone is in bad company” - and we have a problem. Peter put it this way: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5.8) No one wants to be that lonely antelope or zebra with a lion prowling around.
So we ask the men of CPC: Do you have a male friend in your life who has your back? Do you have someone standing alongside you when the enemy is pressing in on you, your marriage, or family? Are you accountable to another man for your choices and actions?
The Men’s Ministry Team has been meeting, praying, and discussing these issues. It feels to many of us that we are at a crossroads. We have had a seemingly successful history hosting monthly Men’s Breakfasts and annual retreats/conferences. Covid has affected those and given us a chance to reflect. So what if 80 men come and eat bacon together or spend a weekend at Johnston Woods? Are we making disciples? Are men becoming better husbands and fathers? Are we providing opportunities for deep bonds of friendship and accountability to be developed through acts of service?
Church, I wish I could report that we have it all figured out and we now have the perfect model in place to disciple every man and young man in the church while ensuring no man is left to fight alone. We don’t. But we are praying. We have started a Wednesday night Iron Man Time at 6:30. Some of us are inviting men out to lunch or coffee just to talk and see what ideas they have.
We need more men to join our leadership team - especially younger men. Come check out our Wednesday night group or let us know if you want to grab coffee or lunch sometime. We believe our best days as a church and as a Men’s Ministry are ahead of us. We also believe God wants to forge many of us together in brotherhood and that will only happen with intentional investments of time, a willingness to openly share our struggles, and acts of service. May God help us!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27.17
