The Fullnes of Life Chapter 2

It’s a mans worldBy Jonathon Wiggam

ScriptureMark 16:15Proverbs 27:17

The fullness of life | 15

Let’s Focus:

Why do evangelism specifically among men? What is thecontext for such a ministry?

First we need to recognise that there are different types ofmen, and there are therefore different reasons why men arenot drawn to Christianity. I believe that God the Holy Spirit isstirring men in fresh and relevant ways to show that JesusChrist and Christianity do not take away manliness, but canenhance and bring out the best qualities of men.

Jesus had no problem attracting men – His strong leadership,blunt honesty and bold action mesmerised men. So what is theproblem with men, church and Christianity?

Look to the local church what is the percentage of men in thecongregation;? Average statistics would suggest 70% women to30% men. Because of this there is an imbalance between thefeminine and masculine in church, this is one of the reasons whymany men choose to stay away from Christianity and remarkthat ‘Christianity is for women, wimps and is not relevant.’

There are those men who feel that to be manly means to bemacho and so see Christianity as in some way taking away fromthat - there are others who don’t feel they need to be machobut consider Christianity to be a non-male environment and alsonot relevant.

There is also a feeling among men that you have to be strongand macho and cope with whatever life throws at you – manymen turn to alcohol, binge-eating and other addictive behavioursto deal with their problems, many men suffer in silence.Research bears this out in that a staggering 51% of men feeldepressed, stressed or anxious at least once a month. Theseare some of the reasons why we do evangelism amongst men.

16 | The fullness of life

Let’s Reflect:As Christians, God teaches us that we should look at our context withHim, and seek to make Him known. Let us look at some of theprinciples that we should put in place as we seek to reach out to non-churched or as others would say ‘not yet believing men’.

Firstly, we should look at our mission context – factors that should betaken into account are culture, class and ethnicity. Secondly, ask theobvious questions relating to why men consider Christianity not relevant.Thirdly, consider what and where are the points of contact, the networkswhere Christian men cross over with non-churched men e.g. family,friends, work colleagues, sport clubs, hobbies, other local communitiessuch as football club, or military. Also ask, what are men interested in,what can we do realistically?

Statistics that have encouraged evangelism among men – 0.6% of British men attend church weekly. It takes 3 to 5 years onaverage for a man to come into a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ.• If you lead a child to Christ, 3% of their families follow• If you lead a mother to Christ, 17% of their families follow• If you lead a father to Christ, 93% of their families follow

These do not take away from the fact that God intervenesmiraculously in a person’s life without anyother human intervention.However what they doshow is that most mencome to know Jesus througha process of time and for thisto occur men will be requiredto be conduits, explaining thegood news to other men.(Romans 10:14-15)



A male environment is essential to attract men. In the UK over the last 20years not much has happened in terms of direct ministry to men, andconsequently the attention of men has not been captured by the church –the window by which men understand Christianity and its relevance.

A male environment is also essential for discipleship growth. ‘As ironsharpens iron, so one man sharpens another’ is so apt for men as they donot have many close friends; they may have many colleagues oracquaintances but trusted friends with whom they bond deeply are usuallyin low numbers. Some men have no firm male friends. Some men find itdifficult to start conversations and therefore talking in large groups isdifficult other than the usual small talk.

Discipleship through friendship sharpens a man’s spirit and passion forJesus. Two minds acting on each other and two spirits acting on eachother sharpens men’s natural and spiritual character – men meetingtogether in small groups enables opportunity for accountability andencouragement, challenge that provokes a man to understand and accepthimself, his weaknesses and his strengths and find his completeness inJesus Christ. Strong and tough men, shy men, suffering men, angry men,and ordinary men begin to believe in themselves.

Generally speaking, men like to be active bothphysically and mentally.Masculine values that menappreciate such as risk,challenge, adventure, fun,healthy competition andachievement are worthconsidering when planningany evangelistic events formen; but always take a broadapproach as men enjoy manydifferent interests.

Successful elements have proved to be:

• High standard of hospitality (men appreciate things done well)

• High fun content• Escapism• Some level of challenge• Unique – an event that a man can

go to that he can’t or would not do at home or in his normal social network

• Social – any event where mencan talk side-by-side or be occupied andtalking. Face-to-face talking is difficult and awkward not a naturalstance for men

• Friendship – men don’t easily share inner emotions or significant issues,men require friendships of substance

Examples of events - Giant Scalextric, Radio Control Tanks, Pub Nights,Themed Food Nights, Science & Faith Debate, Adventure Days,Weekends Away, Sports Days and Movies.

Prayer is an important part of evangelism and discipling of men. ‘Goeverywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone’, includingmen. Men are hard to reach for Christ; some have likened it to ‘pushingboulders up hill’ and suggested that it ‘can’t be done single-handedly’.

To reach men, to keep men, prayer is key; It is a partnership between theHoly Spirit and us but also requires a team effort, standing together to seemen set free, empowered and moving forward with a sense of purpose.



Let’s Discuss:

1. How can we encourage and empower men to use their skills within our‘churches’ as a means of assisting them to feel like they belong?

2. How committed are you to sharing your faith with a man, whilst knowingthat it could be a long time before you get the ‘results’ you want?

3. What encouragement can you give to your church leadership to ensurethey account for men in their mission/evangelism plans?

4. What environment do we need to create so that men can share theirfaith with other men?

5. How can we show men that being a Christian does not diminishmasculinity, but actually enhances and brings out the best qualities in men?

Action:Paul’s story – I was born inManchester over 50 years ago, I wasraised as a Catholic and spent 10 yearsbeing nearly brainwashed to death byreligion. By my mid teens I had hadenough of its hypocrisy and rejected God as not relevant.

The Lockerbie bombing and 9/11 terroristattacks made me realise my attitude to theworld needed to change. I became involvedwith Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot. It washere that I encountered J-men, a social groupfor men that offers first and foremost fun, aswell as adventure, healthy competition,challenge and a little uncertainty.

The J-Men introduced me to other Christian guysand the respective journeys they had taken to reach Christ. Listening totheir stories made me realise that you could find answers to difficultquestions, receive advice on dealing with difficult issues and developspiritually. Most of all, through J-Men I have developed lasting anddependable friendships I did not think were possible.

I was encouraged with my passion in playing guitar and have ended upplaying rock and roll songs. I heard about the Alpha Course and wentalong out of curiosity. I was surprised by the relaxed style and how muchsense it made. I have learnt about why people feel a need to worship andwhy spiritual sustenance is so important, how the Bible is relevant toevery day life, I slowly began to realise that God does indeed work inmysterious ways to bring back the lost.

As well as now going to church, I have joined a Magnet Group (Men’sAccountability Group Network). The group has proved invaluable inproviding support and encouragement for me as a man and a Christian.Would I go back to my past life? No way.



Prayer:Heavenly Father, assist me to be a good witness to the menwho are my friends. Help me to be strong in my faith, energeticin my actions and clear in my words. Bless me with creativityand passion for the way I will evangelise. Open up my heart andmind, that I too may learn from life and its experiences. Amen.


I remember the first time I prepared to lead a bible study; I was 22years old and went bald! Well, I think that was down to naturerather than the preparation. However, it was scary as well asexciting. Ring a bell? Then read on….

The scriptures are littered with stories of God's people being called to do something they feel they are not humanly capable of. Yet it issimilarly littered with outcomes of God's people completing what Hehas called them to undertake and the blessing therein.

So let's take those fears and chill a bit, in the knowledge that God will help you, as he has helped countless others.

Part of my ministry as an evangelist over the past 10 years has beento encourage and enable, so be encouraged that the Lord ismoulding you in leadership. In my experience it helps to know thatyou do not have to be an expert on the Bible or even a collegeprofessor! Essentially it is all about preparation and discussion. AllowGod to enable you by His Holy Spirit to lead you with confidence anddiscernment. Therefore in order to offer some help to you, I have setout below some of the things that have aided me in leading studies in the past.

Supporting Notes

for Individuals and

Group Leaders

Before you begin Studying the scriptures and exploring other people’s experiences ofevangelism can be for some, very exciting; for others it can be verydaunting indeed.

I have put together some suggestions that may help you as youprepare to get the most out of The Fullness of Life. We hopethat each week you will be stimulated through the scriptures andthrough the content on the Web. To find out more about how allof our Evangelists and staff are working at transforming lives andcommunities visit http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/people to see videos of ministry in action.

Each of our contributors to these studies has carefully thoughtthrough how you can apply this learning in your own life and context,in order to engage in evangelism. Their questions are designed tochallenge and encourage action.



Studying as an individual Pray: Before you begin each study, ask the Lord to guide you and openyour mind. Give yourself time to allow God to stabilise your inner self sothat you can apply what you are learning in your life.

Time: Give yourself space to learn; the studies are designed that youcan learn at a pace that suits you. It may help you to briefly read allseven studies before you begin; this may help you to think about wherethe studies will take you.

Bible: Having your own Bible is important as it will be a book that youwill be familiar with. The version that you find most helpful is the bestone to use. All Bible verses quoted in these studies are from the NewInternational Version.

Notes: Make notes within eachstudy. Remember there are nowrong answers; the beautyabout our relationship withGod is that He illuminatesour life and inspires us bythe Holy Spirit. So jotdown your response tothe question honestly.


Studying as a group For the leader: These notes may be of some help as you prepare tolead the group either for the first time or as a seasoned veteran!

Preparation: Groups are naturally formed of individuals, so beencouraged to follow the points suggested for individuals, as youprepare for your group study. In this way you will find your learning ingroup study deepens through your preparation.

Participation: Discussion is by far the best form of learning.Remember that as the leader you will need to ensure that everyonehas their say. No answer is wrong! Share how God is teaching you,how He is encouraging/challenging you, and how He is doing that with others.

Be focussed: Stick to the study material being discussed for thatweek. It has been my intention that you only have to use the scripturesreferred to. There is no need to look up commentaries or other views.The core essence of these studies is to reflect upon the evangelisticexample given. Therefore the paramount questions of the study are:How can I do this? How do I apply this?

Listen: Encouraging all that listening to other members of a group is asimportant as contributing. If you have an attentive ear, you may besurprised at how much you can learn from others. In parish ministry Iwas always amazed at how the quiet person sometimes came with asuggestion that was as a blast of fresh air.

A balanced input: As group leader you should be able to ensure allhave the chance to contribute. It is important that we ensure thatindividuals do not dominate the discussions. The eagerness one has toshare can often be at the cost of others not having time to respond.Therefore encourage one another; after all, the Christian journey reallyshould not be about outsmarting each other.

Involve God: God wants to share with each of us; His desire to see usevangelise. Be open to the Holy Spirit talking to you and to your fellowgroup mates. Most of all have fun discovering new boundaries.

Supporting Church Army Your prayers and financial support are vital to the success of Church Armyministry. There are many ways in which you can partner with us - at home, in church, with friends, by joining us in prayer, making a regulardonation or even with a bequest in your Will.

Make a regular donation A regular gift enables us to plan with confidence, as well as reducing ouradministrative and banking costs.

Whether you choose to give towards Church Army's general funds or to support a particular evangelist or project, knowing that we can count on your regulardonation makes budgeting easier and improves the effectiveness of our ministry.

Make a one-off donation £15 - would enable a Church Army evangelist to minister with children and young

people through a school assembly or after-school club.£25 - would fund a prayer group for homeless people at a Church Army project.£50 - would provide a three course meal for 30 isolated older people at one of

Church Army's afternoon lunch clubs

Pray for usYou can receive a prayer diary in paper format by ticking the box opposite, orelectronically by going to www.churcharmy.org.uk/pub/support/prayer/ePrayer-signup.asp

Supporter communicationShareit! is our supporter magazine published twice a year in print and online, andgives an overview of the work of our Evangelists and projects. You can view thelatest copy online at www.churcharmy.org.ukIn Touch is our regular supporter e-newsletter. You can sign up online at www.churcharmy.org.uk

Faith Words Action

Return address: Please return this card to:

Captain Paul Fitzpatrick C.A. The Fullness of LifeChurch ArmyFreepost WD1884SidcupDA15 7BR(or please use a stamp to save our costs)

Title: Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Telephone Number:

E-mail:

I want to be kept in touch with the work of Church Army.Yes I would like to receive:

I am (please tick): Under 24 25-35 36-45 64-55 Over 65

Prayer Diary Shareit! I am interested insupporting your work andwould like to find out more

I want to support Church Army andhelp people discover life to the full

Here’s my financial support

I would like to make a donation of £15 £30 £50

I enclose my cheque/postal order/CAF voucher (made payable to Church Army)

Please debit my MasterCard/Visa/CAF Charity Card

Maestro/Switch/Delta (circle as applicable)

Card no:

Valid from: / Expiry date: /

Security number: (last 3 digits on the back of the card in the signature strip)

Issue number: (for Maestro/Switch/Delta)

Signature: Date:

To make a donation by telephone please call 020 8309 3519 and quote SGD09

You can also give online by visiting www.churcharmy.org.uk/giving

Please tick if you DO NOT wish to receive an acknowledgement.

Gift Aid DeclarationBy giving your consent for Gift Aid you can make your

donation worth more at no extra cost to you. For every

pound you give to us, we get an extra 28 pence from

the Inland Revenue. So just tick here. It's that simple.

To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the amount we

will claim in the tax year. Remember to notify us if you no longer pay an amount of income tax and/or

capital gains tax equal to the tax we reclaim on your donations.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, we will not pass your details on to third parties for

mailing purposes but will hold your details to provide you with updates and information on how you can

pray and support our work. If you do not wish to receive any future communications from Church Army

please tick this box

The Fullnes of Life Chapter 2

Documents

Transcript of The Fullnes of Life Chapter 2