Men's Ministries Network

As part of a faith community, men’s groups offer opportunities for participants to meet around an interest or passion, nurture their faith together, and explore ways to carry out ministry together.

Men may want to gather for fellowship, study, prayer, sharing a particular interest (e.g., gourmet cooking, cycling, euchre, or gardening), or for a specific project related to the church community or the wider world.

Covenant Groups

Men may wish to consider meeting as covenant groups: small groups that come together for an agreed-upon purpose for a specific length of time.

Participants develop a covenant together that provides the guidelines for the extent of the time they wish to meet. They develop this covenant during their second or third meeting.

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Small Group Meeting

Groups can develop their own meeting process or use, for example, this suggested small group meeting format. (Approximate times for each part of the meeting are given.)

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Starting a Men’s Ministry in Your Congregation

• Bring together a few men who have an interest in men’s ministry. Three is a good number.
• Take time to get to know one another, modelling together listening skills and risk-taking. A talking stick or stone is a helpful tool.
• Work at developing a safe place to explore possibilities—a place where all participants can speak freely without feeling pressured to speak, fix others, take over the conversation, or be judged.
• Talk about the kind of group that would interest you.
• Is there something a men’s group could provide that is currently missing from your life?
• Brainstorm the options.
• Do you want to be more of a “being group” or a “doing group”?
• What are some of the key goals and components of the group?
• Delineate the kind of group that you are seeking to create, and state it clearly. This will attract some men and not others, but at least there will be clarity about what you are offering.
• Recognize that you can’t be all things to all people.
• Create a brief summary of what the group will be about, and get this out using the various tools your church uses to promote its programs.
• Have the planning group talk up the men’s ministry with other men who might be interested. Coffee time after worship is a good place to do this.
• Offer an announcement about men’s ministry in worship.
• Once you have a core group that is interested, call your first gathering.
• Day, time, frequency of gatherings, and location are all important factors to consider to maximize success.
• Food and drink are valuable elements for success!
• Have a clear plan for the first gathering.
• Share leadership.
• As the group evolves, encourage participants to take ownership for the success of the group and have them give direction to the group.
• Have the group reflect on and own the spiritual/faith element they are seeking.
• Consider having an opening and a closing, and having different men take responsibility for these.
• If you are seeking to build trust and community, have the group use a circle check-in time, which provides an opportunity to share what’s happening in everyone’s life at whatever level they are comfortable. The goal is to develop a safe container that can hold whatever everyone brings to it. The circle encourages the development of non-judgmental listening skills.
• When new men come to a meeting, practise hospitality. As part of your welcome, articulate what the group is seeking to be and do.
• Periodically, the three originators of the group could meet to reflect on how things are going.
• At various times, have the participants share how they are feeling about the group and possible ways it could be improved.

A good resource is How to Start and Sustain a Faith Based Men’s Group by John D. Schroeder (Abingdon Press, 2003).