Now is the Time to Rethink Men’s Ministry

1. To Rethink Men’s Ministry, Think of Men as Spiritual but Not Religious.

Research shows that men are deeply spiritual—according to Barna, 9 out of 10 believe in God and the reality of Jesus Christ. Yet, only 1 in 6 attend church on any given Sunday. The disconnect stems from the perception that the church is primarily for women. We can change that perception.

2. To Rethink Men’s Ministry, Realize Men are Practical in Faith, Not Pious.

The church has created a divide with men by relying on high-church practices and language. Historically, Latin was the church’s language, while anything outside it was deemed “vulgar.” Though we’ve moved past Latin, the church still clings to clichés and “Christianese.” Recently, while speaking at a men-only conference, I offended two attendees by using a term they considered vulgar. I’ll choose my words more carefully moving forward, but the men I spoke to face far coarser language in their daily lives—and they’re still seeking God.

3. To Rethink Men’s Ministry, Understand that Sunday Church is Insufficient.

We’ve been told men only want an hour-long service on Sunday—that they’re too busy or uninterested to give more time to God. But look at the time and money men invest in their passions: football, hunting, fishing, golf. They will spend countless hours and untold amounts of money pursuing these passions. However, we tend to excuse them and speak down to them regarding the Church. We will rarely have high expectations for their involvement. Men connect with God in the daily grind, not just on Sundays. We’ve created TheDailyChampion.com, a daily encouragement, and FivestarMan Champions Livestream to engage with men weekly. While living in an anti-man culture, Sunday alone doesn’t cut it.

4. To Rethink Men’s Ministry, Stop using Juvenile Terms and Playing Sophomoric Games that Don’t Appeal to Real Men.

Paul said, “When I was a child, I thought like a child.”Yet the model of today’s men’s ministries often leans on comic book hero names, militaristic jargon, movie references, or religious clichés. The goofy T-shirts and branding fall flat with men outside the Church. In designing our strategy, we worked hard to use language that appealed to our brothers, our families, and friends outside the church. That’s why we use FivestarMan—a generic name tied to the five passions that communicate the message of purposes that reside within every man. We avoid tags like “First Church’s FivestarMan” or “FivestarMan Men’s Ministry” because they limit our reach beyond the church walls. We are also careful not to use acronyms, which communicate cliche and secret knowledge. 

5. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Realise Monthly Men’s Breakfasts is Not an Effective Strategy.

Many groups cling to this outdated strategy, but it’s one of the least effective ways to reach men for Christ. It’s essentially women’s ministry repackaged for men: emotional devotionals, rough music, and disorganization that repel ambitious men. Let’s be honest. Most Men’s Breakfasts are not appealing. We recommend a monthly Breakfast of Champions! But let’s make sure that the food is excellent. Let’s serve it well with hospitality. Let’s put our full effort in the programming. I encourage leaders to know that the way we approach it, the men will approach it. They will feel dishonored and stop coming if we are not serious about their time. 

Men crave a genuine spiritual encounter—they desire God’s presence and the empowerment it brings.

6. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Realise the Church is more than an Anti-Pornography Campaign.

Too often, efforts to reach men boil down to disciplining them about pornography. Pious leaders lecture angrily, treating men like misbehaving middle-schoolers. But no amount of personal discipline alone can ensure sexual faithfulness—it’s a heart issue. It’s a spiritual matter and must be addressed as such. 

FivestarMan.com focuses on men’s five purposes, one of which is being gallant in our relationships. When a man knows his purpose as a husband, whether married or planning on marriage, the passionate pursuit of authentic manhood naturally casts off destructive habits. Purpose gives men directional intent. When a man knows his purposes, he doesn’t have time for trivial pursuits.

7. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Offer Men More Opportunities in Ministry. 

A recent survey of local church men’s ministries revealed their primary goal: recruiting men to usher, greet at the door, drive golf carts, or join parking and security teams. Men want more—they crave a challenge and a cause. FivestarMan encourages monthly excursions where men hit the “field of the contest” together, building bonds in ways no other setting can replicate. We must be more creative and have confidence in men to serve as leaders throughout the church. 

8. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Don’t Exploit the Men.

Successful businessmen often distrust the church because they are frequently valued only for their resources or money, not their character. This leaves a bitter taste. Men don’t want to be used, but they want to achieve great exploits—it’s in their nature to pursue a cause beyond cars, clothes, and cottages. We encourage men to use their entrepreneurial skills to gather wealth and philanthropic hearts to scatter it for good. Men want to achieve more than success; they want to have significance.

9. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Make the Men’s Events an Opportunity to Encounter God.

Moses was instructed, “Three times a year, all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD” (Exodus 23:17).  Something amazing happens when we gather with men in corporate worship and speak the Word of God in a service. Don’t underestimate the impact of planning three Encounters a year. Putting these Encounters on your calendar will create a rhythm and gain momentum in men’s lives. Men want to sing bold anthems. They want to hear inspirational and practical messages with ‘street value.’ Don’t think that you have to have meat and games. It’s OK if you do. I believe that you shouldn’t do it. Again, how you approach it is how they will approach it.

10. To Rethink Men’s Ministries, Don’t Believe the Myth that Men Don’t Read.

I’ve heard this from pastors, publishers, and others countless times—it’s simply not true. Men do read when the content is strategic and valuable. Years ago, we launched TheDailyChampion.com, a daily encouragement for men linked to the corresponding Proverbs chapter of the month. We now have over 250,000 men in the United States, Chile, and Brazil. We write books to and for men because they’re hungry for them. We now have over 16 books and counting. We also have launched our Field Guide section for articles written for men. 

Conclusion