Momentum is defined as the advantage gained by the force of a moving body that carries an object to its final destination. Every one of us has seen the power of momentum, whether that be watching a rocket break free of the earth’s gravitational pull or your favorite team making a big play to change the course of a game. Whether it is in business, war, sports, relationships or ministry, one of the keys to success is creating and then capturing momentum.
Allow me to share an example of what this looks like in ministry. For the past 32 years, we have held the No Regrets Men’s Conference on the first Saturday in February. This past year, we had 20,000 men attending from 140 churches across the United States, as well as men in 15 other countries. The conference is not meant to be just a one-day event, but rather a catalyst for life long change and transformation. Each year, we provide a six week follow up study that men can access on the NR App. The study is designed to help men continue the momentum that was created at the conference. The goal is then to carry it into their day-to-day lives. I know that the spiritual high of worshiping with thousands of men and hearing one fantastic talk after another can soon wear thin when confronted with realities like work, parenting and life. For breakthroughs to truly happen in a man’s life, it will involve weekly meetings with other men, taking steps to apply what they learned, and being in God’s Word on a regular basis. As a former player and coach, I know there is nothing more powerful than momentum. This is why I get so excited when I think about the thousands of men joining small groups after the conference to continue the momentum that was created at the conference.
Here are a few principles to keep in mind as you seek to create and capture momentum in your ministry to men:
- Events can be a great way to create momentum in your ministry. However, the danger of this is that too many ministries are event driven rather than relationship driven. That is why two to three events a year can be helpful to gather those on the fringe and give them a chance to take the first step. Things like a Fall Kick-Off, Game Dinner, NR Conference, or Pickleball Tournament can all be used to create momentum for the ministry.
- Start where men are at and move them to where they need to be. Every man in your church and community is at a different place spiritually and you can’t expect them to come to an event or activity and be “All In.” Ministry is a process that takes time, and that is why you want to give men the freedom to come, listen and process in a safe environment. The open door for some men may be an interest in parenting or marriage, while for others, it may be work or finances.
- Build bridges to the next level. Never do anything unless you have a next step in place. The last thing you want to do is to spend a great deal of time and energy on an event and then not provide next steps for the men to take. For example, I am asked to speak at men’s retreats all over the country, and one of the requirements is that the host organization/church have small groups at the retreat to give men an opportunity to experience them after I speak. I also ask for there to be small group offerings after the retreat to continue the momentum. The same can be done for a monthly men’s breakfast or any other type of regular men’s gathering or event. Spend time brainstorming as a leadership team on what bridge building looks like in your ministry.
- Make the next step doable. Men have a deep rooted fear of failure and it is why we need to give them next steps that they are able to accomplish. If I am standing on the top of a burning building and I have two options for escape, one jumping to a building six feet away and the other twenty feet away, you know which one I am going to try! The next step after a service project is not asking a man for a one year commitment to serve, but rather maybe a couple of months. That is why the follow up study from the conference is only six weeks in length; it is doable for all men.
Events are not an end in themselves, but rather a tool to be used by your leadership team to create momentum for your ministry. Once created, it is imperative to be ready to capture that momentum and then sustain it throughout the year. I will address that topic in the future. But for now, I would encourage you to sit down as a leadership team and look at your men’s spiritual pathway. From there, ask where do we have momentum, what are we doing to capture that momentum and where do we need to create some momentum?
