Don't Think God Can Use You?

Don't think GOD can use you? Just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer..AND Lazarus was dead!

Is Ministry to Men Foundational in the Church?

George Barna found that:
3½% of families follow, when a child is the first to attend church.
17% of families follow, when a mom/wife is the first to attend church.
But
93% of families follow, when a dad/husband is the first to attend church!

He also uncovered a startling trend:
42% of men in America attended church on a regular basis in 1992,
But only
28% attended church on a regular basis in 1997!

In spite of the Christian men’s movement of the 90s, churches have struggled to reach the men of America, resulting in a leadership vacuum and a decline of churches across America.

WHAT’S THE DISCONNECT?
Men today are hurting. Most men are struggling to balance career, marriage, family, church and community responsibilities. They live with confusing messages that do not support authentic biblical manhood. Many are living a life of conventional manhood that settles for less.

WHAT ARE SOME KEYS TO EFFECTIVE MEN’S MINISTRY?
- Strategic follow up – plan follow up strategies and have them in place.
- Encouragement – create an atmosphere of encouragement and trust.
- Relational accountability – build around relationships and loving accountability.
- Disciplemaking – make sure that every man is in the lifetime disciple making process.

MEN’S MINISTRIES IS FOUNDATIONAL TO YOUR CHURCH
Effective ministry to men develops leaders. All churches need leaders. A healthy men’s ministry:
* Creates a leadership resource for the church by winning men to trust in Jesus Christ alone.
* Develops a spiritual readiness for potential leaders by building them up in the faith.
* Leads men to spiritual maturity by equipping them for service.
* Strengthens the mission of the church by multiplying its leaders.

Excerpted from:
MEN WITH A PURPOSE
EFCA/MUSA Men’s Ministries
Volume 2, Number 8
August 2002

Stormy Weather

My daughter Rebecca and I are trained storm spotters. We're usually not in a good position for viewing, but we got a chance Friday evening around 6:20pm to check out this storm. This picture is looking NNE towards the Forsyth, IL area. Strong rotation was reported.

This picture is towards the NW and was over Niantic/Harristown, IL.

A trained weather spotter can be a valuable asset not only to the National Weather Service, but also to their community and families. Having the knowledge to understand what you're seeing and to evaluate the threat is a key to getting through the storm.

Kinda like our lives - I think you can make the connection.

DW

Roofing Project Dates

We are scheduling the roofing project for 2 Saturdays, June 20 and June 27. We'll start early and do 1/2 the roof at a time. With enough men we should accomplish a lot before the weather gets too hot and you'll have the rest of the afternoon(s) free. We'll also have some refreshements on hand. We'd like to start the roofing tear-off on Friday June 19 / 26 with a handful of volunteers.

All roofing materials will be furnished but we need some men to step up and help out a fellow TBC church member. Bring pitchforks, shovels, hammers and any other tools used for roofing and join in. Don't be concerned about your building skills - we'll find something for you to do. Remember, God needs your availability, not your ability.

Let me know if you're planning to help and let's get the word spread around. We need some people who will do what they say and say what they do. Be watching for more details.

DW

We're In Deep Trouble!!

The population of this country is 300 million.



160 million are retired, leaving 140 million to do the work.



There are 85 million in school, which leaves 55 million to do the work.



Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal government, with 15 million left to do the work.



2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing Osama Bin-Laden, which leaves 12.2 million to do the work.



Taking from that total 10.8 million people working for state & city governments. that leaves 1.4 million to do the work.



At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work.



Today, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons - that leaves just two people to do the work.



Just you and me.



And there YOU are, sitting at your computer, reading a joke.



Nice…….Real nice.....

DW

Legacy of Bin Laden and You

I volunteered this past Friday and Saturday to help chaperone on our high school band trip to Chicago. The kids were well behaved and other than a few PDA's (Public Displays of Affection) we had no issues. As part of the trip, we spent Saturday at Six Flags Great America. Upon entering the park, you must pass through a metal detector. Of course it went off as I passed. I pulled out my money clip, loose change, cell phone, watch (with NEW battery) and my pocket knife. "Sir, you will not be allowed to enter the park with this knife. You will be escorted to the exit to deal with this" said the security officer. I had the option to leave the park, rent a locker ($10 for the day) or return without it. I went back to the bus, left it there and entered with no problems.



Yes, I forgot about my knife and Six Flags has every "right" to not let me in. My pocket knife isn't much bigger than my little finger, contains maybe, MAYBE a blade 3/4" long, with a small pair of scissors, a file and screwdriver blade. Not much of a threat unless you're a hangnail or loose thread. Yet smokers with lighters, the kid with studs and a tackle box attached to his face and baby formula in strollers are allowed. A lighter could cause a fire, the facial jewelry used as a weapon and the baby formula could be spiked with something and dumped who knows where?



9 years ago this wouldn't have been an issue at all. But thanks to Bin Laden and his cohorts, it's now a reality we have to deal with and continually adjust to. One of the many legacies Bin Laden has left us. His actions and choices will affect generations to come. And the last I heard, he was unrepentant, whether alive or dead.



So how's your legacy? What actions or choices have you made? If you're reading this, it's not too late. Our God is the God of second chances. And third, and fourth....well, you get the point. Come to Him, ask Him to forgive you and start a new legacy today. God will take it from there - even if you have a knife in your pocket.

DW

25 Skills Every Man Should Know

How many have you done, according to the 10/07 issue of Popular Mechanics?

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who has capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network

Ok, so you've done a majority of the list. Have you taught anyone else? If kept to ourselves, skills will pass away with us. We should always look for ways to elevate those around us. Any one of these skills might prove valuable to someone, someday.

I would submit changing the list to the following Gospel version:

1. Patch a broken relationship
2. Protect your family
3. Rescue the perishing
4. Frame a wall on a mission project
5. Retouch with a mentor
6. Back up a brother in need
7. Build a new relationship
8. Fix a dead ministry
9. Navigate with the Bible and Holy Spirit
10. Use a torque wrench to help a single mother fix her car
11. Sharpen as iron sharpens iron
12. Perform CPR on church apathy
13. Fillet a fish at the homeless shelter
14. Maneuver a brother out of sin
15. Get a brother unstuck from sin
16. Back up and see others as Jesus sees them
17. Paint a room for a widow
18. Mix in as salt of the earth
19. Clean your spiritual weapons
20. Change your attitude daily
21. Hook up with your local church
22. Bleed is a word never forgotten
23. Paddle through adversity
24. Fix a flat for a teenager
25. Extend your prayer network

Pass it on.

Man In The Mirror Bible Study

We've started a new series during the 10:15 Bible study hour on Sunday mornings, the "Man In The Mirror" by Patrick Morley. We are currently "sampling" different video studies, ranging from God's Timing to a Crisis Of Faith. The videos are from 20-40 minutes with discussion following. The 10:15 class, room 112, is specifically for men, dealing with spiritual/faith issues unique to men. We're a small but strong group of 5-6 dudes looking for answers to life's mysteries. Sometimes we even manage to remember what we learned......


For a preview, listen online at: http://www.maninthemirror.org/biblestudy/series.htm#archive

DW

It's 7:12am - Do You Really Know What Time It Is?

This morning on my way to work I looked at my watch before turning the ignition key. 7:12, plenty of time for the 12 mile commute. When I turned the truck off in the parking lot at the office, I glanced at my watch - 7:14. Excellent time if you travel at warp speed, but not in the city limits. My watch had stopped. Again....I just had the battery replaced Monday, because it stopped over the weekend. Now I'm a little peeved because I have to find the battery receipt, make another trip to Walmart and try another battery, look for the case/original purchase warranty and hope for the best or buy a new one. This watch hasn't let me down before as I have come to depend on it. I feel quite naked this morning as I took it off, because it does me no good. (although it will be correct at least twice in 24 hours....) My watch is taking a short "time out" today.

But my dead watch has taught me a lesson this morning. I was so focused and upset about my watch that I didn't take the opportunity to notice the clock on my truck radio, the clock on the wall in the office, the clock on my desk radio, the clock on my computer, and the clock on my cell phone. We dont' realize clocks are all around us, seemingly everywhere. Much like the omniprescence of our Lord, He's always around if we take the time to notice. And God can use other resources to accomplish His purposes.

I am hopeful the TBC Mens Ministry will begin to find those other "clocks" we have in our congregation as I take a short "time out" from our monthly meetings. I need the opportunity to notice things I've overloooked lately. I need to remember a recent Sunday School lesson that "God is in charge, He knows what He is doing, He doesn't make mistakes, He loves you very much, You can trust Him, He is sovereignly orchestrating all of the seemingly random circumstances of your life, He is turning evil into good, and He can use me but only if I realize I am inadequate apart from His power and grace."

DW

Where Are All The Men?

Here's an eye-opening set of statistics:

http://www.churchformen.com/allmen.php

It's no wonder "the church" as a whole is in it's current state. We need to "wake the dead" or at least wipe the "spiritual apathy" from our eyes.

We are poised for the greatest revival in the history of mankind if we could simply get involved.

DW

Mighty Men of God Conference - Mattoon

Great conference and a time of renewal. Unfortunately no TBC men attended besides myself - too bad because many TBC / other men could have learned a great deal. Keeping a positive ministry attitude has become increasingly difficult lately. I'm hoping it's a short-term "funk".

DW

TBC Mens Minstry

Men,

I created this blog as another communication tool for the Tabernacle Baptist Church Mens Ministry. Check back often.

Dean Williamson