Five years ago I received a clear calling. This calling was as clear as my call to preach and pastor. God directed me to personally develop and mentor 100 men to become devoted Christians and strong spiritual leaders.
THE NAME – MEN OF PROMISE
The process and material to develop these leaders is called Men of Promise. Inspiration for our name comes from the Moses’ encounter with his father-in-law Jethro who asks Moses, “What are you really accomplishing here?” Moses would sit and hear ALL the people’s disputes against each other from morning till evening (Exodus 18:13-14). Jethro told Moses, “This is not good. You’re going to wear yourself out and the people too.” (Exodus 18:15-16). He goes on to instruct Moses to “select from all the people CAPABLE, honest men who fear God and hate bribes and show them how to lead.” (Exodus 17-21). Men of Promise are today’s emerging leaders in our church. Some are ready and some are raw…but they are our best.
MISSION OF THE GROUP
To develop and mentor men to become devoted Christians and strong spiritual leaders.
THE FOCUS OF THE GROUP
Our time together will focus on their development as a spiritual leaders. Additionally, their ability to lead others with biblical principles and insights will be greatly strengthened. Over the course of the year, we will cover a wide variety of topics to round out their leadership potential. There will be about a dozen books to read, study, and discuss together; as well as projects to do both individually and as a group. But the real impact comes from the group interaction and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit among us. They will experience a great deal of learning, stretching, growing, and of course, great man-to-man fellowship.
PURPOSE OF THE GROUP
Men of Promise will spend significant time on understanding who we are from God’s perspective and how we can excel in our work and in our communities. We will work on establishing priorities, work/life balance, dealing with sexual temptation, making good decisions, leadership, and godly character. We will spend time on relating to our wives and raising our children. We will especially focus on what it means to have a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus Christ. The group involves a monthly meeting (from 7:00–10:00 p.m.) at varied locations, one extended session (approximately six hours), one weekend retreat, twelve significant reading assignments and memorizing about twenty scriptures (two per month). The meetings aren’t optional. A premium is placed on timeliness, preparation and respect for everyone else in the group. Our men made some tough business and family decisions in order to honor their commitment to me and to the group.
In February (2011), applications will be available for those who would like to be considered for our next Men of Promise mentoring group. Pray about it and maybe you can join us on this journey!
Pastor’s: What are you doing to mentor/coach/train men in your church?
Non-Pastors: Who’s mentoring/coaching you?
