Men mentoring men at Bethel

In between appeals to Dr Ken to borrow his golf bag, David added this comment to the thread under the John 13:35 header and I wanted to make sure you were aware of this breaking development.

Brothers, 8 of us met this morning [Wed} at 6:00 at McD's on the east side and talked about breaking up into several groups depending on time, location, day of week, etc. This can be a great thing for our church if we're diligent to carry through as God directs. The enemy hates this..... David

What David did not mention in his post, and I only learned about on Wed night was the list of nearly 30 guys who are interested in meeting throughout the week for fellowship, prayer, accountability, and spiritual mentoring. It is likely that a series of 5 or 6 groups will begin to meet as early as next week. I hope we can take a couple five minutes on Sunday at the Bible study hour for Kevin to share an update. THIS IS FANTASTIC! And I would agree wholeheartedly with David's assessment "this can be a great thing for our church if we're diligent to carry through as God directs. The enemy hates this." Keep it up!

Want to Change the World? Pray for Preachers!

Crosswalk.com carried a great article this week titled "Want to Change the World? Pray for Preachers," that makes an comprehensive case for praying for our pastors.

"Not all pastors are in the news and not all pastors are facing the same kind of trouble. Yet, one thing is certain in the midst of a fallen world, all pastors and gospel preachers need people praying for them. The very progress of the gospel is at stake. Not only is gospel advance hindered when men of God fall or get derailed with other agendas, but the gospel is hindered when men of God lack power and intentionality regarding this high calling.

"The Apostle Paul asked the Thessalonian believers to pray for him and his companions in the progress of the gospel. The plain truth is that in God's economy, it is absolutely necessary that we develop the habit of praying for God-called preachers. If we are faithful to pray, we will see fewer men of God fall, get off track, or simply lose heart. And yet, as always, the issue is deeper than that. Other reasons exist as to why we must pray in this regard. "

Check out the full article for even more. Thanks for a great first week of prayer posts for Ted. I'll bring the calendar with me on Sunday to round up commitments for the rest of the month.

Questions unanswered...

Thought I'd take a second and bring Deaon's questions up to the top of the Blog. I'll post some of my thoughts tonight after work. Please take a minute and respond yourself. This forum works best if we share insights with one another.
Thanks brothers,
Steve

1. Why did He put me here, and for what?
2. Why did you make me this way?
3. How can I follow you Lord and still make it through the day?
4. Who are you God!
5. Where can I get plugged in and be effective in your Church here?
6. Lord, can you please introduce me to good christian role models?
7. How can I take your word and apply it to my family?

Blog 10:24 update

Hi guys,

Just wanted to let you know that Bethel Men's Ministry (Blog 10:24) welcomed a new subscriber today. Greg gets the award for his "long distance" membership and I'm glad to welcome him to the conversation all the way from the pacific northwest.

You may be interested to learn that we're currently pushing the email out to fifteen men in the church plus however many have simply bookmarked the blog to read it online. I trust you are finding this to be a valuable encouragement throughout the week.

Please note that when comments are added to the site, that content is NOT emailed out to you. (The original post is emailed but subsequent comments are not.) So allow me to highlight a couple of places you might want to click over to follow past threads;

The online prayer journal for Pastor Ted is off to a great start thanks to Anthony, Kevin and Steve. Take a moment to read their comments if you have not yet reviewed them. (It is my understanding that Ted wrenched his back on Sunday evening -- so please pray for a quick and complete recovery!)

I wanted to recall the question posted on mentoring. We did not get to it in our Sunday morning studies but I'd still be interested in your thoughts!

And Deaon's questions are still lingering. Give it some careful consideration and add your insights to the mix. Thanks, Steve for getting us started on that one.

Be blessed as you continue your week!


This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially those who believe. I Timothy 4:9

God's Calling

On God's Calling*:

"Men need to see themselves the way God sees them: full of potential and promise. When a man sees purpose in everything he does, he will live a purposeful life. When he views himself a faithful servant doing everything as unto the Lord, he is released to live an obedient and productive life in God's perfect and revealed will....[in ministry to men], we must help to identify God's purpose [and] equip them to fulfill their God given purpose at home, in the church and in the world. "

* Quotes continue to be pulled from Effective Men's Ministry, Phil Downer, Editor.