Building Brothers
What is Building Brothers here to do?
Building Brothers' desire is to serve the local church by assisting them in developing a leadership core of men who are pursuing God, becoming spiritual fathers and capable of reproducing that pursuit in the lives of other men within the church. A key element in this reproduction process is establishing a clearly defined pathway within the church to lead men from spiritual immaturity to spiritual fatherhood and developing leaders who can minister to others.
Why are we doing this?
During the period of the '90s, with all that was happening in the men's movement, George Barna found a net decrease in church attendance by 10%. In 1991, 42% of the men attending church were involved in the life of the church. By 1996, the number had dropped by 14% to 28%. All of this occurred at a time when hundreds of thousands of men were attending various Christian events around the country and were encouraged to become more involved within their local churches. From Mr. Barna's statistics, it is apparent that there was a crisis in the church as men's involvement was actually declining.
Men returned home from these events perceiving (consciously or unconsciously) that in order to have a "successful" men's group at their church, it was vital for them to administer a series of programs and events for the men. In reality, this led them down a dead-end street. Each program or event needed to outdo the previous one or the attendance began to fall by the wayside.
A critical question one may ask is:
Why was there a crisis within the church when so much seemed to be happening in men's lives?"
Building Brothers believes that the primary reasons for this crisis within the church are:
* There are very few viable models for men to follow.
* Churches are not considered as a masculine (safe) place for men.
* Churches need to build a leadership core of men that the rest of the men can trust.
* There is little expression of male identity within the church.
Why Building Brothers?
Building Brothers is dedicated to working with the local church to remove the various barriers that keep men from being involved within the life of the church. These barriers are addressed and can be removed as a leadership core of men model the principles:"
* Understand and deal with the father vacuum.
* Establish a safe, masculine environment within the church to deal with issues.
* Develop men into leaders who can be trusted.
* Help men in their pursuit of God.
The Building Brothers Process
Building Brothers… Helping Men Discover the Pathway to Become
Spiritual Fathers
Step One in the Building Brothers Process:
Pastor(s) and Leaders experience ...
Building Brothers Leadership Training
- Leadership Training Purpose Pastors and Leaders personally experience aspects of the Transformational Process
- Catch the vision of men becoming Spiritual Fathers
- Understand the process and barriers of Building the Pathway
- Commit to enter the Building Brothers Four-Phase Process
Step Two in the Building Brothers Process:
Building Brothers Four Phase Training
- Filling the Father Vacuum and building a Masculine Environment
- Understanding and becoming a Servant Leader
- Identifying a unique Church Pathway to build men
- Pursuing God and becoming a Spiritual Father
Four Phase Process Outcome:
Transformed Men who Pursue God…
Becoming Spiritual Fathers…
Reproduce and Serve the Church…
Spiritual Fathers who will meet the Crisis!
What's Your Next Step?
Where are you in this Process we've laid out? Where are the men of your church in the Process? Lost in the woods, asking for help, finding the way back, or maybe taking the beginning steps? Let me challenge you to begin to go before God and prayerfully listen for his direction concerning the issues we've raised. Do you see the need for a change in the culture of the Church-making it a place of safety and trust where men are becoming Spiritual Fathers who Reproduce additional Spiritual Fathers through a defined Pathway? If so, let me suggest the following plan of action:
* Purchase and read Spiritual Fathers: Restoring the Reproductive Church
* Gather a core leadership team of at least two to five men who will commit to the Building Brothers Leadership Training.
Building Brothers is committed to walking alongside you and your church
in the battle that is taking place for the hearts of men!
