The Ezra & Nehemiah Network
The Ezra/Nehemiah Network
I learned something about men’s ministry from a blue-collar guy named Dennis Kellen. Dennis invited me to join his volunteer fire-wood cutting group. He looks for people who need help preparing their firewood for winter due to poor health or lack of family support, and then he recruits Christian men to help him get the work done. This group of men that help Dennis volunteer their time and in exchange they get hard work in a worthy task and encouraging fellowship with other Christian men.
This year, my second as a pastor, I’m trying to put what Dennis taught me into practice in another way. We’ve started a men’s group at our church called the Ezra/Nehemiah Network. We’re calling it this because we need men in the church who are teachers like Ezra. We also need men who are doers like Nehemiah, men of action!
The last Saturday of every month we meet at 10am, throw steaks on the grill, and have some breakfast. After that we have one of the men in the church share for 15-20 minutes about what Jesus has taught them through their work history. After breakfast clean-up we head out to tackle to-do list items that families in the church or in the local community need done.
This fellowship of men has blessed me and taught me that men want to take their place in the church. But men are built for action and not just talk around a cup of coffee. The hardest part for me in this process as a pastor has been for me to humble myself and admit that I could use some help myself with some to-do list projects and even more so with encouragement in the Lord.
Blessings,
Paul Poppe
Faith Baptist Church
Chetek, WI