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Thursday, November 4, 2010

"The Barn"... How It All Started, Part II

Continued from Part I...

About a year before I started the meetings at The Barn I was at my church and had gone up to speak with one of the pastors. After a brief exchange he looked at me and asked, " when are you and your wife going to start a home group"? I had just returned from my second Boot Camp in Colorado. I told him that what I really was interested in was "ministry for men", and told him of some of my experiences with the Wild at Heart message. He responded with, " ain't that somethin,..well if you do it and it works, we'll get behind you!"
Looking back, I think that I left a little discouraged. What I was wanting, in my heart...and my flesh, was for him to validate what I was doing and help me to get a men's ministry going for the church!...I'm so thankful today that he didn't!

We cranked up at the Barn utilizing a DVD series that Ransomed Heart Ministries made available. Many that have read Wild at Heart don't realize that there is a DVD series. One brother who showed up at The Barn about 4 years ago had read the book several times, then after going through the series said it was a "2 x 4 experience" for him...in a good way. He then went on to offer the series at his church several times...and is now an integral part of leadership at The Barn.

About 18 months after that conversation with my pastor, we were both leaving church one day and he asked, "Are you still meeting with those guys at The Barn?" I said that we were and he asked if I wanted to put out some fliers or brochures at the church. I responded "no, I don't think so"...this was because within the 8 guys that were meeting at The Barn, five different churches were represented. In consideration of those involved, I didn't think that it would be appropriate to make it a "one church" thing. Once again my pastor responded "ain't that somethin"! ...I believe that having multiple church's involved has helped to make the whole experience at The Barn more dynamic.

We had several meetings about what was going on at The Barn. He even got his interns to start reading Wild at Heart. My pastor was very supportive of what we were doing and gave me a couple of opportunities to be a part of the "men's outreach" that they were launching at the church. The men's outreach at the church evolved into a monthly meeting with a "speaker". The best part was when they would break up into small groups. where the men could share and build relationships.

I struggle personally with the way most churches approach "Men's Ministry". It turns into bringing in a "speaker", creating some type of service work, or having a worship night, mostly with little opportunity for the men to interact with each other. . All of these are great, but I have never seen where these get into the real issues that men are faced with these days. In regard to the issues that men face, I've heard pastors say "get over it" or stop doing that" etc. etc. If that really worked, I believe the fatherlessness, abandonment, divorce, addictions, and the lack of men participating in the church would be less of an epidemic than it is.

Over the last five and half years it's been amazing how men have "wound up" at The Barn. We've run in to groups of men in coffee shops looking to connect with others. Some have heard about it in casual conversations with friends, while others are sent to us from local Christian counseling. We've never really advertised or promoted The Barn formally...Guys just keep showing up...and more often than not, they keep coming back. About 8 months ago during a meeting at The Barn there were 19 men that represented 9 different church fellowships in attendance. I was wondering, "why do these guys show up here on Tuesdays"?...Maybe they are getting something that they can't get (or not offered) elsewhere.

Even though I know that "mens ministry" could be so much more than most make it, I'm thankful that God has given us this "mission" at The Barn. My hope is that we can be a resource for the entire body of Christ by continuing to offer a place where men can gather and experience More Life, Love and Freedom with Jesus Christ. As Jesus wanted His disciples to spend time with Him, we are intentional about creating an environment where men can experience God, receive healing and restoration in their hearts, and become the men, fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, and friends that God designed us to be!

We didn't start out to be a "ministry"...but "Ministry" is what happens... at The Barn

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Second Annual Fourth of July Extravaganza

Second Annual Fourth of July Extravaganza
Thanks to Everyone came...It was a Blast