Quit you like men

This morning we had men-only "breakout" sessions with Steve Viars, Stuart Scott and Lou Priolo (track four ladies had their own with Martha Peace and Elyse Fitzpatrick). Very much on my mind during these sessions were men's ministry at our church and what it could look like.

The repeated message was that, while women are so valuable in God's eyes and often serve as the primary energy in the local church, men have largely abdicated their role to lead in the home and church. Much of our culture has sought to gender neutralize us so that young people grow up confused about roles and God's perfect design. Many young people think they are left to themselves to figure out what their identity will be. And that mindset carries into the church.

What to do? What is a "normal" man?

The answer is that Jesus is the normal man. Not only looking at His character but looking at the commands of God's word for the sons of Adam provides the pattern for sexual identity--particularly for men's ministry.

For example, you can boil down the biblical responsibilities of a husband to "leader, lover, provider, protector." There is really no end to the list of possibilities for training men and boys to be God's kind of men when you start teaching and mentoring in these areas.

What happens in churches and homes where men lead like God designed them to lead? A few women would bristle at the idea of their husband becoming a servant-leader. Most would breathe a great sigh of relief.