As a leader, God has called you to do more than play videos of another preacher in another part of the world or use resources an “expert” has created. Tools like those can be helpful in your ministry to men, but there is something unique about you. You are the face and voice God has placed in front of the men in your church and community.
God has called you to help other men follow Jesus. If someone asked you to speak to a group of men, would you know how to communicate effectively?
You are the face and voice God has placed in front of the men in your church and community.
For almost three decades, I have had a front-row seat to ministry to men. I have seen hundreds of communicators and teachers. Here are five tips I have observed for the effective teaching of men:
Tip #1: Know your audience.
Knowing your audience is a foundational tip in any teaching environment, but allow me to go deeper.
Speaking to a male audience is very different from a mixed-gender audience. There are language issues, illustrations, and even the reality that most men tend to think linearly.
In addition, the culture of your church also helps you understand more about the men in your church. Some churches attract more blue-collar workers, some attract older or younger men, and some have multicultural representation. Unique factors like these should shape the content of your teaching.
Tip #2: Talk like men talk (without the swearing!).
Effective communication to men needs to speak men’s language while proclaiming the Bible’s truths.
In general, men prefer more direct language—so don’t talk around a topic or use words that only get used on a Sunday morning. If you are teaching in a mixed group environment with a Bible verse directed towards men, then pause your sermon and call for the men’s attention.
Here are a couple of examples of talking like men talk:
- Instead of saying, “We need to be in community,” say, “We all need great friends in our lives.” I’ve never met a guy who talks about community as something he longs for, but men looking for friends are everywhere.
- Instead of finding different ways to repeat the same point, keep moving your message along. Men like to feel like something is advancing and not stuck in the mud.
Many speakers have tried to use shock language to get a man’s attention (and I’ve been guilty of this as well). Sometimes, the Bible calls for shock language (“Get behind me, Satan!”—Matthew 16:23). However, many have used shock language, especially swearing, to look cool. You don’t look cool, and it doesn’t honour God, so don’t even try.
Tip #3: Be vulnerable.
Probably the most fascinating tip I have learned is how much men respond when another man is vulnerable about his struggles. In my experience, the speakers that men remember the most are the ones who show the most humility about the challenges they have gone through in life.
I used to think I had to act like a man who had it all together. But most men who attend a Christian event already know they don’t have it together. They need to see another man who has struggled and see how the Gospel of Jesus has brought hope.
Tip #4: Use the Bible.
Most men know you don’t have it all together or are putting on a show. This reality means that for your message to have any authority, you need to bring men to Someone greater and stronger than any of us.
The Bible should not be an add-on to your message; it should be your message.
Your greatest strength as a teacher of men is that you speak with the authority of God, as revealed in the Bible. God has many things He wants to say to men, and you get the privilege of being His ambassador to communicate those words from Scripture.
Tip #5: Respect men.
In every group you speak in, you will have men in different stages of their spiritual, relational, and emotional development. Don’t think your job is getting up and correcting or challenging every man in the room. Some faithful men need your encouragement, and other hurting men need your compassion. In whatever teaching environment you find yourself in, ask yourself what respecting the men in the room looks like. If you show them respect, they are more likely to respect what you teach them.
Teaching a group of men has the potential to be one of the most impactful things you will ever do in ministry. For every man in the room, you are investing in their families, workplaces, and neighbourhoods. Do everything you can to serve these men well.
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