In most men’s ministries in the churches I work with, some men attend, and most men do not.
It’s not because they’re not committed Christians. It’s usually because they don’t have the time. And yet, the longer the men’s ministry goes on, even if they do find the time, they often feel like they can’t attend now because the ministry has already been happening, and it can be difficult to try and jump in.
One of the greatest tools for solving this problem is the idea of “on-ramps” to your men’s ministry.
In most men’s ministries in the churches I work with, some men attend, and most men do not.
An on-ramp is an event that gets guys involved for a season. They’re not committing forever, but just for this one event. It needs to be a clear “start and finish” commitment so that guys know what they are committing to and know that they can come in and out without judgment.
Personally, I would design my men’s ministry with four “on-ramps” a year. On-ramps are designed to invite guys to something with a start and end date that will benefit them. Here are some ideas for on-ramps:
- A 4-week course on parenting
- A 1-day workshop on managing your anger
- A 10-week course on a biblical principle
- A 6-week John Maxwell Leadership course
- A Father/Son Lego day
- A fishing derby
- A golf tournament or game
- An escape room
- A 1-day workshop on marriage
- A neighborhood clean-up outreach
Some of these are spiritual in nature, some are more practical, and some are just social. A variety of activities can be used, all with the goal of bringing guys together in your ministry to men.
Here are some key characteristics of an “on-ramp” in men’s ministry:
Make it accessible.
A good on-ramp needs to be something that the guys in your church have no problem attending and no problem inviting their friends to. It has to be relevant to men’s lives and satisfy a real need that men face (e.g., making friends, becoming a better husband, navigating work, growing in faith, etc.). An on-ramp can’t be the “same ol’, same ol’”; it needs to be something different that makes the guys sit up and take notice.
Make it concise.
On-ramps need to have a concise starting and ending point. It can be 3 Mondays, or 2 Saturdays, or even one night for 3 hours, but there needs to be a crystal-clear timeline. Lots of guys will not sign up for an ongoing event without an end. Have a beginning and an end. Workshops, courses, and one-off events are great examples of this. Time is a big factor for men; if we don’t honor their time, we won’t see much of them outside of a Sunday morning.
Make it a bridge to the next thing.
Every on-ramp should be designed with the next one in mind. Don’t just do one event and then wait three months to plan and announce the next one; have the next one ready to go and invite the guys to sign up when they are already at the first one! This helps you create a bridge that guys will walk across to get more involved in the ministry. Maybe they’ll volunteer to help at the next one. Maybe they’ll invite a friend to join them next time. The whole idea here is to link one on-ramp to another and invite them to join the next one.
All of these ideas can help get guys involved in your church’s ministry to men. What on-ramps can you build to help get your guys involved?
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