This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Men’s summit at Central. I had no idea what to expect, but the reality was far better than anything that I imagined. One of the things that surprised me the most was the turn out. I assumed that several guys would show up for the event, but I was stunned to walk into a sanctuary packed with tables of more than 350 men! It was also great to see that we had attendees ranging in age from young teens all the way through the 70’s. After all, one of the main themes of the Summit revolved around the fact that older generations of men need to pass on godly disciplines and wisdom to the younger generations.
Friday evening kicked off with beef sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad, chips, and cookies! A big thanks goes out to all of the women who volunteered their time to put together the glorious meals that we enjoyed over the weekend. We also enjoyed a time of worship led by Scott Sturdyvin and the worship team. Imagine the sound of men’s voices, 350 strong, raised in unison to praise the God who has no equal. It was a truly powerful experience!
The majority of the time this weekend was devoted to discussion panels which covered the topics of church vision, devotion, discipleship, doing life, and men’s studies. Various church leaders were chosen to speak on these topics and shed light on what Central is doing in each area. I am sure that every man there took away something different from the discussions, but there were a couple of things that stood out to me.
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First, guys tend to think that in order to be a real man, you have to go through life without the help and support of fellow-men. The reality is that God’s plan is just the opposite! God’s word and Jesus’ example tell us that men are designed to fellowship with each other, to build one another up, and to help bear each other’s burdens. If there is an area in life that you are struggling with, you should have a few close christian friends that you can rely on to pray for you and encourage you.
Secondly, guys tend to struggle these days with being real men! Some startling statistics were shared that really caught me off guard. Did you know that the number of men in their 30’s who still live at home with their parents has grown exponentially over the past 20 years? Did you know that the average video game user is 35? Those are just two examples among many that show the alarming trend of men postponing their transition into adulthood. So what happens when we no longer have men? The world, and the church in particular, suffer. When guys fail to step into the roles left by previous generations, leaders become scarce, core values begin to vanish, and future generations begin to forget what really matters in this life. One quote from the weekend drives this point home very nicely: “If you are failing to lead, you are leading to failure.”
So what can we do to change the crash course that we are headed on guys? Invest in each other. Invest in your sons.
Invest in the body of believers. Learn from those who are older and wiser. It is time to stand up and take on the role of a leader. I know that can sound like quite a challenge, but remember…you have more than 300 brothers-in-arms in our church alone! Changing our city and our world can seem daunting, but this weekend I witnessed first hand that God can call up an army of His own. Strong christian men united with a common goal are a force to be reckoned with. It seems rather convenient to pull out one of my favorite quotes in light of the turn out that we had at the Summit…
“If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I would set the world on fire!” ~ John Wesley
For all of those that could not make it to the Summit, we will see you next year!
