step up to the plate!

Calling all Men to Get Involved

“Master’s Men is more than a softball tournament!” Director Ken Akers grins broadly. “Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy organizing softball tournaments and golf tournaments. They are fun—and a great way to promote fellowship and raise money at the same time. But sports ministry is only a small part of what we do!”
 
For more than 50 years, the mission of Master’s Men has remained unchanged: to promote spiritual growth in Free Will Baptist men. “We want to develop men of priority, prayer, purpose, purity, and passion,” Akers continues. “We challenge Free Will Baptist Men everywhere to step up to the plate and be passionate about loving God, leading their families, and serving their church and denomination.”
 
This clear-cut mission is reflected by the department’s new theme: Count Me In. “We need folks to get involved,” says Tim York, Nashville pastor and Master’s Men supporter. “This is a big year for Master’s Men, and we cannot do it without help.”
 
The national organization is made up of chapters or groups of men in local churches who meet regularly for fellowship, Bible study (using studies provided by Master’s Men), and service activities. State and national leaders work closely with local chapters to carry out projects ranging from building Home Mission churches to coordinating Free Will Baptist disaster relief efforts (a project adopted by the department in 2006). In addition, the department recently announced the following initiatives for 2009.

Looking Ahead

• CMI (Count Me In) Conferences are a new series of regional events for men. Each conference will take a face-to-face approach, helping men develop spiritual depth and challenging them to mentor others.

• The Build-a-House program has been resurrected after a ten-year break. This fundraising initiative helps to underwrite general fund costs for the department through building and selling homes for a profit. The current project is led by Illinois pastor Bryant Harris and Tom Harmon, a member of the Illinois Master’s Men Board. The three-bedroom, two-bath home will be constructed on a beautiful wooded lot in Benton, Illinois. Land has been purchased, and clearing has begun. Volunteers are needed to complete the project. Your expertise can save time and thousands of dollars in construction. 

• On July 18, Master’s Men will participate in Impact Cincinnati, the annual one-day, outreach event sponsored by the Free Will Baptist Convention. In 2008, Impact volunteers helped renovate a West Virginia church. In 2007, workers constructed a church outbuilding in one day. Plans for the 2009 project will be announced in the near future.

• Phase three of the Ridge Church renovation project will begin August 17-21, 2009. The department needs a small army of volunteers to participate in this important phase of renovation. No special skills are needed. As one project coordinator said, “If you can lift a paint brush, you qualify!”
  
  During this phase of the project, workers will focus their attention on the interior of the building—patching plaster, repairing holes left by the removal of two chimneys, and painting the walls.
   
  During the first two phases, volunteers repaired the sagging roof structure, replaced joists and worn shingles, replaced peeling exterior paint, removed two deteriorating chimneys, reinforced the bell tower, and repaired drainage problems under the church.
   
  The church, which began meeting in 1793, completed the existing building in 1820, making it the oldest FWB church structure in existence. Master’s Men began coordinating the renovation after delegates to the 2007 Free Will Baptist Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas, voted to help the New Durham congregation (which no longer meets at the Ridge Church) maintain the aging structure in light of its historic significance.

• Operation Saturation is an annual joint project of Master’s Men and FWB Home Missions. On September 26, 2009, volunteers—both men and women—will gather in Battle Creek, Michigan, to help Jeff Isaacs get the word out about his new church.
  
  On October 3, a second Operation Saturation will be held just outside of Memphis, Tennessee. Under the direction of Tim Osborn, participants will blanket neighborhoods near the new church, distributing flyers, surveys, and other relationship-
  building materials.

• The National Softball Tournament and Golf Challenge will be held August 7-8 in Nashville, Tennessee. Softball teams will enjoy two days of high-impact tournament competition—at least five games—with other Free Will Baptists from across the nation. Golfers will enjoy the annual Golf Challenge at Pine Creek Golf Course in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. The two-man, best ball tournament will be followed by an awards ceremony and barbeque lunch in the clubhouse.

 
Take the Challenge

The leaders at Master’s Men are the first to admit that it is never easy to leave the comfort zone—to head in a new direction. Yet sometimes God takes us out of our comfort zone in order to use us. Gideon learned that lesson the hard way when God instructed him to attack the 135,000-man Army of the East with 300 men. 

So take the challenge! Step up to the plate and step out in faith. Join Master’s Men in their efforts to make a difference in and through the lives of Free Will Baptist men.

 

The Mission of Master’s Men

The Master's Men department exists to accomplish the following purposes:

Discipleship. An effective Master's Men chapter facilitates spiritual growth in men. Faithful teaching of the Word of God calls men to intimacy with God, purity in life, leadership in the home, faithful worship, mentoring others, commitment to the mission of church and denomination, prayer for pastor(s), and a burden to share the gospel.
 
Stewardship. Master's Men members are taught to support the ministry of the local church and denomination financially.  They learn that stewardship involves not only giving to the Lord's work, but giving their lives to advance Christ's kingdom.
 
Soul-Winning. Master's Men mobilizes men of the denomination out of spiritual lethargy and challenges them to influence their families, communities, and workplaces with the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
Edification. Master's Men equips men to serve the Lord through their local church by developing them into spiritual leaders.
 
Fellowship. Men need the examples and encouragement other men can provide.  One of the greatest benefits of a Master's Men chapter in any church is the relationships that develop as the result of a common commitment to the person of Jesus Christ.
 

Does your church need a Master’s Men chapter?

With your paid membership to Master’s Men, you will receive:

• Membership for every man in your church.

• Direction Bible Studies.

• Meeting Planning Guides.

• Priceless Opportunities for Fellowship and Inspiration.

Visit www.fwbmastersmen.org, or call 877-767-8039 to learn more.