Effective ministries develop men who are radically in love with Jesus Christ and committed to knowing and doing the will of God. The Heavenly Father will reveal Himself to those who love Him, seek Him, and wait on Him John 5:17,20.  In the 90s, the Lord has used Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby and Claude King to help men to know how to develop a love relationship with Him and how to join Him where He is working. 

      2. Founded and fueled by prayer. The need for men's prayer teams remains constant even though other aspects of men's ministry will be constantly changing. Jesus modeled a prayer life for His followers. He must have felt like He was making some headway with His disciples when He heard them say, Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1). So, from the beginning, there must have been a group of men gathering for prayer on a weekly basis to pray for the needs of their country, their church and their men's ministry. Jesus taught, that at all times his disciples ought to pray and not to lose heart (Luke 18:1). Men will grow weary without the supernatural power of the Spirit of God, who grants wisdom, encouragement, and power for ministry to those who call upon Him.

3. Led by men who model what they want to see multiplied. As the leaders go, so goes the ministry. John 1:14 says, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, Jesus modeled what He wanted to see multiplied. Men need leaders who are determined to do the same.                  

Healthy men's ministries establish a leadership training process and do not initiate new ministries until they have men to lead them. Through the leadership training process, men are equipped for service (Eph. 4:11-12) so that the ministry is carried out by the men themselves.

4. Balanced. A written purpose statement for men's ministry should be constructed to reflect a balance between helping men to come to God, grow in Christ, serve through the church, and go to the world. Thriving men's ministries lead men to  discover how they are uniquely called and shaped by God to live the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) in every aspect of their lives. Effective men's ministries keep the various aspects of their ministry inter-dependent and mutually supportive; providing a variety of entry points that make it easy for men to get involved.

5. Culturally relevant. Effective men's ministries find ways to connect with men on their turf. Paul declared, I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (I Cor. 9:22).  While his presentation of the Gospel never changed, Paul's methods for delivering the message were constantly changing.   In Iconium, he entered the synagogue to share the gospel (Acts 14:1). In Philippi, he went down by the riverside to fish for souls (Acts 16:13). In Athens, he strolled  down the main street and struck up a conversation about religion with men gathered on the town square (Acts 17:16-34). We must look for new ways to reach men.

The men of each church and community have different interests, pressures,  schedules, and incomes. Affinity groups (fishing/hunting clubs, Bible studies, golf events, single-parent father support groups, etc.) are effective tools for reaching the lost; and for helping men connect with other men, whom they perceive are like themselves.

6. Sustained by relationships. Believers are not lone rangers. The many "one another" passages in the Bible tell us that men need each other for encouragement, accountability, and spiritual growth (Proverbs 27:17; I Thes. 5:11; Romans 15:14; and Hebrew 10:24). A Christian man needs to surround himself with trusted friends, who will be honest, transparent, and confidential as weaknesses and burdens are shared. Relationships are crucial to building and maintaining an effective men's ministry because men are far more interested in relationships than programs.