It's a Guy Thing

by Jeff Bills

There was a story on NBC's national evening news last week highlighting how few men in our country attend church services on a regular basis. The story pointed out that guys do not want to put up with boring services, pointless messages, and "touch-feely" relational stuff that define much of what they find in church. The story went on to highlight the kind of activities that men do find appealing. What I found encouraging is that HOPE has most, if not all, of them.

To put it simply, the men of HOPE are cool! By way of example, there is a group of men that get together every week on Tuesday evening. Sometimes the guys are discussing an issue of interest, other times someone is leading a study. At least once a month the agenda for the guys is food! They normally pic a local restaurant to go for a meal (though sometimes one of the guys will make a main dish with the others bringing a side dish).

When it comes to sports, the guys of HOPE are all over it. Our softball team recently won a tournament in the league they play in (way to go guys!). Groups of men are often getting together to hit the links, and once a year they lead the organizing of our annual "Tee Off with Hope" golf outing. During the winter months, Saturday mornings see a group of guys gathering in our Activity Center for a couple hours of pick up basketball.

Where our guys really shine is in service. With no fanfare, our men of this church do projects ranging from work around our buildings and grounds, to helping a struggling HOPE family with projects around their home. The money that is raised through the craft shows the men sponsor is used to fund their service projects. How cool is that?

What the men of HOPE would want me to make really clear is that this is no private club, no exclusive clique. The guys who are involved in the activities that I have described enjoy the connections they have made with other men who attend HOPE and want to see other guys get connected as well. With all that they have going on - there is always room for others.

If you would like more information concerning the HOPE Men's group, give me a call or drop me an e-mail. I would love to tell you more! Pastor@MeetHope.org

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