A Chance to Reset: What’s Ahead for Men’s & Ladies’ Ministry
written by Pastor Kris Wilder (on behalf of the pastoral staff)
I love January 1st.
The calendar flips, the past is evaluated, and the future can be pursued. There’s just something about a new year that causes us to reflect on where we’ve been and where we are going.
At Friendship, that new year feeling hits again in mid-August when the school year starts and our “ministry year” begins.
Anticipating that coming fresh start, the FBC pastors recently took some time to pause, reflect, and consider a potential “reset” to our men’s and ladies’ ministries.
And though we recognized there was much good already happening, it was a healthy exercise to consider why we do what we do and what foundational pieces help us accomplish those things.
- So why do we do what we do?
- What do we want to see happen in our men’s and ladies’ ministries?
4 “Whys” of Men’s & Ladies’ Ministry
We want to foster disciple-making relationships
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus commands us to make disciples.
Since true disciples follow Jesus, Biblical discipling is simply helping others follow Jesus. We want our men’s and ladies’ ministries to connect people who can help each other follow Jesus.
We want to pursue intergenerational relationships
Psalm 145:4
“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.”
Jesus wants people of all ages to follow Him.
With the various stages of life represented in a church family, we want our men’s and ladies’ ministries to be a place where spiritually mature disciples can pour God’s wisdom into people in each of life’s seasons.
We want to study the Bible and pray together
Acts 2:42
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Jesus wants us to follow Him together.
And yet, we cannot follow Jesus if we do not know what He has said.
As we seek to make disciples of all ages, we want our men’s and ladies’ ministries to build disciples as we pursue knowing Him as revealed in His Word. But still,
we cannot have His wisdom and strength if we do not ask Him for it
So we want our time together to prioritize praying together as we praise God for Who He is and ask Him for the grace needed to be true disciples.
We want to discuss gender-specific topics
Titus 2:1-6
“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience… The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness… That they may teach the young women… Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.”
Jesus wants both men and women to follow Him.
Though equal, men and women are created with different roles and unique struggles.
We want our men’s and ladies’ ministry to be a community where men can meet with men and ladies can meet with ladies to receive the grace needed to be what God desires and do what He has designed them to do.
3 “Hows” of Men’s & Ladies’ Ministry
As the pastors discussed these priorities, we were grateful that much of the foundation was already in place.
We understand that healthy churches are filled with healthy families, and so we want our calendar and time together to promote strong families who are disciple makers at home and in our community.
We’ve established 3 foundational pieces of our calendar that pursue our “whys” and can be built on as we continue to pursue a culture of disciple-making at Friendship.
Our pastoral staff will be providing the vision and direction of each of these “hows” as we intentionally pursue our “whys.”
Bible Studies
Fall 2026 – Men will be studying 2 Timothy
Spring 2027 – Ladies will be studying Philippians
Retreats / Outreaches
November 7, 2026 – Ladies’ Around the Table Outreach
April 9-10, 2027 – Men’s Retreat at The Anchorage Camp
Quarterly Prayer Breakfasts
September 12, 2026 – Men & Ladies together
November 21, 2026 – Men only
March 13, 2027 – Men & Ladies together
June 19, 2027 – Men only
Our pastoral staff’s desire is that each of the events on the men’s and ladies’ ministry calendar will contribute to a culture of disciple-making as we seek to daily pursue making followers of Jesus to the glory of God alone!
A culture of disciple-making as we seek to daily pursue making followers of Jesus to the glory of God alone!