Let me be among the first to wish you a wonderful Christmas season. May God richly bless you and your loved ones. I pray that as you read this annual report you will be as excited and thankful as we are for how God has blessed our 36th year of ministry. With deep gratitude to faith-partners like you, and through the dedication of our hard-working team, we accomplished many of the significant initiatives identified in our 2016 Year-end Letter.
One of our initiatives, the MMC’s new Business Leaders Forums, provides practical biblical advice and studies on problems every man faces.
I would like to share just one of many success stories on how MMC’s Business Leader’s Forums are creating disciples who in turn make disciples. Ron Nilson, is one of my good friends in Post Falls, Idaho. I met Ron about 16 years ago. He came from a very dysfunctional home and didn’t receive much love and respect from his father. At an early age he was in trouble, but he was determined that if he worked hard he would be successful.
Starting at the bottom as a clean-up boy in a machine shop Ron was determined to learn more about manufacturing. After years of successful business ventures, Ron was the owner of a multi-million-dollar business, Ground Force, that developed large mining equipment. By the world’s standards, Ron was successful— he had fame, fortune, and power.
But deep inside his heart, Ron realized he wasn’t the husband and father God intended him to be. He wasn’t being reached by traditional approaches offered by churches. His faith was weak, and he struggled with many issues. He could not find hope and joy in life despite a very supportive wife and five lovely children.
Ron started attending The Gathering, a small group of business leaders organized by MMC that met in a business conference room for lunch. Most of the guys attending this outreach were un-churched or men who struggled with their faith. As these guys studied the topic “Success to Significance” Ron began to consider deeper issues of faith and authenticity, and to question his behavior.
Ron, like many others in the group, became a different man. Local papers ran a full-page spread on this business leader who testified of his newfound faith and passion for his family. His wife came up to him and said, “You are different than you were before. Thank you for becoming a man of God and taking on the spiritual leadership in our home.” Tears fell as Ron realized he indeed is a new man in Christ Jesus who began to live out verses like: “Be on alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” I Cor. 16:13
“I wasn’t the man, husband, or father God intended me to be. My family now says I’m a changed man. My priorities and faith have been changed. Thank you, Men’s Ministry Catalyst!”
~ RON NILSON, ENTREPRENEUR
Men’s Ministry Catalyst (MMC) provided the curriculum and facilitated the meetings that are changing lives. God’s word and approach to living both a successful and a significant life is shared at each meeting. By design, it’s a relaxed, non-threatening environment where business leaders can share their fears, concerns, and doubts as the men become very open and transparent. They are comfortable in sharing their personal and business problems. We have used this approach in California and Idaho with amazing success in reaching the un-churched. Praise God and for His glory!
There are lots more “Ron’s” (influencers and mentors) in our communities that are just waiting for churches to reach out in creative and engaging ways – ways that show them that they don’t have to check their God-given masculinity or business sense at the door. Most churches are ill-equipped to reach business leaders, and other influential people, in their communities. With the help of MMC’s new Business Leaders Forum Outreach Model, churches can direct people to groups within and outside the church that can be challenging, interesting, adventurous, risk-taking, and dynamic.
If you impact an influencer you impact his vast network of friends and family. It can change a community!
Why aren’t the traditional approaches used in most churches impacting men? Research indicates that up to 80% of Millennials and Gen Xers are leaving the church because they “don’t find it relevant in meeting their needs.” Nationwide, over 61% of our young people will go to bed this evening without a biological father in the home. In the inner city that number is over 80%.
Do you realize that more than 90% of American men believe in God? Five out of six call themselves Christians, but only 2 out of 6 attend church. There continues to be a serious gender gap in America’s pews. And the spiritual health of men will dictate the future vitality of the family and the church. Consider that for every 10 men in the average church:
- 4 will get divorced
- 5 will have a major problem with pornography
- 9 will have kids who leave the church
- And all 10 will struggle to balance family and work
That’s why Men’s Ministry Catalyst is in the business of helping churches understand that ministry to men is MISSION-CRITICAL to the church’s growth and impact on the community. We want to help churches attract men and motivate them to grow spiritually, get involved in the life of their church, strengthen their families, and move them from a life of just success to being one of significance because of what they do for Christ’s sake.
MMC does not seek to replace a church experience, but find innovative ways to help the local church reach the un-churched man, his workplace, and his family.
Time and time again Jesus went where the sinners were. And so, with MMC this approach continues today! Through its Iron Sharpens Iron Community Conferences, Business Leaders Forums, Pastors Leadership Workshops, Outdoor Connection Sports Ministries, Special Kids Day Events, Chaplaincy Work, and with our vast resource materials, our team of dedicated workers and volunteers meets people in the market-place. And we are preparing to help more churches than ever before through consulting services, training, seminary classes, radio programs, and dynamic new resources.
But to do this we need your help! Doing together what we can’t do alone is more than a great slogan!
This year because of the generosity and excitement of a few individuals about our 2018 initiatives, we can match whatever funds you provide. Our goal is $37,500. Will you consider sponsoring a church for $83 a month (or a one-time gift of $1000) that combined with our matching funds enables us to help pastors, men’s leaders, and business professionals across the country see the importance of focusing on their ministry to men? Will you help us coach them to make an even greater impact on their families, churches, communities, and world through a thriving men’s ministry?
A gift of any size will also help us establish the funds we need to reach and support the many churches we desire to equip.
In speaking of his love of the church and inspiring others the Apostle Paul said, “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?” (2 Cor. 12:15) We claim God’s word to inspire and protect us as we enter another challenging year.
Please prayerfully consider this opportunity and visit the webpage: mensministrycatalyst.org/holiday-donations/ to give whatever size gift you can as soon as possible. Your quick action will help our team know how many struggling pastors we can scholarship to one of our leadership training programs this coming year. Thank you so much for your prayers and faithfulness.
“Command those who God has richly blessed in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
P.S. To thank you for your gift of $60 or more, I’d like to send you a copy of Reset that helps us better understand our culture plus a great reading light like the one I use almost every night when I study in bed. If you can send a gift of $250 or more, we will send another one of my favorite books for this year The Intergenerational Church by Peter Menconi. This book will help you better understand the younger generations. Also, there is an incredible DVD package by Pastor David Jeremiah called Revealing the Mysteries of Heaven we will send along for those who can help us with a gift of $1,000 or more.
P.P.S. Ron is now retired and assisting many non-profit organizations including MMC. Working together we will launch our new Businessmen’s Forum Programs.
2018 Ministry Catalyst Initiatives
- Continue providing timely and spirit-filled weekly devotionals to thousands of people around the globe.
- Provide six Regional Pastors Leadership Conferences
- Develop at least one new book and several new booklets to assist people in knowing God and making Him known.
- Launch our new Men’s Ministry Moment radio program on at least two major stations.
- Through Columbia Evangelical Seminary introduce MMC’s new on-line seminary program to hundreds of leaders around the world.
- Develop several Business Leader’s Forum programs in both California and the Northwest.
- Continue expanding our social-media and website offerings to assist churches and men with practical resources for daily living.
- Utilize social media to reach the younger generation and make it easy for them to access many new biblical resources.
- Approach several major denominations or a large publishing company to partner with us on marketing our packaged tools, resources, and inter-active training materials/institutes for inclusion into their churches, seminaries, and media outlets.
- Create several short video training excerpts that can be utilized in helping people learn how to more effectively disciple others. These videos will help ignite our Millennials to seek God’s word.
- Continue providing six extraordinary Special Kids Day Events for the disabled.
- Assist local fire and police departments with our encouragement through the new MMC Chaplaincy Program.
- A better balance for Jim and Louise – A great team is in place.