Honor us by taking a few minutes to read about some exciting news! – Give the Ultimate Christmas Gift!
As I sit down to write my Year-end Letter, I’m totally captivated with the awesomeness of our God and the great generosity of friends like you. God is so good! And it’s people like you who empower, encourage, and inspire our team to tackle the significant challenges that are facing men and churches today. Thank God that He is still in the miracle-working business. And for His promise that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13.
While the challenges are many God is providing new opportunities for MMC to reach more men and churches than ever before in our history. More on this later.
Meanwhile, I’m worried about what’s ahead for America. Thousands of men are struggling with anger, fear, depression, faithfulness, pornography, loneliness, stress, finances, and many other issues. We encounter too many young men confused about what it means to be a man of God and a leader of their family. Guys seem to be totally preoccupied with their own needs and many Christian men seem to have lost their way and are not focused on holiness, honor, and integrity. They are not being mentors and discipling others. Some men no longer want to attend church or consider spiritual matters because they feel faith is either irrelevant or not a manly characteristic. The Apostle Paul reminds us to “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:14. Men need to be nudged and encouraged into being leaders for Christ in their home, church, and community.
Billy Graham reminded us, “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, it causes the spines of other men to stiffen.” Chaplain Bob is finding that his story has engaged and encouraged many other men to embrace God’s forgiveness, power, and strength.
Here is a story of how, because of your support and God’s grace, MMC was able to help change one man’s life and how that change is causing a ripple effect in many other men.
Meet Bob Thomas – A sinner saved by grace – now the Lead Chaplain of North Idaho Peace Officers Chaplains Association
Bob discovered that finding God’s purpose and seeking after Him is the source of greatest fulfillment and the highest accomplishment he could achieve. I first met Bob about 18 years ago while attending a local church. He, like many men I interact with, was a man longing to serve God and grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. He desired to be a better husband, father, and Christian man. On the outside, Bob had everything a guy could want. He was happily married with a beautiful little daughter, had been a bodybuilder and a strength coach for some of Hollywood’s stars. He was a handsome, athletic-looking person, and the owner of a fitness equipment company. In fact, he sold us two pieces of equipment that I hoped would turn me into the next Lou Ferrigno. Although that never happened, we met regularly to discuss my progress. But as God would have it – the change didn’t happen with my body, but instead with Bob’s direction in life.
We had some great conversations about growing as a disciple of Jesus. One day while fishing together, I turned to Bob and said, “With your background, you should be leading men. You know Bob, it takes a real man to show a man how to be a man.” Bob looked at me with his penetrating eyes as he said, “Jim, I don’t know how to lead men.”
I pondered his comment and said, “Bob, I know you and believe that God’s hand is on your future. I can see how other guys look up to you. Instead of focusing on your accomplishments and power, focus on God’s power and plan for your life. You are an influencer and a leader, and with some encouragement and help from the Holy Spirit and our ministry, you will make a BIG impact for God’s Kingdom! Bob, if this admonition isn’t from God then it will pass. Pray about it!”
Bob thought about the challenge I gave him that day and considered it for some time. He couldn’t let it go. God moved in his heart and life. Over the next number of years, God led Bob to discover His true calling. From that day of fishing and conversation, God has worked in Bob to show him His will and allowed him, with the influence of MMC and his home church, to discover and pursue God’s plan for his life. God took him from being a self-centered body-builder with low self-esteem to a mature disciple, lover of people, and influencer of men. He now trains and mentors others as the Lead Chaplain of a prestigious chaplaincy group.
We praise God this year for the hundreds of men, like Bob, whose lives were changed because of the power of the Holy Spirit and people like you who pray and support our mission.
Your support has enabled MMC to awaken hundreds of pastors and men to the alarming statistics that testify to the declining interest in faith among men of all ages in our culture. These are men like Bob who are lost and caught-up in the cultural shift that has over 41% of our children growing up in a home with no biological father and, worse yet, no Christian role model to guide and shape their lives. Who is leading young men to Jesus?
Spiritual Mentoring – Discipleship
Go and make disciples! Discipling others is Christ’s ultimate passion. One person mentoring another person (Spiritual Mentoring) can make a difference and any follower of Christ can do this. We all need to get into the game (reformation movement).
Friend, sitting on the bench is not an option if you take God’s Word seriously. Like I said to Bob, pray about it and just share your testimony. Edward Everett Hale once said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Be a disciple-maker!
“Spiritual Mentoring implies the heart of discipling another person within the context of a relational mentoring environment. The most effective and long-lasting discipling relationships happen best when you seek to encourage and equip a person in areas beyond just the spiritual aspects of life.” — This is especially true in reaching the younger generation!
We have been working diligently this past year to create more resources to help men and churches deal with many of the challenges they are facing. To that end, we have written 12 powerful booklets that provide a biblical approach to dealing with such topics as addiction, fear, depression, stress, anger, just to name a few.
We have also assisted hundreds of churches and pastors with resources, messages, strategic programs, and a host of relevant social media materials to help them inspire, encourage, and disciple guys like Bob. Unfortunately, too many pastors we meet are not truly discipling their men or really don’t know how to disciple a man.
We give God praise for the opportunities He is providing. We just received a challenge matching fund gift of up to $30,000 from a long-time faith-partner (Robert). This is one of the largest single gifts we’ve ever received. Robert appreciates and understands the importance of our increased efforts to reach thousands of men struggling with the topics and threats we discuss in the booklets and on our new radio program.
Your contribution will be matched by Robert as we all work together to impact more people for Jesus!
Man Up!
I’m excited to announce that with your help and Robert’s challenge donation we are launching a new major effort in January 2019 to impact men around the nation. With your prayers and assistance, we will provide a spiral rack of our new booklets that provide a biblical approach to addressing many of the issues men are struggling with today.
Our goal is to place 100 of these racks in churches like yours. I’m in the process of writing two new inspirational books with the working titles: Act Like a Man! and Dispelling the Barriers to Greatness.
Our new weekly radio program (Man-Up!) will be recorded and placed on CD’s, podcasts, and streaming opportunities for guys to have in their cars or personal communication devices to be heard all over the nation. Please pray for MMC’s 2019 Strategic Initiatives listed below.
The best hope for the future of America is found in lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. By helping men explore God’s Word with resources, mentoring, and leadership development this nation can re-discover the values, morals, and ethics that build strong families. Like in the tumultuous days of the church in Corinth, Paul implores men to have fortitude and grit: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV. This is the message Men’s Ministry Catalyst continues to bring to those we serve.
And, it starts with each one of us choosing to be bold about our faith, which leads to mentoring someone searching for real answers to life’s problems. I’m challenging you to utilize the Men’s Ministry Catalyst inspirational resources and materials to support you and your family in a mission of mentoring at least one person this coming year.
These new resources will help you connect with people, grow in your own understanding of God’s plan for your life, and help make you a greater asset to your church and community. Remember, “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, is and remains immortal.”
Friend, as never before, your help is needed. Your prayers, participation, and financial assistance will help MMC finish this year strong, continue the rich legacy of helping men like Bob to find eternal security, and boldly face the challenges and opportunities that lie before us in 2019.
Please take a moment right now and prayerfully consider giving your best gift and visit mensministrycatalyst.org/holiday-donations/ today to donate and help maintain our current efforts and to launch the new opportunities to reach men. And, as a thank-you gift, we’ll send you one of my associate’s new books: The Simplicity of Disciple-Making – And 7 Ways We’ve Complicated It! and some of our new booklets. We pray that these resources will inspire you to share them with those who are struggling with issues and need to know how God’s Word will be a source of hope. Please follow-up with those who receive these booklets as it is a way to begin a new mentoring relationship.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In His Service,
Jim Grassi, D. Min. Founder and President
P.S. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Phil. 1:3-6
Men’s Ministry Catalyst 2019 Strategic Initiatives.
Please print this and regularly pray for our ministry.
- Equip and inspire our supporters to be more effective and passionate disciples who make disciples. We will continue to help you reach people with resources and messages focused on the issues men and churches face.
- Place a Men’s Ministry Resource Rack in 100 churches.
- Develop at least two new books and several additional booklets to assist people in knowing God and making Him known.
- Launch our new weekly Man-Up! radio program.
- Introduce MMC’s new online seminary program to hundreds of leaders around the world through Columbia Evangelical Seminary.
- Develop several Business Leader’s Forum programs in both California and the Northwest.
- Expand 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.
- Provide timely and Spirit-filled weekly devotionals to thousands of people around the globe.
- Host four Regional Pastor’s Leadership Conferences
- Approach several major denominations or a large publishing company to partner with us in marketing our packaged tools, resources, and interactive training materials/institutes for inclusion in their churches, seminaries, and media outlets.
- Provide six extraordinary Special Kids Day Events for the disabled.
- Assist local fire and police departments with our encouragement through the new MMC Chaplaincy Program.