Louise and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Healthy New Year! We also would like to thank you for enabling us to minister for another year. Your support is mission critical to this work.
Despite all the turmoil, upheaval, uncertainty, and distractions in 2020, we praise God for another productive year in serving the Lord. When frustrations about the future and concerns mounted, we found peace by claiming God’s promises and especially in reading the Psalms. Even with all the storms, personal attacks, threats, and anxiety that King David faced he also found comfort in writing Psalms and reading Scripture.
As I thought about the many individuals, families, and ministries that have partnered with us over the years my heart was drawn in thankfulness to Psalm 100. The words of gratitude in this Psalm express our love and appreciation for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the faithfulness and encouragement of great partners like you.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name.
With a thankful heart – all MMC can do is Praise God — Praise God — Praise God!
An Eternal Return on Your Investment (ROI)
Forty-years ago this month a small group of men gathered in a conference room in Sacramento to commit themselves to the vision of creating a dynamic ministry to men. Our goal was to equip, empower, and encourage guys to become godly husbands, fathers, friends, and disciples of Christ. Our method for accomplishing this was through a biblical discipleship process that was relational and powerful in helping men become ambassadors of Jesus (Matthew 4:19 and Romans 12).
Over the years and literally through your encouragement, prayers, investments, and participation we have provided thousands of programs and Bible studies for men to come to faith and grow in their commitment to Christ.
- Father/Child Fishermen’s Conferences
- Pastoral Training Institutes
- Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences
- Men’s Retreats
- Sports Show Ministries
- Professional Sports Chaplain Programs
- Men’s Outreach Programs
- Family Camps
- Special Kids Day Events for the Disabled
- Disabled Veterans Programs
- Ministry to the Military and First Responders
- Businessmen’s Forums
- Group Bible Studies
- Man-Up Radio Programs
- Pulpit Fill
- Pastors Retreats
- Single-Parent Conferences
- Church on the Water Events
- Inner-city Pastors Workshops
- And scores of other face-to-face opportunities.
God has also enabled us to produce the world’s largest men’s-ministry-focused electronic resource library and practical guides for pastors and men’s leaders who wish to develop vibrant ministries to men. Because of our limited travel this year our 2020 training programs through Zoom and other electronic platforms have allowed us to reach many broken men with a message of hope and faith.
God has given us the ability to reach hundreds of thousands around the world with 17 books, scores of booklets, and magazine articles that preach the Good News. Our recent work in assisting in the relaunch of Promise Keepers Ministry is indicative of our desire to share our resources and intellectual properties with other ministries to reach more men for Jesus.
Where Are Most Men Today?
The following statistics show the urgency in reaching men about Biblical Manhood:
- There are 69,000,000 men in America who make no profession of faith in Christ.
- Fatherless children are 5 times as likely to live in poverty, repeat a grade, and have emotional problems.
- Only 1 out of 18 men in America are involved in active discipleship.
- As many as 68 percent of men have actively sought out pornography this year.
- Ninety-three percent of all people incarcerated are men, and 85 percent of them have no
positive father figure in their lives. - As many Christians will divorce as non-Christians.
- Most men only know enough about God to be disappointed with Him.
- Too many men daily fight depression, loneliness, and despair with little HOPE to change their perspective.
If we impact men, they will be equipped to be better husbands, fathers, more productive employees, and upright citizens.
MMC is Global
We regularly receive email requests from all over the world regarding how to effectively provide ministry to men; especially, those who usually aren’t progressing in their faith. Several months ago, I received a passionate request from a pastor in Uganda. Pastor Michael and his Bishop Patrick Wakula were desperate to empower men in this remote country also hit hard by Covid–19. Working together these two disciples are trying to put together a vibrant men’s outreach for both churched and unchurched men in Uganda. Thanks to your support, MMC could respond with conference calls, resource materials, and books to assist them with their vision.
From Pastor Michael’s recent email:
The books that I have received from MMC have helped me and my fellow Christian brothers to break the ‘yoke of spiritual emptiness’ and have helped to guide our actions as we move forward… God has been at work, teaching us things we might not have learnt in the good days. Your books and phone calls have helped us to dig deep into the meaning of the Holy Scriptures as explained in your chapters in order to build hope beyond what the world can offer. We are hopeful to have 100 pastors gather to hear the conference call with your teachings that will help grow Christianity in our country.
Your Brother
Pastor Michael 10/20
Pastor Michael and Bishop Wakula
Let’s Continue to Assist Others!
Our Goals for 2021
Coming out of the difficulties associated with 2020 and the restrictions that Covid–19 Pandemic placed on all of us, our hope is to raise $40,000 for the 40 years of service God has allowed us to experience. Let’s celebrate our four decades of partnership with our Lord by funding the 2021 ministry initiatives that will continue to impact more men and their families. With your continued prayers, financial assistance, and God’s guidance we can make this coming year a healing experience for many broken men who need Jesus in their lives. Go here to give on-line or for instructions on how to donate by mail.
Will you help us with this mission? I’m hoping to get some matching funds from one or more of our donors to double the value of your contribution. Let’s do together what we cannot do alone!
Special Gift for You
For many decades I’ve provided Weekly Devotionals that have hopefully inspired and encouraged people to know God more fully and to make Him known to others. I have reworked 366 of the most popular devotionals and placed them into a handsome Daily Devotional Book titled Beside Still Waters. Depending upon your gift amount you will receive a soft cover or simulated leather edition that you can use in your daily devotionals along with a copy of my new book Overcoming the Barriers Men Face, a copy of Act Like Men and a reading light celebrating our 40th Year Anniversary of service to Jesus.
But we need to hear from you today! Help us reach more people like Pastor Michael and Bishop Wakula. Help us present the gospel to people like the many who received Christ and were baptized at our recent Church on the Water. Encourage us to reach out to smaller-to-mid-size American churches who need our assistance to grow their churches and men.
In advance and with deep appreciation, thank you for all your support. May God richly bless you and keep your family safe and healthy.
Jim and Louise Grassi, D.Min. Founder/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
In His Service,
Jim Grassi, D. Min. Founder and President
2021 Men’s Ministry Catalyst Initiatives
- Assist, guide, inspire, and equip our faith-partners with resources that will help them reach others for Christ.
- Through webinar conferences and Zoom meetings reach out to others with a global vision of helping churches in Africa and New Zealand discover the importance of one-on-one discipleship.
- To reduce the travel for Jim and his team provide on-line webinars for Church Leaders.
- Utilize the platform God has given MMC with our new books Beside Still Waters and Overcoming the Barriers Men Face
- Assist Promise Keepers with our resources, tools, and biblical perspectives to help churches around the world develop vibrant ministries to men.
- Develop a new book from Psalms 23 to help people grow in their faith.
- Continue providing six Special Kids Day Events for the disabled.
- Continue building godly men through an expanded network of Man Up Radio Programs in the Inland Northwest and Georgia.
- Assist local fire and police departments with our encouragement through the MMC Chaplaincy Program and suicide prevention initiatives.
- Find a partner or other large men’s ministry to absorb the resources, tools, and intellectual properties of MMC so Jim and Louise can semi-retire.
Working together we can Go Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. Matt. 28
Church on the Water 2020 – 12 first-time decisions and 5 baptisms – Praise God!