Sometimes you have to skip your instinct, experience, and good guesses and just read the instruction manual. When it comes to the modern man and what he looks like, this could not be truer. There already exists a lot of confusion on this topic, especially among the men trying to live out the most current version of the “modern man.” The problem is also experienced by single moms raising boys, who have tried to read their way through the journey of raising their sons.

The confusion is also seen in the missing men who do not go to church on Sunday morning but find their pew in front of a TV. Confusion is also experienced by all the children who do not know who their father is. And the rage of murder suicides that is becoming a worldwide headline on a regular basis, screams out the struggle of the modern man, but the instruction manual?

Fortunately, the core issues are found there and give you what you need to address their issues. I began my journey on this topic as a youth minister almost thirty years ago.

Like many youth ministers, I looked out over the students gathered and saw a lot more young ladies than I did young men in the group. It was a common experience for other youth ministry friends as well. I asked around and heard all kinds of reasons, “women are more spiritual,” “guys think church is a female club,” and other such things. But none of those answers satisfied me.

It was during a personal devotion time that I got the real answer and some steps that led to the change in ministry as I knew it and the course of ministry to this day.

“They don’t have a godly vision.”

It was the answer I needed. It was an impression that I had, and I acted on in a way that made the most sense for my group of young men, and the principles have worked on every group of men I have worked with since.

Men of all ages are challenged by the godly lifestyle that they know they cannot live, or have not done so successfully yet. So they pour themselves into other activities where they think they have a chance for purpose and success. You cannot blame them, they are designed with that experience in mind by God the Father. You see it in Adam’s life.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:26-27, emphasis mine).

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15, emphasis mine).

“Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field…” (Gen 2:19-20, emphasis mine).

Adam knew the Father and lived a life of purpose and success. He was fully involved in the physical work of the garden and the mental work of naming the animals. He was functioning as the master, creatively naming and exhibiting dominion over the animal world. What a start!

How things have changed! The need to know the Father and be involved physically and mentally in the Father’s work has not changed in a single modern day Adam. But the opportunities are very limited by the type and number of options that too many churches provide.

Our young men had experienced church in such a way that they only saw preaching or music as possible outlets for the purpose and success concepts that is deeply imbedded in their DNA. Unfortunately, few fifteen year olds are talented in the verbal and musical world. There are a few but most do not fit into that category easily.

For them we designed two ways for purpose and success to be applied to the Father’s work. Each helped a number of young men to see their way in God’s plan for their lives. Our first activity involved cutting, splitting, and delivering enough firewood to heat ten homes for a year. That activity raised $1,600 in 1985 that was given to a mission project. Today that amount would equal $8,000.

That much firewood meant several things, including chainsaws, blood, trucks, and a tangible sense of accomplishment. That opened hearts to a “godly vision” as they made a sizeable contribution to a mission project.

Next we developed a young men’s sport league where they would share their testimonies at the midway break. They were typical guy testimonies using fifty words or less and accompanied by feet kicking the ground and no eye contact with the audience. But each time they shared a testimony it got longer and stronger and the soil of their hearts was open for the Godly vision that was planned for them from the beginning.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10).

From that original group of young men and leaders who worked with them came pastors, missionaries, and solid leaders in the local church. They could believe God’s call after they had had some success.

Once we had our first young man pick up his cross and begin to follow Jesus there was a never ending stream of strong young men and leaders to lead them. In time, we had as many young men as we did young women in the group as well as the leaders to guide them.

Our annual mission trips, yearly ministry teams, and weekly gatherings were equally represented by young men as well as young women. We continued the work projects and sports teams because that was a great entry point for young men as well as an opportunity to express their “good works.”

Twenty five years later, I still lead short term mission trips because I know that there will be opportunities for young men that will prepare their hearts for the “godly vision” they were designed for.

What we did for those young men needs to be done for all men who darken a church door. They need ways to be involved where they can experience purpose and success far beyond the scope of speaking or the musical world. Only a small percentage of God’s gifts shine in those settings.

They also need to have the opportunity to grow without the competition and eye of their Eve counterpart. That muddies the water especially as the more rapidly maturing Eve outpaces and out performs most Adam contemporaries. Adams admire Eves but they do not follow them or try to copy them. Adam follows Adam.

Adams also need other Adams who are not paid ministers as adults in their lives. Not all young men will end up behind a pulpit but all should end up productively involved in Kingdom work. If they see others who are involved in the Kingdom work as plumbers, doctors, truck drivers, and artists, they see their gifts as useful to God’s work. The work of the Kingdom is bigger than any one local church and needs workers worldwide to fulfill needs in almost every type and description of job.

Opening up these kinds of doors for men will eliminate true stories like the following: A man knew God had called him but in his mind the only possible calling was preaching. So for decades he fought that call until in his fifties he surrendered his life and finally said he would do whatever the Lord wanted, fully expecting to be called to preach. Instead he was shocked to find that the Lord had a job driving ministry teams around in buses for him. He had been, among other things, a professional long haul driver. His last years were a sharp contrast to the first decades of life when he “just knew” he was called to preach.

During my ministry around the world, I have some consistent experiences. There is a huge deficit of men in the church worldwide. In fact, it is a practical reality that if you accept Christ in many countries you must also accept the role of a single female Christian.

Should everyone cut firewood and start sports leagues? Yes and no. Yes, each church should explore ways to fulfill the Kingdom of God’s mandate with the manpower that comes only from men. No, your activities will look differently from ours. But there are significant ways for men to be involved in every community both here and around the world. Men’s involvement is a key to healthy churches, families, and communities.

I know men in all of the following capacities. Maybe something from this list will help your church reach the many men out there who have the same DNA that the original Adam had.

He ran logistical operations for relief work after a bloody civil war. He organized an organization that feeds thousands from fish that would normally be thrown away. His construction skills built churches all over the continent of Africa. His media skills produced quality documentaries so ministries can tell their stories. He saw the waste in the fruit and vegetable world and founded a ministry that feeds people worldwide. His capacity to work on cars has blessed untold widows and single moms as they struggle with limited budgets. His work in the public schools has kept countless students alive who would struggle with the crisis issues of suicide and anger. His sports camps reach hundreds every year as they train athletes for the next level of competition.

What else can he do? Look at the needs and plot a path for the men who were created to fulfill them and let them know that the Kingdom of God is bigger than preachers and musicians.

Mark Schaufler is an author and the founder of Finish-the-Race.org, a youth ministry training program in the United States. He also started and is the CEO of MST Ministries, providing evangelistic preaching, training, and resources; leading numerous short term missions on six continents since 1984. Visit www.mstgo.com to find out more about Mark’s ministry.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.