A Vision For Men of the Church

Men need to experience the promised reality that to be in Christ is to know that now there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). To be set free to live is the opportunity made possible through faith. When this grace is accepted, life begins — the abundant life promised to all in Christ. [Read more]

July 23, 2008

Volunteers urgently needed in Iowa

Teams

PDA has received a notice from the Presbytery of East Iowa of an urgent need for volunteers in Iowa. The muck out is only 10-15 percent complete, and only one team of ten is scheduled for this week. The clock is running on these untreated homes, as the mold is advancing rapidly with the hot, humid weather. If you can help, please contact the PDA Call Center at (866) 732-6121 to register your team.

Individuals

A call has also been put out for a professional that could help analyze and give advice to shore up several small, single family homes that have some structural issues. The need is for a structural engineer, architect or builder with experience in shoring up or replacing foundation members and sagging framing members.

They are not looking for someone to produce a certified set of plans, just someone that can give them guidance in doing some remedial construction. They have four homes at this time that need attention.

They are viewing this as a one-day time commitment. If you have the needed skills and are interested in volunteering, please contact Stan Tate, site coordinator for Oakville, Iowa.

Presbyterian Men

The former Congregational Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the National Council of Presbyterian Men formed a Covenant of Agreement. The Council was officially established in 1948 but can trace its beginnings to 1906-1907. The mission of Presbyterian Men is to lead men into a vital relationship with Christ and to assist them in their spiritual, personal and community development.

Work of Men of the Church in the PC(USA) is currently carried out through their covenant partnership with Presbyterian Men.

Men's Bible Studies

Men of the Church in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provides 13 bible studies to aid congregations in this area of ministry. Each study is inspired by a book of the Bible and includes seven sessions for open discussion. You can download these Bible Studies. Here are some passages from the bible study inspired by First Samuel.

Fathers, Brothers, Friends, and Others: A Study of Male Relationships

A Seven-Session Bible Study for Men
by H. Michael Brewer

The Reason for This Study

We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life . . .
The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture.

These words from "A Brief Statement of Faith," adopted officially by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1991, state a primary conviction of Presbyterians. Presbyterians believe that God's Spirit actually speaks to us through the inspired books of the Bible, "the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the church universal, and God's Word" (Book of Order, PC(USA), G 14.0516) to each of us.

Recent studies, however, have shown that many men know very little of what the Bible says; yet many do express a desire to learn. To help meet that need, this Bible study guide has been prepared at the request and with the cooperation of the National Council of Presbyterian Men of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and its president, Youngil Cho.

Session One: Men as Fathers and Sons

Fatherhood? Sonship? Why begin our discussion there? After all, not all men are fathers. True. Although most adult men may be fathers in our culture, by no means is every male called to fatherhood. However, every male begins his life as a son, and our relationship (or lack of relationship) with our fathers has a lifelong impact on our personalities, our possibilities, our outlook on the world and our self-image. We can hardly begin a discussion of male relationships without considering what is ideally our first relationship with another man.

Download this Bible Study

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