Men Alive

MenALIVE and ACTIVE in the Church and the World

1. Executive Summary
1.1 Introduction
MenALIVE was founded in response to a great need evident in the hearts and lives of men and a great need in the life of the Church. While many of the issues discussed here apply to women equally our chosen focus is men - often less active or present in today's Church. We believe the Church is waiting for men to wake up, to become fully alive and to take their place amongst the people of God and in His world. We envisage men finding their purpose anew becoming active and so making the Church a more potent influence in the world.
Our focus is the lost territory in the hearts of men and impact this has on the life of the Church, God did not create us to be a nobody, to be nothing, or even to be average. He created each of us to be unique. He made us in His image and likeness to be "Image Bearers". He says to the men of His Church - "You will once again be what you should be" - The Life we are called to live has a purpose full of meaning. "I have come to give you life and life to the full" Jn 10:10
menALIVE - does not seek membership
menALIVE - does not seek donations or funds
menALIVE - sends the men back into parishes and Church Ministries

1.2 The question Do you often feel -Alone, lost, broken, bored, beaten up by sin, spiritually impotent, defeated, exhausted, forgotten, thirsty, unfulfilled, in a battle, amount to nothing, empty, taken out of the game.
Have you ever asked -
What am I here for and what is my purpose?
How do I become what God made me to be?
How can I be useful in the Church?
How do I better handle the big issues of my life -
The transition periods in my life, mid life, aging etc
The daily grind
Time pressures
Children
Marriage
Sexuality
Who can I or do I communicate the deep things in my heart to?
What about Faith and Spirituality - can I have these in a vibrant way and still be a real man?

2. Vision / Mission
menALIVE offers two simple propositions to men today :-

2.1 Being spiritually alive and adult is of great personal value. Having a real relationship with God, a prayer life, and being in relationship with other Christians will transform you - you will come fully alive.

2.2 You are of great value to God, the Church and the world. As you come ALIVE God will use you as a co-agent to transform the lives of others and the Church and world around you. Come Alive- Help your world come alive.

3. Goals / Objectives
3.1 menALIVE - ministers to men by providing opportunities for men to gather together. This is done through weekends and events. The experience of men gathering together can be dynamic and powerful.
We seek to provide men with -
Inspiration
Encouragement
Space to reflect and ponder
Opportunity to share one to one and in groups about the real issues of their lives.
Input re taking up the challenge and call to become a fully Alive man/men, being a fully active participant in today's Church.

3.2 menALIVE - for us should provide a sign of hope for the future. NOT only hope for our own lives, but hope of the Church. This is a hope that, men can play a renewed role in the life and mission of the Church. Men are a great-untapped resource of the Church. They are a sleeping giant, waiting to be woken up.

3.3 menALIVE - seeks to challenge men to stand up and take their place in the Church. The hope is that men would be "dangerous", risk takers, a potent force and fully alive and active in the Church.

3.4 menALIVE - encourages men to gather regularly. At least once per month in smaller groupings to -
- Pray
- Read the Scriptures
- Journal
- Share together
This is to provide support, and encourage growth and action.

4. Dynamic
menALIVE - is also a ministry of reconciliation
Our project description can be summarised as follows -

4.1 Redeemed - We are forgiven; our sin has been paid for. Jesus has dealt with that. Our sin is not the deepest part of us. Our hearts are good and we matter to God - Dying you destroyed our death.

4.2 Restored - When God looks at us he doesn't look at our sin but at the good creation we are as well as what we can and should be. He sees what He made us to be and what we can become.We have a purpose. We are saved from becoming inconsequential. Rising you restored our life.

4.3 Released - We want to be the men that God made us to be - we want to be powerful and fully alive.
We want to discover our meaning and purpose individually and collectively. We want to take up our place and role in the Church. We want to be men of action - we have heard men say so often in menALIVE discussions "give me a job". These clearly reflect the themes of Jesus, Communion, Mission

5. The menALIVE Dream
What if -
- Men's hearts could be reached.
- Men could wake up and become fully Alive.
- Men could be an instrument of renewal in - the Church.
The Church could become anew an unstoppable force reaching into and relevant to our contemporary world. Those that are lost, lapsed or discouraged would be found and reached and empowered. Men would be alive and inspired, active and engaged

6. The Future
- We have a dream that menALIVE would not be just for the Church of Brisbane, but be for the Church of Australia.
- We have a dream that menALIVE would reach into the lives of men and minister to men in the following areas -
Prayer
Fellowship
Health and well being
Sexuality
Fatherhood
Marriage
Vocation - Purpose
Contributing to the life of the Church.
- We have a dream to see groups of men (working praying / acting) together for the lives of other men and the life of the Church.
- menALIVE 2 the Max -
We want to run weekends that provide opportunities for men who are looking for more. A Faith experience of Jesus who is the real "Man Alive".
- We have a vision of 300 men gathered together in a central location in Brisbane in 2005.

7. Conclusion

7.1 What is the problem / need? The men of the Church are often asleep and inactive.

7.2 What is the solution?
Wake them up and give them a job - arise there is a job to do.

7.3 What must be done?
"menALIVE" weekends.
"menALIVE" 2 the Max.
Father and Son experiences.
Prayer, Journaling Groups.
Join a programme of ministry to men.

7.4 Why Now? Because God is at work and we want to join Him. Is this something we should respond to? YES
What gives us the confidence that this thing called "menALIVE" is something that we should pursue? Our confidence comes from the knowledge / evidence that God is at work in this. This bears the markings of God's involvement. It seems to be that this is something that God wants. It is something that God seems to be underwriting. And it is a God honouring thing!!

8. Contacts
Peter Gabauer 0404727271 peter@lmmg.com.au

P Shakhovskoy 0409479373 pshakhov@bigpond.net.au

A Buchanan 0419717457 aligbuchanan@acenet.net.au

Mark Lysaght 0407128099 mark@netministries.com.au

Robert Falzon 0412745734 robertfalzon@fmca.com.au

Website: www.menalive.org.au