At first, Jeffrey Lanzara wasn’t sure he would be a good fit for a practicum in men’s ministry.
“Before (my internship), I believed that men’s ministry was comprised of guys who liked hunting, fishing, or watching football,” he exclaimed. “Since I fall into none of these categories, then by definition, I was not a man — at least in the church’s sight.”
This preconceived notion of men’s ministry was quickly challenged through the instruction Jeffrey received during his internship experience with Gateway’s Men’s Ministry.
“This completely changed my outlook on men’s ministry,” he said. “The first thing they tell you is that every man in your church is in men’s ministry. It’s not just the few guys that show up to the events. It’s every man who walks through the doors of your church. This is because they are in ministry just in developing their family and they do part of that just by showing up and worshipping at church.”
As he found his fit in the practicum, Jeffrey says he learned many things about effective ministry to men.
“You have to reach men where they are at and walk with them,” he said. “There are no short cuts, but a lot of rewards for those who will faithfully disciple a male into a man.”
One of the highlights of Jeffrey’s practicum came when he openly shared with his men’s group about a difficult season he was going through.
“After that, the guys all opened up,” he exclaimed. “At different times in the subsequent weeks, they were comfortable sharing their authentic selves. One thing I learned is that men are hard to reach, but once they are, there is no stopping them.”
Jeffrey has advice for those considering a practicum with Gateway’s Men’s Ministry.
“Get ready, hold on and let go,” he asserted. “Don’t bother with this if you want to be fake. This is for the real guys. If you’re not comfortable, don’t worry. You’re not alone. You’re with all the rest of us. We got through it and somehow, someway, we really liked it.”