I love my tribe and I love the men around my fire, and the camaraderie we have built is one of the real gifts of my adult life, but we know that our Christian life has to extend past the fire - that’s one reason we have Rule 6: Meet Up.
We refer often to Ephesians 5 where we are told to love our wives the way Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. I have rarely turned that around to ask whether I love the same bride He loves and whether I am also giving my best to love and advance His church.
The Great Commission was given to all of us, but the ordinary delivery mechanism has always been in a congregation. When you read Paul and Peter and Luke the pattern is never a man doing this alone or a band of men doing it off to the side. Baptism, communion, teaching, discipline, and the work of forming households were handed to a gathered body of brothers and sisters who live close enough to know your name and keep watch over you and your soul.
Your Men’s Alliance tribe isn’t designed to be a substitute for your church. It is a part of the church and it should send you back into one sharper and more capable to serve. I'm trusting that you are already choosing a church that preaches the Bible clearly, proclaims the Gospel consistently and calls men to lead, provide, protect, and raise their children in the ways of Christ. If you're not, get into one. Choose a God-honoring church that can play a real role in discipling you and your family.
Every tribesman should be a churchman, which means showing up consistently, getting into the ministries, giving faithfully, becoming a contributing member, and being willing to lead. Membership is a bigger deal than many of us have treated it. Becoming a member means submitting yourself to elders who can correct you and binding yourself to people who are investing in you and your family for the sake of God’s kingdom.
If you're between churches, or it has been years, or you have never been connected, this is the week to start. Ask around your tribe and attend with your brothers. Once you’re in, find the men who lead there and ask where you can get involved. This is where we bring the sharpening we’ve received to the broader mission Christ has given us. Why else are we training men to lead if not for the advancement of His bride?
Sheepdog