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Men’s Fraternity is a men’s ministry curriculum developed by Robert Lewis, a pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was created in response to a request from the men of his church who wanted more than a Bible study. They felt they needed some practical insight in how to live as biblical men and they needed a safe place each week where they could process these truths with other men. They said, “We want an environment of openness and brotherhood, like we had back at the fraternity in college only more helpful and spiritually constructive.”
The Men’s Fraternity meeting that began in Little Rock is now attended by nearly 1,400 men weekly and the curriculum that developed out of it is being used by almost 2,000 churches, literally, all over the world.
Men’s Fraternity is not “an event”; it is “a process” that enables men to experience real life-change together with other men over several weeks.
Men’s Fraternity consists of three years of curriculum that can be taught in any sequence.
Both. Following are suggestions for each:
Large groups:
Men’s Fraternity is typically presented by showing the teaching session on DVD with a live host. It can also be successful using a live presenter who has mastered the material. Following each presentation the men break into small groups to discuss and process the material.
Small groups:
In a small-group setting the group watches each session on DVD, then follows with group discussion.
Men’s Fraternity is being used in a variety of settings, both inside and outside churches. Many churches are hosting city-wide Men’s Fraternity gatherings. Others are using it for small-group meetings in homes, in college dorms, in corporate board rooms, in local coffee shops, and even in prison ministries.
You will need the DVD Kit for the chosen study and a Viewer Guide (workbook) for each man who participates. While the studies do not need to be done in any order, we recommend beginning with The Quest for Authentic Manhood. Most churches ask men to pay for their own Viewer Guides. The DVD Kit for each study includes a two hour training workshop that the leader needs to watch long before presenting the material to the group.
The audio of the DVD Kits is available on audio CDs, but these CD Packs do not include the training workshop and other leadership resources. The CD Packs are popular with men who just want to personally go through the material or to use to review when a session is missed.
YES! After years of doing Men’s Fraternity and receiving feedback from hundreds of churches all over the world, we have found the most successful Men’s Fraternities begin in the early fall and conclude in the early spring. The first half of the fall series is timed to end in early December, followed by a four or five week holiday break. The men return from the break to finish the second half of the series strong.
By far the best attended meeting time is on a weekday from 6:00 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. It is necessary to block out 1 ½ hours to allow for at least 30 minutes of small-group time. The small-group time is so important that some men who cannot stay until 7:30 a.m. arrange to have lunch or breakfast later in the week for their small-group time.
Churches that follow this format seem to have more momentum, better attendance, and more positive feedback from their men than those who begin at any other time in the year. These are the churches that experience and enjoy growth year after year in Men’s Fraternity.
You can begin to prepare for Men’s Fraternity immediately, but it is critical to wait until the fall to launch your group. Even if you bought this material in January, it is far better to wait 7 or 8 months to ensure a successful Men’s Fraternity. The good news is the longer you have before your launch, the more thoroughly you will be able to prepare for a quality experience with your men!
Use your time to:
Allow at least three months to prepare for presenting this material to your men even if you are doing a DVD presentation. (If you have more than three months to prepare that is even better.) You will want to watch all the sessions yourself and may even want to watch some sessions with key men in your church who are going to help you present this material to the larger group.
If you plan to present the material with a live teacher it is very important that the presenter watch and fully master ALL the sessions before he attempts to teach session one. If you are planning to do a live presentation, you may want to contact Men’s Fraternity Resource Director Rick Caldwell at 501.975.5050 or rcaldwell@fellowshipassociates.com. He will be delighted to assist you at no charge in preparing for a live presentation.
You may also want to visit Leader Resource Center for additional resources, tips, and “don’t miss materials” that will help you lead and host your group.
Definitely…he will be lost without it. We have found it helps men to better grasp the content of the sessions, and it also gives them a great tool for review and for sharing the material with other men.
We can give you the Men’s Fraternity logo for promotional purposes. Visit www.lifeway.com/mensfraternity to find a downloadable logo as well as other downloadable items such as a customizable bulletin insert, brochure, and poster for promoting the study.
By far the best attended meeting time is on a weekday from 6:00 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. It is necessary to block out 1 and 1/2 hours to allow for at least 30 minutes of small-group time. The small-group time is so important that some men who cannot stay until 7:30 a.m. arrange to have lunch or breakfast later in the week for their small-group time.
Yes. In fact, it is a great way to introduce nonbelievers to the gospel in a safe non-threatening environment. We advise you to make your event feel more like a men’s gathering rather than a worship service or Bible study. (The training workshop DVD really explains this well in more detail.) We have found this material is excellent for the most mature believers because of its practicality and focus on application, but it is also enjoyed by nonbelievers for the very same reasons.
Although developed originally at a nondenominational Bible church, Men’s Fraternity has gained a huge following by Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians, as well as churches of most all denominations. It has been applauded by the leaders of Promise Keepers, The National Coalition of Men’s Ministries, and Dennis Rainey of FamilyLife Ministries.
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