The Role of Men in the Church

Overview

Many have commented that the number one problem faced by the church as we enter the 21^st century is the absence of male spiritual leadership.  Yet the church faces an even deeper problem – the relative absence of men from all spiritual activities in the church and the home.  In our class on the role of women in the church, we focused upon the scriptural basis for including or excluding women from leadership positions, activities during worship, and responsibilities in the church.  In our class on the role of men in the church, we will focus on the failure of men to fill positions of leadership, to participate in worship, and to accept responsibility in the church.   A central premise of this class is that “masculine” characteristics of our faith, such as discipline, struggle and responsibility in caretaking, have been neglected by the latter 20^th century church.  Though these characteristics are relevant to both men and women, their neglect has been especially detrimental to men.  Though these characteristics should be expressed by both men and women, they urgently need cultivation by men in the 21^st century church.  These characteristics include, among others, taking on the role of soldier, caretaker and worker. Men described in the scriptures will serve as examples of these characteristics. A list of topics for the class is provided below.

These notes were developed by Dan Blazer and may be used freely for any purpose.

Outline

Each session has study questions and session notes available in HTML (for viewing online) and PDF (for printing). You may also download a self-extracting zip file or a regular zip file of all PDF documents.

PDF of this Outline

Session 1 - Challenges to Men in Society - Challenges to Men in the Church

Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 2 - The Feminization of the 21^st Century Church

Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 3 - Man as Initiated and Purified

Abraham (II Tim 2:21; Jas. 4:8; Acts 2:38)
Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 4 - Man as Worker

Adam (Genesis 1-3)
Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 5 - Man as Disciplined

Daniel (Daniel 1:8; Prov. 6:16)
Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 6 - Man as Set Apart

Noah (Genesis 6)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 7 - Man as Sexually Pure

Uriah (II Sam. 11; I Cor. 6:12 – 20; 7:1)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 8 - Man as Teacher

Moses (I Peter 4:11)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 9 - Man as Caretaker

Joshua (Joshua 24)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 10 - Man as Soldier

David (Ephesians 6)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 11 - Man as Struggler

Job (Job, Chapters 2, 38-42)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 12 - Man as Practicing Brotherly Love

John (I John 3:11-24)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 13 - Man as Husband

Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:22-33)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 14 - Man as Father

The Father of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15; Deut. 6:7; II Cor. 12:14; Eph. 6:4; Prov. 19:18)
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Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 15 - Man as Saint

Paul (Acts 22:1-21; I Peter 1:2)
Study Questions (HTML | PDF)
Session Notes (HTML | PDF)

Session 16 - Summary and Discussion