Presbyterian Men
The General Assembly Mission Council, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the National Council of Presbyterian Men have formed a Covenant of Agreement. The National Council of Presbyterian Men was officially established in 1948 but can trace its beginnings to 1906-1907. The mission of Presbyterian Men is to lead men into a vital relationship with Christ and to assist them in their spiritual, personal and community development.
Work of Men of the Church in the PC(USA) is currently carried out through their covenant partnership with Presbyterian Men.
Men of the Church Sunday – June 19, 2016
Throughout the liturgical year, the General Assembly has designated special Sunday observances to recognize the gifts of particular groups of people within the church, among these are Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, and Young People. Men of the Church Sunday is a day to recognize the gifts and contributions to ministry that men have made in every congregation and Council of the church, and to give thanks for the witness that they make in the home, the workplace, community, and church.
Men of the Church Sunday is the Sunday usually recognized as Father’s Day. The General Assembly intentionally planned to recognize the contributions of all men and not limit the celebration only to those who have children. It is to include single men, stepfathers, men who are unable to be with their children, and all other men who do not necessarily fit in these categories. Regardless of their family situations, all men of the church are called by God to share their time, talents, spirit, and energies fulfilling their call to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
On June 19, 2016, congregations are invited to celebrate “Men of the Church Sunday.” This can be a day of thanksgiving and new beginnings as your congregation recognizes, rejoices, and renews its commitment to provide vital ministries with men as they perform their unique ministries in the home, church, and community.
Men’s Bible Studies
Men of the Church in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provides 13 Old Testament and 11 New Testament Bible studies to aid congregations in this area of ministry. Each study is inspired by a book of the Bible and includes seven sessions for open discussion. You can download these Bible studies. Here are some passages from the bible study inspired by First Samuel.
Fathers, Brothers, Friends, and Others: A Study of Male Relationships
A Seven-Session Bible Study for Men
by H. Michael Brewer
The Reason for This Study
We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life . . .
The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture.
These words from "A Brief Statement of Faith," adopted officially by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1991, state a primary conviction of Presbyterians. Presbyterians believe that God's Spirit actually speaks to us through the inspired books of the Bible, "the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the church universal, and God's Word" (Book of Order, PC(USA), G 14.0516) to each of us.
Recent studies, however, have shown that many men know very little of what the Bible says; yet many do express a desire to learn. To help meet that need, this Bible study guide has been prepared at the request and with the cooperation of the National Council of Presbyterian Men of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and its president, Youngil Cho.
Session One: Men as Fathers and Sons
Fatherhood? Sonship? Why begin our discussion there? After all, not all men are fathers. True. Although most adult men may be fathers in our culture, by no means is every male called to fatherhood. However, every male begins his life as a son, and our relationship (or lack of relationship) with our fathers has a lifelong impact on our personalities, our possibilities, our outlook on the world and our self-image. We can hardly begin a discussion of male relationships without considering what is ideally our first relationship with another man.
