Men in Ministry - Online Group

Men in Ministry is a 16-week group for personal growth and health in ministry. Many of us in ministry know that stress, burnout, and personal strain are common - it is however uncommon to find someone who gets that and wants to protect your ministry and livelihood. LEARN MORE

10 Unforgettable Lessons on Fatherhood | Ray Ortlund

In public, my dad was one of the great pastors of his generation. He served most notably for twenty fruitful years at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, where John and Noel Piper worshiped during their Fuller Seminary days. Dad and John were dear friends.

In private, my dad was the same man. There was only one Ray Ortlund, Sr. — an authentic Christian man. The distance between what I saw in the New Testament and what I saw in my dad was slight. He was the most Christlike man I’ve ever known, the kind of man, the kind of father, I long to be.

In no particular order, here are ten lessons on fatherhood I learned from watching him, each lesson living on in my life from memories of his care for me. KEEP READING

The Particular Temptations of Young Men | Tim Challies

Young men have it tough. In so many ways, this world seems to have been custom-crafted to take advantage of their weaknesses, their flaws, their immaturities. Solomon lamented this in his day, telling of the seductresses and prostitutes who laid in wait for young men. He told as well of the immaturity and ungodliness of young men that made them especially prone to sadly blunder or joyfully sprint into the traps and snares laid for them. Today he might write about ever-present amusements, the proliferation of porn, the rise of sexting, the sense of meaninglessness that so often pervades the minds and spirits of young men.

I love to spend time with young men, to counsel them, and to assure them that this time in their lives has great significance. As we speak, I find a number of common temptations they face while passing through their teens and twenties. KEEP READING

Six Tips for being a Godly Husband | Bob Lepine

God's purpose for marriage is to make us more like Christ. When I applied for a marriage license a year after I had graduated from college, all I had to do was pay a fee. There was no training, no video and no job description. In spite of the fact that I lacked many of the fundamental skills on how to make a marriage work, the license was granted!

I know there are many men today who are trying to figure out exactly what God expects of them as husbands. So I came up with a list of the things I believe are central to being a godly husband. READ MORE

Play the Man | Mark Batterson

In the church today, many men find themselves confused about what it actually means to be a man. Our culture does little to help. The result is a generation of men who struggle to embrace their responsibilities, roles, and the purpose for which God created them.

In this series, Mark Batterson, highlights seven virtues of manhood to offer clear insight into what it means to be a faithful man of God. Keying in on the story of the martyr Polycarp, Mark teaches through engaging stories to inspire men towards biblical discipleship that can transform the generations to come. Each lesson provides practical truths for immediate application so that men everywhere can be the brothers, husbands, fathers, and leaders God created them to be.

Women's Cross-Cultural Blogs and Networks

• Thrive Connection - Connecting lives, sharing our stories, a safe place to thrive. Unfortunately, many Global Women feel alone and are barely surviving. In 2007, the most comprehensive research study to date, which focused on retention, was published by the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission called ReMAP II. The study revealed that 1 out of 14 workers leave their agencies each year and two-thirds leave for potentially preventable reasons! In addition, it has been estimated that the average length of a worker's career has dropped to only eight years. Thrive’s goal is to bring change to that reality by caring for, connecting, and creating community for Global Women.

• Velvet Ashes - A community of women doing life together across the globe. Serving overseas? Preparing to go? Returned? Supporting? Come connect, share and belong. We’re here to live God’s story.

• Whole - Sarita Hartz - I want you to walk in healing, wholeheartedness, and freedom to do what you were made to do on this planet. Because I believe a free and authentic you is what will change the world and leave it a better place.

• Azmera - At Azmera, our goal is to be a part of nurturing and impacting cross-cultural global workers from various nations already in the harvest field, so that they can serve God and others to their fullest potential and remain faithful to their calling overseas, resulting in more people coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. We are made up of women, both on staff and volunteer members, who are dedicated to encouraging workers all over the globe.

Making Friends with the Women on Your Team | Thrive Ministry

Being on a team is like being born into a family. You don’t have a choice of who will be your friends on the team, just like you don’t have a choice of who will be your family members. A successful team is characterized by strong commitments to love one another. Therefore, it is important for women on a team to develop supportive and loving friendships.

In your home country, you are able to select friends from a large pool of women. If you can’t find friends in one group or in one church, it is relatively easy to find friends elsewhere. But, on a team, things are different. The women on your team may not share your interests. And it certainly won’t help the health of your team if you choose only a few women to be your friends and exclude others. You need to make it your goal to develop a good strong relationship with each woman, even if the relationships are different.

Emotional Needs of Women on the Mission Field | Ruth Ann Graybill

How are the emotional needs of missionary women different from other women? Frankly, there is really little difference, but trying to meet emotional needs on the mission field can be ever so much harder. Women are typically more isolated in mission settings, limiting opportunities for developing friendships. The challenges of missionary living are greater and more demanding as women contend daily with a multitude of cross-cultural stresses and demands. KEEP READING

Running on Empty: The Gospel for Women in Ministry | Barbara Bancroft

As women, ministry pushes us to moments of insufficiency, exposes our weaknesses, and tests our patience. Some days it feels like a little more sleep, a lot more coffee, and a pat on the back might sustain us. But down deep, we know these things can never fuel our ministries.

Screams in the Desert | Sue Eenigenburg

Screams in the Desert is an invitation to participate in one woman’s cross-cultural journey and the lessons she learns along the way. Sue Eenigenburg’s poignant and humorous accounts of life overseas provide insight into issues that many women encounter in the mission field.

Equipping Women International | A Ministry of Barnabas International

Equipping Women International strives to provide accessible and affordable ministry skill training in regional hub cities worldwide. We have personally experienced the spiritual nurture and life-changing dynamics that occur when women gather and learn together, and we are passionate about providing this life-on-life experience for our fellow global servants.

One Another Ministries | Shoulder to Shoulder

Shoulder to Shoulder exists to empower, equip, and encourage single mission workers, their teams and their agencies as they serve in cross-cultural ministry.

by:

• Coming alongside mission leaders and teams

• Encouraging biblical reflection on issues related to the value of singleness and marriage within the spiritual family of Christ.

• Providing resources and training

Missionary Single Issues | Ronald Koteskey

The proportion of people living as singles is increasing in Western cultures. In fact, there are more unmarried adults than married ones in some Western countries already, and the trend is toward that in other countries as well. This booklet is designed to help individuals deal with some of the situations that arise when singles serve in other cultures. READ MORE

Singleness with Purpose | Brooks Waldron

How many times have you heard someone say, “He's such a great guy, how is he still single?” Or, “She's such a catch. When will she get married off?” The implication behind such questions is that great men and women get married, and those who are not great do not. For many, being single imprints upon them a meaning that touches their very identities: They are defective, second-rate, somehow less than others who marry. In response to this message, Scripture teaches that single Christians are not defined by their singleness, but by their union with Jesus Christ KEEP READING

*Resources on Marriage and Parenting can be found here.