Bethel Men's Core Groups Status Report December 31, 2023
We are serving more Bethel men in more groups with more leaders in more leader teams than ever before
Overview: The 179 men served number is an average count of men attending groups at year’s end. The actual number of men connected in some way to Men’s Core Groups (MCGs) is well over 200. See testimonies below of relationships restored, deep connections of men, and more.
Men Served: The number of men we serve increased in 2023. Some of the increase came from the Foundations of Masculinity (FoM) study in Fall 2023, and some of these men will continue in MCGs.
Groups: Groups also increased in number this year. Groups formed as a result of new leaders coming among us, the Intentional Fathering class we put on, and the FoM study (3 new groups).
Leaders: Our leader cadre grew in 2023. All of our leaders are part of a leader team for mutual support and connection with brother leaders. There are always new leaders in our leader teams who have not yet started groups. We kin our leaders into Bethel and MCG culture before they start groups.
Co-leaders: Nearly all of our groups have at least one co-leader. We do this to reduce the risk that groups will disband if the leader leaves, and so that other men will grow leadership capacity.
Leader Teams: We fielded a fifth Leader Team in late 2023. Leader team leaders oversee individual group leaders and co-leaders and their groups.
Ministry Leadership: A ministry “board” directs MCGs. The current board consists of Dan Lemaire, Dave Wyatt, CJ Ellis, David Johnson, Ken Strong, Carl Lysgaard, Ryan Atkins and Rick Chavez. David Johnson provides overall leadership with guidance from Jason Vallotton and Kristy Tillman.
This annual status report will change to covering our activities for the church year instead of the calendar year beginning August, 2024.
Testimonies:
One leader had lunch with a relatively new group member who confessed he was having a severe relationship problem with adult Christian children. After explaining the problems, he asked for advice. The leader advised him to take the Jesus way; to humble himself, to ask questions about the problems, to not defend himself, and to seek forgiveness. The group member resolved to do so, and later reported in a text: “it is working!”
Another leader reported organizing a foot-washing at his group meeting. Men drew lots and then one after another washed feet until every man had washed feet and had his feet washed. Each man prayed aloud for the man whose feet he was washing. The leader said it was the most impactful and bonding thing the group had ever done.
One group member is an ardent fisherman who angles every day….except Monday. Monday is the day of the group meeting, and that gathering of brothers is so important, he doesn’t want to miss the time together.
Several members in one leader’s group live out of town now, but each of them organizes their return trips to Redding in a way that allows them to take part in the group meetings. Other groups have men who often check in via Zoom.
One of our leaders has created a Zoom group for men all over the planet. In the fall he had two members. By the end of December, there were seven members in Africa, Europe, and in the Americas. He expects to start a second Zoom group.
A text call for help from an unknown man resulted in a face-to-face meeting over the Christmas holidays with one of our leaders. The man was beginning to turn to alcohol and other drugs to reduce emotional pain. That was causing great difficulties with his wife. His father-in-law, who lives in Redding, “read him the riot act” about the situation. Someone told the man that our leader was someone who would probably help him. Our leader laid out a course of action in a coffee meeting with the man: repent, and seek forgiveness. The man did that in order with his father-in-law and his wife. Relationships are now restored, and the man is steering away from substances to dull his pain.
Membership in a Men’s Core Group probably saved two lives. One of our group members and his wife enjoy a recreational cabin outside of Redding. On a rainy afternoon last winter, the couple were planning to spend one more night at the cabin, but the man decided that he didn’t want to miss his group meeting. They returned to Redding, and found out after the meeting that a very large oak had blown over and largely destroyed their cabin at the same time as the group meeting. Had they been in the cabin, the tree that crashed through the roof would likely have killed them both as it smashed the couch exactly where they would have been sitting.