A Rural Men's Breakfast

One common form of outreach these days is a Men’s Breakfast. This is true in both rural and urban areas. Evangelism in villages poses a number of problems and most Christians who live and worship in a village will be aware of the need for sensitivity. Most UK churches are also aware that evangelising men is also quite a challenge, especially when operating from a church largely made up of older women. So Men’s Breakfasts provide a relatively easy route.

In my experience we have used church halls, farmhouses and pubs for such events. Recently Ib was the guest speaker at a Leicestershire village where tables were arranged along the south aisle, the pews having already been removed. Because this proved particularly effective I share the story here.  An excellent breakfast was prepared and served by a team of kind women. Fresh orange juice was waiting for the men as they arrived and after they had pinned on their name badges and indicated how they liked their eggs done.

Some 35 men sat quite tightly squeezed at Gopak tables that had been covered with cloths and already had crockery and cutlery and other items neatly laid out. A choice of two different cereals was set out in large dishes together with jugs of milk on each table. Following a brief but warm welcome the men found places to sit and the meal got under way.

What was very clear was that everything was well planned and well executed. As cereals were finished empty dishes were silently whisked away to be replaced by plates bearing sausages, bacon, tomato and egg (scrambled or fried according to order). Baskets of ample toast had already arrived. Meanwhile conversation buzzed as them men enjoyed each others’ company as well as the well cooked breakfast. Further supplies of toast arrived in good time and orders were taken for tea or coffee.

The military precision with which everything was done both helped the meal to go well and the small church kitchen to function efficiently No one felt rushed yet the efficiency avoided the meal taking up too much time.

There are three stages to effective evangelism: the first is finding a means of engaging with the audience, the second is the sharing of the story, and the third is the encouragement to respond. Breakfast had clearly achieved the first stage perfectly. The prganiser had previously informed me that they had been running this event very successfully for about four years but had so far not found a way of clearly sharing the gospel with the men who came.  I had been invited specifically to help achieve stages two and three.

The plan was to use songs and stories and this had been advertised. A few brief words of introduction  were quickly followed by a corny joke as the programme got under way. The first song was introduced – one I used to sing in my teens as a member of what is now called a boy band (semi professional), “I believe”. All the songs had quality backing tracks. In my teenage years I had abandoned organised religion and the song from that time enabled me to share how God had reached out and drawn me back to himself – a story of a man’s journey of faith.

In the remaining 15 minutes there was sufficient time to give a taste of what it means to be met by God at times of deep need, and a glimpse of the challenge of discipleship, a song about God’s faithful love and a final very clear song based around the story of the prodigal son.

Several men came especially to express their appreciation afterwards. No one seemed offended and a week later we had heard that women in the village were talking about how much it had meant to their husbands. We may never know how God has used this opportunity that made the message clear and plain. It was a privilege to share in this occasion. I was just part of a team, all of whom had played their part, not least through the witness of local consistent Christian lives and earnest prayerfulness. Without that anything I might bring would have been much harder and far less effective.