Monday 10am CST starting September 6 through November 22, 2010

Week #1 - The Men's Ministry Imperative (Staff) Outline - What is the Problem? What is the Solution? How Can GFL help? How do we know this stuff works? Discussion. Is there a problem? If so, has anyone discovered a solution that really works with changing young men's hearts and minds towards fatherhood. In this lesson GFL will share the problems, provide the solution and demonstrate their leadership with examples and testimonies of changed lives and close with discussion.

Week #2 - Recruiting and Retaining Mentors (Staff) Outline - Who Wants to be a mentor and why? Finding him. Engaging him (Parts 1 and 2). Training him (Parts 1, 2 and 3). Nurturing him. Case Study and Success Stories. Discussion Now that we know a problem exists, have a solution and a desire to serve God - is there anybody willing and able to accomplish the goal of serving men? Lesson #2 leads the staff of an organization through a prism of understand who wants to be a mentor and why then pointing them to ripe fields of harvest with the knowledge of what his training should include and how best to nurture a winning environment.

Week #3 - Involving the Boards and Donors (Board) Outline - What Do They Want To Know? What Do We Need For Each Other? How Do We Communicate With Them? Case Study and Success Stories. Discussion If the board's on board, a men's ministry will thrive and help lead an organization to a better future. Lesson #3 takes a board of directors through a process of looking at the men's ministry through a n outline of their top ten responsibilities as board members and leading them to consider how best to help this arm of the ministry to succeed.

Week #4 - Developing a Men's Ministry (Staff, Board, Mentors) Outline - Marketing Men's Ministry to men. Development of Men's Ministry (and the difference between marketing). Case Study and Success Stories. Leadership is key to success. Discussion Along with the Staff, the Board and lead group of Mentors should attend lesson #4 where they will learn the ability to market their ministry to men in need, attracting them to their services. Additionally students will learn that once they attract men to their services how an ongoing strategic development program should ensue.

Week #5 - Understanding Guys (Mentors) Outline - Who are these guys? What is important to them? What do they really want or need? Guiding principles. Case Studies and Success Stories. Discussion Who is today's guy? How does he differ from us, culturally, yet physically and spiritually have the same core needs and desires? Lesson #5 takes mentors on a journey to discover who today's guy is and unlock knowledge of what is important to him, what he really needs and provide guiding principles for working with guys.

Week #6 - Connecting with Guys (Mentors) Outline - Developing your 'Servicescape'. Initial Encounters. How to Follow Up. Case Studies and Success Stories. Discussion What is the environment you are going to serve men ultimately look, smell and feel like? Is it male friendly? Lesson #6 takes male mentors through a cycle of understanding to develop the best physical environment for men to feel comfortable with; As well as mentors learn the essentials to a initial encounter with men and how best to follow up.

Week #7 - Situational Mentoring (Mentors) Outline - Situational Mentoring and Methodology. Case Studies and Success Stories. Discussion With Lesson #7 where mentors learn the value of Situational Mentoring. Mentors will learn a method of mentoring other men in the footsteps of Jesus and other men of the Old and New Testament. Mentors will come away with a biblical and logical path for encountering guys through several situations and learn practical and effective ways to adapt their leadership style accordingly.

Week #8 - Situational Mentoring Scenarios and Role Play (Mentors) Outline - Review Situational Mentoring Model. Explore and Test 5 Scenarios. Case Study and Success Stories. Discussion Having learned the Situational Mentoring Model mentors will engage in five different scenarios role playing with one another and being challenged to apply their learning.

Week #9 - Situational Mentoring Tools (Mentors) Outline - Filling your Toolbox. Literature and Videos. Additional Tools. Case Studies and Success Stories Discussion If you give an equipped man the right tools at the right time, through Christ, he can just about fix anything. Mentors in week #9 will learn the value of reviewing and selecting the right tools to assist them in their ministry to men.

Week #10 - Building a Strategy and Framework to Win (Mentors) Outline - Your Ministry Model: Establishing Vision, Mission and Values. Uncovering your Strategic Plan with Goals, Strategies and Action Plans for Men's Ministry. Case Study and Success Story. Discussion During Lesson #10 mentors will learn a process for creating a winning plan that effectively reaches men with measurable results. They will hear the stories of other mentors who have gone before them.

Week #11 - What We've Learned (Mentors) Outline - Where were we? What have we learned? How will it guide us?. Discussion Everyone involved in the building of the men's ministry will enjoy the rapid review of all material learned and the open discussion time. This lesson is primarily an audience participation setting with review and the sharing of knowledge.

Week #12 - Test, Practicum and Celebration! (Mentors) Outline - Online and open book test for mentors. Practicum assignment. Mentors will take an online test together lifting one another up through a series of fifty closed and open ended questions. Additionally they will receive a three man practicum to work with male clients before receiving final GFL certification. The academy will end in celebration!  

GUYS FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL: A 501(c)3, not for profit organization that focuses on mentoring, training and education to empower men to a belief and action that “Every man always has the potential God put inside him, no matter what his current dreams or past failures are... There’s no substitute for you.”