Fantasy Football can be a great stepping stone to building relationships with men at church. Get together to draft teams, watch games, begin the rivalries and have fun. Some may choose to include a small entry fee that covers league fees, hosting season parties in host homes, and/or for Championship prizes.

Also, check out HB Red Zone to fit into your strategy with small group sessions during the Monday night games.

Host the great outdoor tournament for the wild game fanatics. Organize a weekend trip with just the guys.

Set aside regular events for guys to hit the links — one Saturday a month, a weekday morning or maybe a quick nine-holes after Sunday morning service. Construct a tournament, rotate the type of play (scramble, best ball, match play, etc.) or play just for fun.

Get together for refreshments and conversation after the round. Discussions don’t have to be organized or planned to a ‘T’, but utilize the opportunity for discipleship and spiritual encouragement. Much like life, you have to play golf one fairway at a time. Triple bogey on the previous hole, look ahead and birdie the next.

Because a season will cover roughly nine months out of the calendar year, it will be a challenge to plan and incorporate regular events over a long period of time. So plan around races or events, highlighting certain races throughout the year, using a variety of activities such as cookouts, lunches at a sports themed restaurant and/or create go-kart or mini-grand prix races.

Form an organized or informal (or partner with) a church basketball league. This could be developed for your congregations ‘family and friends’ or developed as a city-wide event.

Organize pick-up games, a full league, etc.

Hold a post-game “news conference with a 5-minute devotional — share a ‘thought-of-the-day’, scripture, “USA Today” version reflection, and a prayer. *Remember, you just finished a full out war on the court — no long-winded sermons at this time please.

Thanks to shows like “Wanna Go Fishing,” “Offshore Adventures,” “Madfin Shark Tournament,” and all the others that can be found on your local sports network, fishing events have become huge across the country. From the number of fish caught to the combined total pounds to the size of the fish, there are plenty of games and tournaments to get ‘hooked’ on.

Developing a few of these tournaments for the outdoor guys may be the hook, line and sinker you need in integrating these guys into the church community.

Ride the open highway! Host a bike day at church. Give training to the rookies on riding, repairs and upkeep.

Check out HB Motorcycle Ministries for additional ideas.

Over the years, video games have become an integral part of our culture.

From the 1952 creation of Noughts and Crosses to todays XBOX 360, PS3 and Wii, video games have been a source of entertainment for many young fans (and even some of the ‘older’ fans as well!). Maybe you will remember classics such as Odyssey, Atari, Nintendo and Sega Dreamcast.

Popularity of the gaming industry has grown to a huge market. So how can we use this as a tool to building camaraderie and community with the guys?

Just like any of the outdoor sporting events, creating a league or special ‘tournament’ events may be the plug-in to a variety of discussions dealing with life issues and how we can overcome these obstacles to win at life.

Ideally, utilize a location (individuals home per say) that has adequate space (and maybe even a rather large TV!) and let the games begin!

Saturday mornings may be the only day guys get to sleep in — thus deciding to snooze on the biscuit and gravy. Consider choosing a weekday that works for the group. Host a breakfast before the start of the workday.

This could be done in one convenient location or divided in ‘regions’ (pending the size of city and location of work places). Nothing formal or fully planned discussions needed. Conversation will develop on its own.

Be sure to meet with a consistent day, time and place. Most businessmen have a full calendar and appreciate a routine schedule.

Cooking Classes: Training men how to properly cook steak, chicken, ribs, etc. with the best of them. The best part is, you get to enjoy the feast after its all cooked.

It's time to either rummage through the attic or visit the local thrift store because you'll want to have the appropriate bowling attire. You know the kind - its been out of style for the last 10 years.

Organize a church wide or city wide bowling league. Don't forget the trophy at the end of the 'season'.

Provide support and encouragement to Veteran's and their families in your community. Opportunities include: Yard maintenance, child care, home and automobile repairs, etc.

Contact Rex Lee for more information or other ways to recognize and reach out to the men and women that have served and are serving our country. Or write at PO Box 633 Sand Springs, Ok 74063 | 918.231.7654

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