Dear Pastor

Dear Pastor, 

What would your church and community look like if it was filled with men fully embracing and living out God’s call for them in their lives? As you know, getting men to spiritually engage is one of the most difficult challenges in church life today. Who are the men in your congregation that you desire to fully engage in their prayer lives and in mission (at home and at the church)? Who are the leaders? Who are those whom you recognize the Holy Spirit activated in them but are not fully using their gifts? 

Recognizing God’s deep desire to see his sons walking in the freedom of their identity in Him, Three Ten Ministries partnered with New Evangelization Ministries, is developing a plan to step alongside men and their pastors and help lead them into this freedom. We feel called to facilitate a leadership engagement process that takes men through a weekend retreat, followed by a 40-day community challenge. This process is intended to facilitate weekly one-on-one coaching and small groups, to help men fast, pray, and open the doors to the mercy and grace of the Father that allows for healing, profound growth in their prayer lives, deepening of brotherhood, and missionary initiative. Jesus says, “I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46). Would you pray about being a part of bringing light to the darkness within men’s lives, men you know, and perhaps men you have yet to meet with us in this initiative? 

This is the vision God has placed on our hearts and we want to invite you to partner with. Specifically, why are you receiving this letter? Because you are a pastor who is committed to mission and not simply maintenance. We believe that as church leaders start coming together, we will see a great shift that God is leading us towards, a shift in church culture and in our world. Though we all have days where hope seems illusive, we believe the church is being shown great vision for change. Multiple leaders are receiving grace and wisdom. They are feeling the tug of the Holy Spirit and are starting to believe God is preparing them to help be a part of the change in “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). This is a desired restoration that the Lord wants to do, and a huge part of that happens when men repent, transform by grace, and lead.

Before going any further, we again want to give greater clarity to what you are being invited into. We are asking you to pray as you read this, asking the Lord if He is calling you to step into this mission with us. Opportunities such as: 

1. Participation in the retreat and follow-up for the sake of your own spiritual health.

2. Bringing several men from your church to the retreat with you, men who you feel are called to rise to new levels in their own journey of healing, intimacy with the Lord, brotherhood, and within missionary discipleship?

3. Provide spiritual counsel on Friday night during the retreat.

4. Do you feel called to help provide Spiritual Identity Coaching to a few men following the retreat? This would not necessarily have to be the guys you bring. 

An important ecumenical note: As some of the joint leadership has prayed and discerned, we have come to the conclusion and belief that the Lord God desires these retreats to be an opportunity to bring more unity to the Body of Christ, particularly between Catholics and separated Evangelical brothers. If we are to allow ourselves to be used by God to change culture, some of that mission will need to be undertaken as a unified Church. We plan to invite brothers who are open to the fact that we don’t intend to discount our beliefs, but that those who themselves are open to whatever Jesus wants to do in all of our minds and hearts, individually and corporately, as we hunger and thirst for Him.

The heart of the Father is to help each of His sons reach a new level of confidence in Jesus’ strength and love so that we can begin to live out of the abundance He gives rather than the scarcity mentality we have come to believe. Do we really believe that Jesus has the power to do ANYTHING He wants to do in our own life? Our family? Our Church? Our world? 

So, with this as context we ask, “Have you or your church leaders found yourselves wishing your prayer life was deeper? Have previous encounters with the Lord led to the fullness of life, yet maybe that fullness has faded or you wonder if it will fade. Maybe you’ve “lost your first love.” (Revelation 2:3-5) Certainly, God can allow desolation for a purpose at certain times in our lives and this can actually help us grow in hunger for Him or bring about other goods. Still, what if our intimacy with God did not have to fade? We’re not promoting a “retreat-like high” 24/7. We are, however, confident that God desires for us to have inner peace and joy in all circumstances. This comes as we learn how to stay connected with God’s heart and voice. The plan is to help facilitate learning not only from external sources, but also teaching men how to experience the person of Jesus living and speaking within their hearts and minds. 

Brief summary of follow-up planned for the 40 days following the retreat: 

1. Weekly 90-minute small groups that go deeper and pick up where the retreat left off in the objectives.

2. Men will have the option to pair up with a Spiritual Identity Coach and then have weekly 50-minute one-on-one meetings, receiving guidance, prayer, a place to share, and to ask questions.

3. Option to participate in weekly corporate prayer with the larger group, done via Zoom. 

4. All men will be encouraged to fast and grow in their personal prayer lives. Some disciplines will be shared corporately, while others will be discerned by the individual.  

Thanks for taking this to prayer and considering!