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July 8, 2026 · 28 min · Sleeping Giant
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Bill's Crisis and Scott's Intervention 0:11 Hey, guys. Welcome to our 6th and final training session in the Sleeping Giant Experience. And as we finish out, wherever you are with the men in your church, I want you to know that0:23 this whole idea of moving men from the audience of the church to the army is not new. 1 of my favorite observations about what we're calling the sleeping giant model today0:35 comes from a civil war chaplain and missionary by the name of DL Moody. And he felt what we feel today over a century ago. Listen to what he told a friend. Quote, I0:47 will tell you what I want and what I have on my heart. Take men that have gifts and train them for this work of reaching the people. I believe we have0:59 got to have gap men, men who stand in the gap between the ministers and the people. You see, DL Moody envisioned1:11 creating a leadership engine for the local church so that the vision and mission of the local church would move forward in a stronger way. And I remember seeing that for the 1st time and holding1:23 on to it a long time as I was building the sleeping giant process in my own church. Many days considering throwing in the towel and wondering, gosh,1:35 is all of this worth the time and effort? And then 1 Sunday, God allowed me to witness something that forever convinced me that I was on the right track.1:47 I watched 1 of my guys, say to a man that I didn't recognize on the patio. I heard him say this. Bill, meet your new best friend.2:00 You see, my guy, Scott, was intentionally putting himself, his time, and his life on the line in that little snapshot to enter another man's life2:12 and make sure that he would get help. And I remember watching those words being followed by a handshake, an exchange of information, and at least in me, but definitely in Scott,2:24 an uneasy but exciting anticipation, at what the relationship from that moment would look like. You see, just before Bill had walked out of our weekend service2:36 and come over to our men's ministry kiosk, he was in a daze. He was in a daze because he was stunned by his wife's announcement the night before that things didn't change, she would be2:48 gone. And Bill walked out of our service unknown to everybody suffering from male shell shock. Couldn't hear anything, couldn't see any3:00 solutions, couldn't surmise at this moment what he did wrong. He was completely disoriented emotionally. He had no guy friends that could offer him3:12 depth of understanding. His professional networks, his business associates, golfing buddies weren't exactly cut out to help him with stuff like this. So desperate and searching, Bill landed at our church3:24 as sort of an emotional placeholder. Couldn't remember a word of the message when he walked out, but he felt that urge inside to turn to God however feebly he could.3:36 So he drove by Saddleback Church every day on his commute back and forth to work. And on the weekends, he saw saw cars going in and out of there like an ant colony. And most days, he'd kinda say to himself, you know,3:48 well, that's for people who need that kind of support. But this was not 1 of those days, and showing up in a house of worship was the last thing he thought he would ever be3:59 doing. And yet, there he was. You see, Bill was asking what any man in his shoes would ask himself upon hearing news like that.4:12 What now? Who who do I call? How how do I fix this? You know? Who do I tell? Who's gonna find out? What's the process? Okay. Is there anybody who can help4:23 me here? Or should I just leave? For a guy who was so smart, so outwardly successful, so resourceful, and so put together materially, he sure felt4:35 stupid and out of place at church. The very place he viewed as a crutch for weak people. But stripped of his pride and facing separation, his attitude had4:47 dramatically changed in the last 24 hours. So self absorbed and drunk on his own confusion, he wanders out of a service and a sign catches4:59 his eye, men's ministry, stronger together. You see, Bill's pain now gave him a whole new set of glasses to see what he never thought5:11 about or wanted to seek just 1 day before. Help. So inexorably and unexplainably, he finds himself standing in front of the men's ministry5:23 kiosk under the sign, staring at a well dressed Scott in a Tommy Bahama shirt who reminded him of his business partner. So Scott meets Bill.5:35 Now, what Bill did not know in that moment, but would find out very shortly, was that Scott had been in his shoes exactly 3 years prior. Scott had been standing in the same place where Bill5:47 was in every way, on every emotional level, and at the exact same level of loss and confusion. And in his desperation, Scott dragged himself onto our5:59 campus and chanced into a conversation on the patio where the guy on the other side of the table told him about our men's core health classes meeting on campus, which included 16:11 that was entitled being God's man by understanding a woman's heart. So Scott, out of options and with his own marital ultimatum looming over6:23 his life, he wrestles with and temporarily pins his own ego down long enough to show up for that get healthy class. And not knowing what to expect and afraid he6:34 would be asked to sing or asked to socialize awkwardly or share, His defenses coming in were way up. Then other men pour in. 46:46 strangers fill up his table in the classroom and the facilitator begins. He tells the guys, hey. Introduce yourselves. Tell the other guys how long you've been coming to Saddleback. And get this,6:58 describe the year, make, and model of your 1st car along with a special feature that stood out about the car. Scott's looking around. Okay. I loved my 19 797:10 Triumph t r 6. And Scott begins comfortably to connect with other men that would end up walking with him for the next 8 months. So Scott's problem7:22 from his past was now going to be used by God in the present to comfort and help Bill. So, Bill, meet your new best7:34 friend. I want you to burn a couple words on your brain as we finish out. Meaning and context. K? Meaning and context. So often we fret7:46 over the content or the curriculums or the methodologies of how we're gonna do things and forget the fact that that stuff doesn't matter to a guy who's drowning in private pain or just simplyMeaning and Context in Ministry 7:58 realizing that, you know, power, possession, and pleasure isn't a purpose. What matters is what does your ministry to men mean to him8:10 where he's at in his context? And you know what the beauty of the sleeping giant process is and the beauty of it organically reproducing and resonating men's culture is that men who8:22 have experienced it personally in their context as a man will confidently recommend it interactively with other men in a similar context. So8:34 that's what you see happening with Bill and Scott. Scott remembers the short lived but very real awkwardness of personally entering the process. He remembers discovering meaningful8:45 relationships and meaningful people and a clear process. He remembers being challenged to move beyond the resolution of his problem to8:57 reproduce his transformation in ministry to other men. He knows where he's been. He knows how far he's come. And guess what? He sees himself in9:09 Bill as a man and as a husband. More importantly, he knows the process works. Meaning and context, not just for Bill, but for Scott9:21 as well. And so as we close out, the principle is this. Your men's ministry must have the breadth and width to meet any man that encounters it9:33 meaningfully and in his context as a man. So whether it whether it's in the context of a problem or a struggle to find his purpose in life, men in your church9:45 who have confidence in in a personal knowledge of your process, that right there is the invisible, intangible of a fully orbed resonating9:57 and reproducing men's ministry. Scott's words to Bill about meeting your new best friend speaks volumes about the ministry standing behind him, which stands ready to10:09 do for Bill what it did for Scott. And who says that to another man in the 1st 20 minutes of a conversation? A confident man. That's who says that. A man who's experienced healing10:21 for himself. And Scott's eagerness to extend himself personally reflects the clarity and it reflects the quality of a solid vision. Solid10:33 funnels, a solid spiritual pathway, and a powerful relational core that delivers for men in need. It also reflects a lot of sacrifice10:45 and skin in the game on the part of the core team leaders who are constantly monitoring and managing those core pieces of the sleeping giant process and step in to10:56 ensure the vision and the delivery systems remain strong and intact. So what's gonna happen to Bill? Bill is gonna follow in Scott's footsteps because the sleepingEvery Man Needs Proactive Engagement 11:08 giant process, once it's built and implemented with integrity over time, it becomes its own self reproducing entity apart from the leadership.11:20 And isn't isn't that the goal, guys? That means every man who comes through your process has your vision for the ministry deeply11:33 and relationally implanted in his own mind and his own life. Your guys are men who feel intuitively that the goal is to see every man in the congregation and in the11:44 community connected to a healthy men's small group. Your guys are gonna be men who have a story to tell, are living Christ centered lives, and are motivating other men to do the same.11:57 Your guys are gonna be men who are fulfilling the great commission and great commandment publicly, proudly, and naturally because that's what the process is purposed to produce.12:10 Specifically, the process produces men like Scott. Guys who are standing in the gap like our friend DL Moody envisioned between pastors in the church12:22 and the people in the congregation and in the community doing the ministry of the church every day in many locations. And your guys aren't doing it under compulsion, not because12:34 they have to. They're doing it in their context as men, as husbands, as professionals, as fathers, as neighbors, and as strugglers who've had an experience worth12:46 sharing with other guys. You see, the sleeping giant process makes every man a minister and invites him into what the bible calls the priesthood of believers.12:58 So that, guys, is what you're shooting for. Bill represents every man. You know, when I talk about Bill in the story,13:10 he presents himself to us and it's our job. It's the men's ministry's job to engage him proactively, to ask him good questions, to listen to his responses, and discern what he13:22 needs help with now in order to provide the meaning and context critical for him to begin his journey. Now he might come to us through a response card put in the offering basket during13:34 the weekend service. He may wander to our our table on the patio after a weekend service. He might be the husband of a frantic wife who calls us after hours. He could be the friend of a13:46 friend of a friend who's wanting to plug him into a local church. He could be a disoriented husband in search of counseling. He could be the uncooperative husband who's been issued an ultimatum like13:58 Bill. He could be the business executive who possesses everything he ever wanted, but Scott but doesn't have anybody really to share it with. He could be the unfulfilled hedonist14:10 who's just tired of waking up dehydrated and with a headache. Now, regardless of who the man is, regardless of where he's coming from and how he14:21 lands. Your men who encounter him can't be timid. They can't be confused or hesitant when it comes to meeting his needs. They have to know.14:33 And you say, know what, Kenny? They gotta know that your culture and your process is rock solid. They have to know that if they refer him into the process, that14:45 he's gonna be taken care of. They gotta know that the relational strength strength that that stood out to them when they went through is still alive and well. They need to know14:57 that this guy they're referring in, he's gonna be transformed, not just have a have a nice meeting. They need to know that he'll be challenged to take hold of the leadership15:08 vision that's larger than just solving his initial problem. Your guys need to know that God is waiting for the man they refer in amidst the community of men15:20 and that he will be called to lead. They need to know that he will soon join the ranks of leadership community. They need to know that the ministry behind the man you're referring15:32 in, it's gonna meet his needs. They need to know that those things because it informs how they're gonna act with a man from the community or15:44 the crowd or the congregation who isn't already connected to your men's ministry. Now let's see where your church is at, and let's5 Church Scenarios and Action Plans 15:56 think about some concrete steps that you can take. Now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give you 5 scenarios and 5 types of churches. Okay?16:08 And, and then what we're gonna do is is assign what's going on in that church, and then I'll give you some ideas, some initial ideas, for an action plan. But I also,16:20 wanna let you know that I'm not gonna be able to hit it all or precisely on it, And then I'm gonna give you some follow-up information so that we can continue working together. So let's talk about church scenario16:32 number 1, which I call square 1. Okay? That means that your church has no men's meanings or very in frequent meanings. It's got16:44 no strategy for men and no plans for men. And by the way, if that's you, don't be discouraged. That's a lot of churches. Now what could be some some action stepsAction Steps and Closing Challenge 16:56 that you could take? Well, here's some ideas. 1st, I would meet with your pastor to understand what the mission and vision of your church is. Okay? And then I would17:08 conduct, the magic wand meeting that we discussed earlier in our training with your pastor and with a group of men's ministry leaders or potential leaders,17:21 to determine desired outcomes and start painting the target. And then I would identify maybe a funnel event, an initial funnel event, as a place to gather17:33 men, and that could be a class. It could be a conference. And then lastly, your core team needs to go through yourselves to get in and get17:44 healthy resources yourself, k, 1st in order to give it away. So there's some launch steps for the square 1 church. K? Church scenario number17:56 2 is the unintentional church. K? That means that you do have some men's stuff. You've got men's breakfast, men's events, you've got some classes, but there's no18:08 larger vision that's being implemented that gives it all cohesion. There's no leader development pathway. There's no strong spiritual pathway. So here are some steps that that you18:20 can take. You too want to implant vision and mission. Okay. So understand the vision of your local church and then perhaps you too need to do a magic wand18:31 meeting to get that cleared up. Then begin to use what you do have via funnel events that that connect men and reengineer that for18:43 ongoing connection. Okay? Where men perhaps sit at tables and interact as part of the event. And that can be a get healthy class or 1 of your existing18:55 classes. And in those classes, you wanna cast a vision at some point for, the pathway in your church. Okay? And then in those19:07 existing classes, try to try to use discussing discussion questions and and talk time versus, talking head, knowledge based bible study. So you get guys19:19 used to interacting with 1 another. That starts building your relational capital. Okay? And just make sure that the classes that you do have, the funnel things that you do have,19:31 the vision and how that's laid out that the program and the mission and vision is very well thought through and it drips with excellence or just don't do it at all.19:43 Okay? Church scenario number 3. That's the inspiration without progression church. And that means you have programs and bible studies for men. You have events and classes, but19:55 you have no group structure, no leader development, no pathway, and no vision implemented. So your action plan, includes like the others, a magic wand time. K.20:07 Go back and refer to that. Next, you need to start thinking about implementing a connection strategy. K? Of being intentional at your conferences, at your20:19 funnel events. K? And challenge men who come to those to begin meeting outside of those gathering events in groups. Okay? Encourage them to get in a group.20:31 And then show them the landing zones. Get in a couple's group, get in the men's group. Okay? That meets on campus. Okay? Now when they go to these groups, since you have a core team in there,20:42 plant some known group leaders in these meetings or lead the groups yourself so you can begin to walk with men and take them down the pathway.20:54 K? And then that goes to my next step. Create an intentional developmental pathway with your existing leadership. K? Develop a formal21:06 funnel strategy to move men from attendance to connection. Develop a leader selection process. Where where are guys when they get to a certain place in the21:18 process? And then how do we select them as they're moving through the process? Why? Because those are your future leaders. Okay. Church scenario number 4. I21:29 call it the missing link. K. That means that you have a lot of program, that's a lot of bible studies. You have events. You have classes. You have groups, but you just have it framed it up into21:41 a cohesive process or pathway, and you have no vision implemented and no leader development. So here's some steps that that you can take. You can share the intentional21:53 development pathway or the sleeping giant pathway, with your core team and with begin sharing it with the men that attend. In healthy, strong, and going. Then once you have that in healthy, strong, and22:05 going, take the the stuff you already have and start slotting it. Oh, that's a get in get healthy class or that's a get strong class. K? Start start slotting your22:17 existing content and classes into the right phase of the pathway. And then real simple, begin sharing the vision and mission within your leadership structure and with within your class22:29 structure and develop, a slide or picture that you can consistently share the mission and vision so men know where they're at and where they're headed and22:41 what the end is. K? Then take, challenge some of your guys to to take some initial steps in their spiritual growth and plant the seed22:53 that they're gonna move from member to leader to leadership community. Okay? And then for your church, you might wanna23:05 consider hosting a sleeping giant training event. Okay? With the men of your church. Okay? And, and you also might wanna consider forming, that relational support23:17 structure. Okay? Where you have your groups, and you have leaders from those groups, then you have your leaders meeting from those groups. Begin building your your your structure from23:29 pastor to coaches to mentors to small group leaders, and then start doing life together. K? You also wanna consider developing facilitators, k, for23:41 your get healthy classes. You wanna encourage sharing a facilitation. You wanna encourage, raising guys up to to share facilitation. Again, you want that relational23:53 structure always eyeballing who's coming up through the ranks. And then you really wanna challenge every leader that you have to bring along other men. Always ask, who you bringing along? Who you bringing along? Who24:04 you bringing along? K? To take the next leadership step. K? So you have to start mentoring your leaders to start mentoring other men and bringing them along.24:16 Okay. Church scenario number 5, I call it the giant is in the house. And what do I mean by that? That means that you have the program, you have events, you have classes, you24:28 have groups, you have the pathway, it's aligned with the values, you have a process for leader development. You're reproducing leaders. You got the vision. This is a picture of24:40 near full integration of the sleeping giant process. And the challenge for your church, will be simply consistency of culture, encouragement of leadership.24:52 Okay? Creative ways to get more men into the funnel. Okay? And continuing to run strong funnel connection events to keep25:04 filling up that funnel, getting new guys onto the pathway from your congregation and from your community. I'd also strongly recommend an every man conference coming to your25:16 church and conducting a conference to be a tool to help reach new men and board men into your process. An everyman conference will support25:28 your process, obviously, and activate the new men you invite to get connected to your pathway. So contact us. I've personally connected tens of25:39 thousands of men into a life and leader development process in local churches. I would also, encourage the sleeping giant church to look at get healthy and25:51 get strong tools connected to the sleeping giant pathway. I know at my church, we're always looking for great tools and ways to stay current and to stay fresh26:03 in our process with men. So those are the 5 church scenarios and some simple action steps. Like I said, it's not in a lot of detail, but there's some,26:15 there's some ideas for you to start moving forward. Now as we finish up, the sleeping giant training experience, I wanna encourage you as the core26:27 team to make sure that you go through, the get in get healthy process yourself 1st and then take your 1st batch of guys through. And if you're searching for those tools, for26:39 more tools and resources and helps and just encouragement, I wanna encourage you to go to Lifeway dot com forward slash men. They've built a wonderful26:50 platform for guys like you and I to get encouraged as we're in this work of the church to church men's movement. I also wanna tell you about, the network,27:02 the Sleeping Giant Church Network. Please register your church with us at sleeping giant at every man ministries dot com. Why? Because I'm gonna be out there and lots of other27:14 people are gonna be out there reaching men in the community all over, and we want them to know about your church. So we wanna connect men to your church and actually help you grow your men's27:26 ministry by sending the people I reach and others reach to your local church. And finally, thank you. Thank you for responding to your kingdom27:37 calling. Thank you for being obedient to the Holy Spirit and his call in your life to reach men. And then thank you for joining this church to church men's27:49 movement that's gonna change the world through the church of Jesus Christ. And thank you for joining us for this sleeping giant training experience. I will see you, core team,28:01 in your get healthy class soon. Take care.In this video 0:00 Bill's Crisis and Scott's Intervention7:51 Meaning and Context in Ministry11:01 Every Man Needs Proactive Engagement15:53 5 Church Scenarios and Action Plans16:53 Action Steps and Closing Challenge56K followers
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