Pastoral Testimony

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Brothers in Christ,

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I am writing to encourage you as Brothers in Christ to consider the possibilities for spiritual development and growth that come with participation in the Men’s Encounter movement.

As a pastor for nearly 20 years at 5 different churches as well as being a member in several other churches over the years, I have seen the importance of male leadership in the health and ministry of a church. I have seen strong male leadership grow a church from 125 people into a church that has over 800 that is impacting their community in numerous ways. I have also seen weak male leadership stifle churches so that they never develop into what I believe God would intend them to be and do.

Men’s Encounter is not the only way to help develop male leadership in a church, but it can be an effective way. I have witnessed this happening at the church where I am currently interim pastor, Westmark Evangelical Free Church near Loomis, NE.

 

One man here had attended an Encounter weekend in Kansas a couple of years ago and felt the call to pray for and involve other men in the church. By last January he had encouraged six other men in our church, including me, to attend a weekend event in Kansas. The day after we got back Saturday evening, one of the men that attended worship was singing while collecting the offering and prior to the weekend, he had what might be called an aversion to singing in church at all. After that event all seven of us committed to meeting Saturday mornings at 6:15 for Bible study and encouragement. And our newly found singer and his wife were recently baptized and have joined the church.

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Four more men from our church, two of which were only loosely tied to Westmark, attended an Encounter in August along with a few past participants who went along to help at the weekend. Our Saturday morning group has grown and other men, after hearing the reports from attenders on the Sundays following the weekends, are interested in attending as well.

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The overall effect has been that men in the church have awakened spiritually and are seeking ways to live more fully for Christ, encourage their wives more, and raise their children in a more Godly manner. Seasoned believing men that have attended report that they have been encouraged and built up as well. And some of the excitement of new freedom in Christ has rubbed off on other men in the church so they are participating more.

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As I said, Men’s Encounter is not the only way to help develop male leadership in a church, but it can be an effective way. I have found it to be bathed in prayer and scripturally solid.

Prayerfully consider the possibilities for spiritual growth in Jesus through Men’s Encounter for the men of your church as well.

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W. Pat Moore

Interim Pastor

Westmark Evangelical Free Church

Loomis, NE 68958

Cell – 308-380-3922

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TESTIMONIES FROM MEN JUST LIKE YOU!

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The first time I was invited to Men’s Encounter, it didn’t work out for me to attend. When the second time came around and I was invited again, I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to put aside some of my uneasiness about Encounter and to just go and see what it was like. The timing could not have been more perfect and the messages could not have lined up more perfectly with where I was at in my life at the time. God has a crazy way of speaking to us right when we need it.

 

And I needed to hear from God, and encounter was the platform that God used to speak to me. There were definitely some areas of my life that I knew I needed to work on, and the Encounter weekend was the start I needed.

 

More so, there were some things that I had no idea that I struggled with that the Lord revealed to me. The closeness to God was real. My next Encounter was my first as a server. It was humbling to be on the other side of things and to see how other men as well as myself were allowing God to work through us as servers. Jesus was the ultimate example of what a server should be, and now I know the impact of what truly serving others is like. Needless to say, Men’s Encounter has been a great foundational aspect of my walk with Christ.

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Daniel Holbrook

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I attended my first Men's Encounter back in Jan of 2020. The main reason I went was because my son, who had been to it before, invited me.

 

I thought i didnt' need to go. My marriage of 38 years was rock solid. My relationship with Christ was strong too. I went to spend time with 2 of my sons ( and to get Adam, my son, off my back) haha. BOY WAS I WRONG! I came back home after it was over and I was a better man.

 

Closer than ever to my wife and my walk with Jesus was sooo much better. It's like the old saying "iron sharpens iron." The guys that spoke during the conference were just regular "Joes" like you and me. They weren't Bible pounders or guys that try to impress you with their big vocabulary. I encourage all men to attend atleast one of these because it will change your life even if you don't think you need your life changed.

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Kelvin Bayne

Kearney, NE

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I recently attended the first Men’s encounter in Lexington. I went not knowing what to expect. My good friend invited me and I placed my trust in him and God. I learned very quickly I was not as close to the Lord as I had thought. I was holding on to a lot of anger and resentment to different people for different things. Approximately 6 to 8 months prior to going to encounter, I faced a life-threatening situation at work.

 

At Encounter, I realized that I was more deeply wounded and in need of God’s healing than I had previously thought.  At Encounter, I was able to give all of my pain to our Lord. So men reading this, if you question: “Is Men’s Encounter for me?” I assure you, it is for you!!

 

I desire to help other men just like me find what they are missing. God is the answer. I look forward to serving at the next Encounter!

 

Matthew Roberts

Lexington, NE

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It is my privilege to write in support of Men’s Encounter.  I have seen the results of men’s lives after the encounter and must admit I was curious on what took place there. But, being from Missouri, the “Show Me State” I guess I just needed to encounter it for myself.  Then the opportunity came for Pastors to join on an Encounter.

 

I was so impressed with the Leadership and how compassionate they were, how accommodating they were. But I was most impressed on how they loved on us. “They will know that you are My disciples by how you love each other” John 13:35. Many came to Christ through a weekend of compelling heart felt teaching. Three of the men I attended with from my church were saved that weekend.

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But it doesn’t end there. Those men were connected with each other in small geographic groups lead by trained leaders. They were disciple to learn what to do with their new found freedom.

So Pastor, if you are like me and hesitate at recommending anything without a deeper understanding, then please attend  and you will see the Holy Spirit first hand though this wonderful ministry.

They say “knowledge is powerful “so EMPOWER YOURSELF through an ENCOUNTER!

 

Sincerely,

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Rick Hernandez Lead Pastor

New Life Ministries

Wamego ,KS

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Men, My first Encounter was in 2011, and the fire that was started in me on that weekend continues to burn bright and hot ten years later! As a pastor, and I can tell you that men catch it from all angles. Pressure on all sides, from the culture, the media, the family, and unfortunately sometimes even in the church.

 

Through Encounter I have seen men break through the chains that hold them back, into the bold freedom that they were called to. Men stepping into their roles as leaders, fathers, husbands, and disciples.

 

Through foundational biblical principles, lives are changed. I strongly encourage every man to attend Encounter. If your church needs godly men (they all do) if you know a family that needs to be made new (they all do) if you want to experience freedom (we all do) then get to Encounter men, the world, the church, your community, and your family need you! -

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Pastor Jake Schadel, Valentine, NE

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I've been walking with the Lord for 11 years. I've encountered God powerfully before from literally being saved by the Lord to my family being torn apart but restoring my heart back to Him through it... I've been high on the mountain walking with Him and a lot of the time in the valley due to my own sin and failures. A few months back I was struggling with things in life and to make matters worse I ended up snapping my humerus bone in my arm at work.  Not having your dominant hand/wrist/arm has been a struggle but the Lord has been good to me through my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ I've been blessed. But I was still kinda down.  Go back a few months ago two of my brothers in Christ told me about a meeting for two days for men called encounter the cross. I had seen how they were impacted so I said yes to going. Fast forward to last Wednesday the night before we were scheduled to leave I was ready to hide so they couldn't find me . But I knew the Lord was nudging me to go.  Well I had another powerful encounter with the Lord. The Holy Spirit was moving in many men those two days and I was one of them.

 

A lot of things were revealed to me. My walk was not as straight forward as I thought. I was rocked to the core in a great way. I'm doing everything I can to put Jesus back to the center of my life.  

 

Men regardless of your walk with the Lord Jesus or lack of it. I would recommend going to a men's encounter.

 

For the believers this encounter is revitalizing to your faith. It will encourage and test you greatly but it is well worth it. It is centered around God's Word. We need God's Word daily and we are fed truth after truth and things will be revealed to you if you open up your mind and heart to the Lord.

 

Jimmy Jensen

Phelps County, NE.

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Men's Encounter has been one of the best "personal" spiritual revivals in my heart that I have experienced.

 

God really challenged me on a lot of areas in my life that I thought were "ok" and I was doing fine. I really wasn't. There were many events that led me to go, I was even dragging my feet to go, but God worked all of that out. If you need a "change of heart" I encourage anyone and everyone to go! The small fee to attend was one of the best life investments I have made to invest into my long term relationship with God and my family! Just GO!

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Patrick Waltemath

Kearney, NE

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