“Gearing Up For Battle”
Reen Waterman with Missional Community Pastor Allen Smith
My latest speaking engagement to men was at the Bay Area Community Church’s June 2022 Men’s Prayer Breakfast in Annapolis, MD. This amazing church is led by Senior Pastor Greg St. Cyr and is where I came to faith in 1990. Speaking at my “spiritual alma mater” was an incredible honor!
I am proud to have served as an infantry officer, pastor, and now as a field staff member with the Navigators. Combining my passion for Christ and passion for guiding men into taking their place as leaders in the home, church, and community, I delivered a rousing thirty- minute “battle cry” for men to step up and join the spiritual war that rages all around us.
It is sad that many men have gone A.W.O.L.(absent without leave) from their family, church, and marketplace. Here are some astounding statistics provided by David Murrow, founder of churchformen.com :
- Sixty-one percent of church attendees are women, but only thirty-nine percent are men
- On any Sunday, there are thirteen million more adult women in church than men
- Almost twenty-five percent of churchgoing women attend church without their husbands
- Fewer than 1% of churchgoing men are involved in any men’s ministry program and only one man in eighteen is involved in a discipleship program.
In my talk I urgently shared that it is time for men to become leaders at home, in church, and in the marketplace. And this must begin with a program of personal discipleship—which simply means maturing in your personal faith in Christ. Here are the three keys to “Gearing Up for Battle” that I shared:
- Join God’s Army. Just because you attend church doesn’t make you a Christian. You must personally accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you’ve never taken this step, talk to your pastor or a friend. Or contact me at reen.waterman@navigators.org. We can set up a conference call. I’d be honored to help you anchor yourself in Christ and learn how to grow your faith.
- Find Your Squad. Christianity is not for “lone rangers.” Even in the Army’s toughest school, Ranger School, soldiers are assigned a “ranger buddy” for encouragement and support. Find your own squad by joining a small group and connecting with other guys intent on growing closer to God. This is a life-changing experience!! Also, find a “foxhole buddy,” a guy in this group to spend time with to experience the power of a close friendship rooted in Christ. (Many guys don’t have any close friends…but this is one great way to change this!)
- Check Your Gear. When soldiers go into battle, they check their LBE (Load Bearing Equipment) to be sure they have all their needed tools and equipment for battle. Sadly, many Christians don’t even realize we are at war, but we are engaged in a spiritual war, and you must equip yourself. Do you read your Bible? If not, find a Bible reading plan online to help you read the Bible daily. Look up the S.O.A.P. Bible reading method to help you simply and easily take one passage of scripture a day and transform your life. Begin memorizing a few Bible verses to use when the enemy shoots at you in this war, because if you don’t have these you have no ammunition to defend yourself!
If your church would like to have me come and share how to “Gear Up for Battle” or help plan their next men’s retreat, please contact me at reen.waterman@navigators.org. Linda and I are relocating to Colorado Springs for her new position, and I will be expanding my speaking and writing opportunities with churches across the nation.
