For the men

[FollowingtheWay]

My hobbies seem to include outside yard work & property maintenance on good weather days; laundry and cleaning on bad weather days. Meal prepping too. Occasional business travel. Getting 8 hours of sleep and attending church. Rinse. Repeat. 🫠
I’m really hoping to find some time to go on hikes this fall.

These relationships can spring up anywhere if you know where to look and keep your eyes open. Could be the guy that serviced your lawn mower. The guy stocking your groceries might be a Christian man who takes an interest in hiking
that’s a start. Are you a solitary hiker? Would you enjoy hiking with another person? In short, every human being you come in contact with. Strike up a conversation with in or out of church. See if 1. Christ follower 2. Age range 3. Shared hobbies 4. Stick yourself out there and invite this person along into an adventure like a hike and let the Holy Spirit do His thing between you . It takes time, takes intentionality but this can be done. If you are in farming country… let’s metaphor… relationships you are looking for have to be cultivated.

 

[HealthAndHappiness]

I’m specifically asking the men because men’s and women’s brains are wired different, so I’m looking for thoughts from my own gender. Men - Do you ever feel “isolated” as a Christian? I myself work a secular job and know of no other Christian’s at work. I attend an awesome church, but it doesn’t have a men’s group so to speak. (Rural America, so it’s not a big church that can support a healthy sized men’s group - right now there seems to be a lack of interest in one.) Most of my friends are from the secular side of life (work, neighbors, etc.) so at times it feels like I’m all alone as a Christian man. There are very few men from my generation in my church - most are 20+ years older or 25+ years younger. (It is encouraging to see the number of young men in my church though!) So the question is - do any of you other men feel isolated, and if so, how do you manage it in this decaying world?

I know how you feel.

 

[shittim]

It isn't uncommon for people to prefer to be with G-d than with people

 

[Lynx]

My hobbies seem to include outside yard work & property maintenance on good weather days; laundry and cleaning on bad weather days. Meal prepping too. Occasional business travel. Getting 8 hours of sleep and attending church. Rinse. Repeat. 🫠
I’m really hoping to find some time to go on hikes this fall.

Howdy Mark and welcome to the forum.

No video games?

I would add "shooting range" to JohnDB's list. One thing even Christian guys seem to love is their handguns.

 

[shittim]

If you ask Him for His divine encounters to meet fellow Christian men, I am sure He will do so.
Welcome and bless you brother.

 

[Truth01]

The Bible says in Proverbs that to have friends one must themselves become friendly.

 

[WMarkB]

The Bible says in Proverbs that to have friends one must themselves become friendly.

Why do you think I’m not friendly? Your reply is insinuating that I’m not friendly, which is false.

 

[shittim]

He didn't say you weren't friendly, he posted a verse from scripture. Best wishes, friend.

 

[WMarkB]

He didn't say you weren't friendly, he posted a verse from scripture. Best wishes, friend.

Yeah, he did, but it was out of context and unhelpful.

 

[Tall_Timbers]

We are in this world but not of this world. I can't say that I feel isolated so much as I feel like I don't belong here. My interests differ even from a lot of Christian men. I've lived my life without tv so I can't share in any discussions about what folks see on the tv, including sports. I don't mind being on the narrow path as there is a lot of elbow room, though I guess it would be good if the narrow path became a little more crowded.

 

[JohnDB]

My hobbies seem to include outside yard work & property maintenance on good weather days; laundry and cleaning on bad weather days. Meal prepping too. Occasional business travel. Getting 8 hours of sleep and attending church. Rinse. Repeat. 🫠
I’m really hoping to find some time to go on hikes this fall.

You know....
In EVERY church there are usually a huge contingent of elderly and especially widows that can't do landscaping like they used to....including the washing of windows and etc. And with the rising cost of labor....many are having a difficult time affording someone to spread the mulch, trim the bushes, or fix outbuildings. They of course can afford the materials....but the labor is the thing.

Getting a group of guys together to do this stuff once a month for the elderly is a huge relief for them....and it's fun and easy with a bunch of guys working together to clean out gutters, trim bushes and etc.
Then go and shoot some guns, take in a game, or whatever.

 

[WMarkB]

You know....
In EVERY church there are usually a huge contingent of elderly and especially widows that can't do landscaping like they used to....including the washing of windows and etc. And with the rising cost of labor....many are having a difficult time affording someone to spread the mulch, trim the bushes, or fix outbuildings. They of course can afford the materials....but the labor is the thing.

Getting a group of guys together to do this stuff once a month for the elderly is a huge relief for them....and it's fun and easy with a bunch of guys working together to clean out gutters, trim bushes and etc.
Then go and shoot some guns, take in a game, or whatever.

The core problem I have is the lack of others. There is no one else around me walking the same path that I am that I know of. That’s the issue here. I can’t gather up a group to these, and other suggested activities, if I literally know of no others. They’re not at work. They’re not at church. That’s the issue.

 

[JohnDB]

The core problem I have is the lack of others. There is no one else around me walking the same path that I am that I know of. That’s the issue here. I can’t gather up a group to these, and other suggested activities, if I literally know of no others. They’re not at work. They’re not at church. That’s the issue.

I understand....and they, like you, are few and far in between. But to draw them out you need bait. Like a corn feeder for deer.
And in this group of guys that enjoy sitting around cups of coffee solving the world's problems you will find the one who can be a great friend and a couple who can be good friends.

 

[WMarkB]

I understand....and they, like you, are few and far in between. But to draw them out you need bait. Like a corn feeder for deer.
And in this group of guys that enjoy sitting around cups of coffee solving the world's problems you will find the one who can be a great friend and a couple who can be good friends.

I guess the right question is “what’s the bait and where do I cast it?” I don’t feel it would be appropriate to start a group in the church that wasn’t church sanctioned - I don’t wanna be some freelancer that could be viewed as trying to pull people away from official church “activities” so to speak. The biggest issue is the rural area I live in. Cows outnumber people.

 

[JohnDB]

I guess the right question is “what’s the bait and where do I cast it?” I don’t feel it would be appropriate to start a group in the church that wasn’t church sanctioned - I don’t wanna be some freelancer that could be viewed as trying to pull people away from official church “activities” so to speak. The biggest issue is the rural area I live in. Cows outnumber people.

It's not something that you do in church or in church facilities....

But acquaintances from church are invited....married and single alike.

All Christian Men are looking for an excuse to get together....that's the bait. The invitations needs to be made across many denominations....from Methodists to Nazarenes and of course Presbyterian and Baptists. Possibly Catholics....but I doubt you will get any Catholics.

 

[WMarkB]

It's not something that you do in church or in church facilities....

But acquaintances from church are invited....married and single alike.

All Christian Men are looking for an excuse to get together....that's the bait. The invitations needs to be made across many denominations....from Methodists to Nazarenes and of course Presbyterian and Baptists. Possibly Catholics....but I doubt you will get any Catholics.

I wonder…. I don’t have a ton of Fakebook friends, mostly just family and some people I actually know in real life, but I wonder if creating a group on Fakebook and make it public might work? A local group - not something for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Thoughts? 🤔 Something to bring local guys together in the real world.

 

[JohnDB]

I wonder…. I don’t have a ton of Fakebook friends, mostly just family and some people I actually know in real life, but I wonder if creating a group on Fakebook and make it public might work? A local group - not something for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Thoughts? 🤔 Something to bring local guys together in the real world.

Yep....that's the way to start one....and get these guys to invite others.

 

[shittim]

Couples might enjoy a service day together, and you might be introduced to a friend of the bride who is impressed by your faith and willingness to care for others.
Looking for ways to be offended might get in the way.

 

[PennEd]

Bravo! To the women for not chiming in here!

 

[Ruby123]

I wonder…. I don’t have a ton of Fakebook friends, mostly just family and some people I actually know in real life, but I wonder if creating a group on Fakebook and make it public might work? A local group - not something for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Thoughts? 🤔 Something to bring local guys together in the real world.

I know I am not a guy and you wanted responses from men but I was on Facebook one day and some suggested Facebook groups popped up so I joined one on Rapture and End Times as I find that interesting. I posted something and a lady sent me a message. She asked me if I was in America as most on that group were American. She told me she was in Aus. So am I. It turns out that she is in my state. She lives about two hours away. We are very similar in our likes and we became friends. I was not at all expecting it. It seems like God divinely orchestrated it all. So perhaps you should join some Christian Facebook groups and you may make some friends that live near by.