The Man-Up Men’s Ministry at Beaver Dam Baptist Church is about to take a walk on the wild side. Wild game, that is.
To kick off programming for 2018, the church will host a wild game dinner for men at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, in the fellowship hall. Tickets are limited to 50 and cost $10 apiece. Venison in many forms, including jerky, steaks, burgers and even cabbage rolls, will top the menu, but carnivores will also delight in pheasant, frog legs, fish and other meats. For those less inclined to try wild game, hamburgers made from cow will also be available.
Ryan Flint is Beaver Dam’s worship leader and also heads up the men’s ministry, which started about a year and a half ago, along with a volunteer team of five. Before Man-Up started, there were ministries that catered to men at Beaver Dam, but no formal men’s ministry program. Among other activities, Man-Up sponsors a church league basketball team, golf outings and monthly lunches. The ministry is open to men age 18 and older.
The ministry’s goal, said Flint, is to foster friendships between generations and grow “as godly men.”
“I think the biggest need for men in the church is that men tend not to be vulnerable or genuine or transparent,” Flint said. “Men need friendships to do that, men who can lead by example because they’ve walked this road. They’ve been parents and grandparents and been working and had a home life. Those can translate into friendships, into accountability partners, someone to be real with and someone to pray with and for.”
Flint said he “kind of stole” the idea for a wild game dinner.
“I grew up in a church that had an annual wild game dinner,” he said. “Men like to eat, and what better to eat than a bunch of meat?”
Add to that the fact that men at Beaver Dam have been requesting organized hunting and fishing outings, and you have a perfect match. Flint said sign-ups for hunting, fishing and hiking activities will be held at the dinner. There will also be door prizes and time to “share a word of challenge and encouragement from the Bible.”
He thanked church member Kevin Stewart for coordinating and storing the meat.
“I hope that the more we do things like this, hopefully more men will get involved,” Flint said.
Use this web form to sign up for the dinner or call the church at 865-922-2322.