The Victory Has Been Won!

Men in Ministry, tonight was the first night of the Glad Tidings Men’s Neighborhood Groups in San Francisco. This was an incredible night. I had the opportunity to visit each of the 4 groups. The Power of God was so evident as the men studied The Power of Prayer, fellowshipped with Jesus and each other and prayed. They did this all at the same time, between 6:30 and 8:00 PM Thursday evening.

The groups are spread out through out the city. The city is covered in prayer. Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Prayer and the study of the Word are the weapons, which nothing can stand against. Jesus has defeated the devil the battle has been won we need to take hold of the victory through Prayer and the Study of the Word.

The Men’s Neighborhood Groups have been in planning for weeks. Prayer and fasting from all people at Glad Tidings Church began and continues to support the men. Prayer is powerful prayer works miracles. Each group has a leader and host plus the men who attend. The start is with 5 groups, 4 the first night; one added in the second week. In the second week, we will have a 5th location and additional men in fellowship and prayer. The goal is to have a Men’s Neighborhood Group within short walking distance for every man in San Francisco. This, we believe is God’s Plan. We have stepped out in faith the signs and wonders have been following for confirmation.

Look at the miracle in the City of San Francisco with Men’s Neighborhood Groups in Noe Valley, in the Richmond, in Japan Town and South of Market men were together in fellowship praying and learning how to use the Power of Prayer in their lives. An additional location in the Mission will be added in the second week. This will extend the prayer coverage for San Francisco.

As a side note, this follows a night of worship at Glad Tidings where nearly 300 people gathered in the name of Jesus. What is going on? God is not going to do something. God is doing something in San Francisco; we are in the middle of it!

God is doing the extraordinary in the city many refer to as Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus died on the cross so that all of us everywhere would have an opportunity for salvation. San Francisco is soon to be the leading city in the world proclaiming the name of Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of our lives.

To join one of the Men’s Neighborhood Groups, in San Francisco, please contact me directly or go to www.gtmmi.com. We would love to have you as part of this ministry.

Men in Ministry

Men in Ministry, What is Going On?

Active is good! Men in Ministry be active with activities that will bring the men closer to God and closer to each other. Through the relationships and building friendships, evangelism of each man's universe begins.

In San Francisco, we have been on a run of activity, which has been powerfully bringing men closer in their relationship with Jesus and into fellowship with each other. New men have entered the groups as they see things that are appealing.

40 Day Fast and Prayer

January, 2012

Each year of the last 8 or 10 years, as a church we have started each year with 40 days of fasting and prayer.

Pastor designs a 40 day fast which will range from 3 days of water only to raw vegetables to broth, to rice to a free day. The regiment varies throughout the 40 days. It is a fast that takes dependence on God and will power.

Prayer then accompanies the fast every weekday morning from 5 AM to 8 AM. That may sound rough. It is organized and varied with song worship, Bible study, personal prayer, and corporate prayer that, as hard as it may be to believe, the time flies. Not everyone can make all three hours with work and other obligations so they come for the time they can come.

This is the foundation and an exciting beginning to each year, from this time; Pastor will alter an existing plan for the year, confirm the existing plan or write a totally new one. This will all be dependent on the Holy Spirit.

Used the Book Face to Face with God

Men’s Bible Study

A different man led the study each week

March, 2012

The Bible Study was on Evangelism, using the book Face to Face with God. It was a 6-week study, each Saturday morning for 90 minutes. Refreshments of coffee, juice, bagels and donuts are provided. A different man led each week. The attendance varied it averaged 30 men each Saturday. It was awesome!

Ecuador Mission Trip

July / August 2012

This was a huge beginning for some and a refresh for others. Sixty people from Glad Tidings, San Francisco and Sequoya Community in Oakland went to work with Jerry and Janice Smith, the missionaries to Ecuador. The mix was about half men and half women. This was the third annual, major, Mission Trip. Each year there are additional trips, which include fewer people and are shorter in length.

A mission trip has a significant impact on all involved. The participants are in constant reminder of the power of God and the absolute immense value of prayer. The experience is one that can be approximated but not duplicated except by another mission trip.

Horseshoes

August 2012

 

This is an annual event that has 50 or 60 men in fellowship on a Sunday Afternoon. We will barbeque and play Horse Shoes in an organized tournament. It is a blast! Very competitive!

New men get plugged in relationships are developed relationships are restored. The event is talked about and referred to all year long, creating anticipation for the next year.

Men’s Retreat

September 2012

In early September, we had a magnificent Men in Ministry Retreat. The speaker, Jim Maxim is the author of Face to Face with God, the book we used for the Bible Study.

Seventy men attended the retreat. Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco is the host site. The retreat started on Friday evening with dinner, song worship, a message and an unbelievable altar call. The men go home each night. Saturday morning begins with a breakfast followed by song worship, message, men’s small group in a short Bible Study, lunch a Prayer Meeting then recreational activities. On Sunday a dinner after second service then a commissioning service.

It was breathtaking!!!

Men in Ministry Car Wash

September 2012

Raising money for missions. The car wash is a good venue. It provides a stage for fellowship, evangelism for the car owners and it raises between $1,200 and $2,000 on a Saturday. 

Men’s Neighborhood Groups

October / November 2012

The groups meet in a leaders home for 90 minutes once per week for 6 weeks. The meetings consist of food and a study. The study in this first period is using R.A. Torrey’s Book, The Power of Prayer. The initial study is on the first 5 chapters In the 6 weeks of the Men's Neighborhoof Groups.

Training for the leaders and host took place using a custom facilitator's guide.

The objective is to reach the men of San Francisco, One Man at a Time.

This is what is going on with Glad Tidings Men’s Ministry International. God is always good He is the rock the access to the Rock is prayer and fasting.

Please pray for the Men’s Ministries all over the world.

Men in Ministry

Power of Prayer and Men in Ministry

Prayer is the foundation of all life work. Men in Ministry we are the prayer leaders of our families and our communities. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Prayer is fascinating. It is a conversation with the maker of all things visible and invisible. The Glad Tidings: we have the opportunity to seek counsel with God. The same God, who sees all things, all the time, will give us direction, in all parts of our lives. We can talk to God as a friend. Jesus even tells us to keep on asking. If we honestly think about this one aspect of our gifted relationship with God, it can be overwhelming.

Men Who Pray Have the Power of God

Great men and women in the Bible and daily life have sought God and have received answers. The founders sought God’s blessing on an infant nation when they first landed. God speaks to His people every day everywhere. God sent Jesus to create a relationship with His creation. Jesus came as one of us to develop that relationship. In any relationship conversation is critical, if not the foundation.

God has always spoken to His people. We see God speaking to His people in the Bible 100’s of times. These encounters are transcribed and verified as the truth. Finally as the fact basis God does not change. He is the same today as yesterday and tomorrow. God keeps all His promises.

Men in Ministry throughout all of time sought God in every move they made. Nehemiah was a man of prayer. Before he did anything, he prayed. He asked God for the direction and the strength to take the direction. He repaired the wall around Jerusalem in 52 days. The wall had been in shambles for 100 years. There is power in prayer. Moses argued with God Joshua listened to God and David, the man after God’s own heart, had a constant dialogue with God.

This Full Building Praising God is an Answer to Prayer

The power and the proof of God conversations are chronicled from ancient times to the current day. The results are clear. Why do we wait until all else fails to call on God? We see examples of this all the time. In movies, the desperate person ends up crying out to God.

Men in Ministry as with all men we will want to spend the first of every day with God then have conversations with Him throughout the day. Can God, the maker of all things, demand that time? The answer would have to be yes. The Israelites, like us, turned away from God for 10’s and 100’s of years at a time. Then when they called out to Him, because things were so severe, God answered. God stepped in and saved them from their terrible predicaments of slavery and oppression. Why wait to start a conversation with God, until our marriage, our families or our finances are in a desperate situation? Let us be like David, who when confronted by the giant, called on God and eliminated the giant. 

Men in Ministry

Men in Ministry, Horseshoes; Are you kidding?

Horseshoes? What the heck are you thinking? Horseshoes in San Francisco, California the cosmopolitan city and you want to have a Men in Ministry event around Horseshoes? That is a dramatization of the response which pastor gave me when we first suggested a Men in Ministry Horseshoe Tournament. What trust! He agreed to it and supported it. That was 4 years ago. The first tournament was a smashing success!

May have never played, the intensity and the fun becomes
obvious very quickly

The success is not by chance it is designed into the shared experience around horseshoes. That shared experience is no experience. Yes, no previous experience throwing horseshoes is the common ground, which creates a tremendous bond the men share. In other words, few men have any experience at throwing horseshoes or competing in a horseshoe tournament. This creates a natural bond among the men. It gives them the one thing necessary to begin to fellowship; something in common, which then becomes the seed to a conversation. From this simple seed, the conversation can then build into other common interests.

The common ground, when put into a competitive event, creates excitement and fun. There is one social rule in the Glad Tidings Men’s Ministry International Horseshoe tournaments. All the 2 man teams are made up of men who either do not know each other or know each other very little. This creates the potential for new friendships; men creating a bond and a purpose to serve God with another man.

I believe God created man to be in Christian relationship with other men. This is evident throughout the Bible. Moses and his brother Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and James, John and Peter just to name a few close supporting relationships. “When 2 or three are gathered in my Name.” God is present when we are alone and seek no question, but when 2 or 3 are gathered in His name there is power!

Plenty of time for conversation

Certainly at the beginning of the event everyone is practicing and talking with their friends. After the opening prayer; a photograph of 50 men in a circle praying wow! Back to the story; after the opening prayer and before we eat, BBQ is always a part of the event. Each man will choose a man he does not know as a team-mate. After the teams are decided, I do a casual check with the purpose of pairing people who will benefit from the pairing and breaking up teams of friends. The teams eat together. The tournament begins.

It is an exciting competition. It is structured in such a way that the games move quickly and everyone will play at least 5 games. Every team will have at least one win! The competitive juices start to flow; the bond between the new friends has an opportunity to gain traction. It is keen to see the excitement and the friendships that start in a few short hours of sheer fun.

Everybody wins, one team finishes first

This last year was the best as the tournament went down to the wire. Possibly the two most unlikely men, who a few hours earlier did not know each other and did not know which end of the horseshoe to hold, won it all. They came from behind with multiple ringers in the final throws to win. No one in the tournament lost we all won with fellowship. We each met men we did not know. The Glad Tidings; Godly fellowship gave us greater potential to grow and become a disciple of the living God.

That is what it is all about: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

Men in Ministry

Traveling with My Best Friend

Glad Tidings, God has taken back Japan! Men in Ministry; force the Kingdom to come, in your city. God has taken back your city. God is Faithful! Hebrews 11:1

I am in Japan and have been for the last 4 days. Japan is interesting for many reasons. It has a wonderful culture; the people are friendly open and engaging. The Japanese seem to be a hard working, self-reliant people. After the tsunami in March of 2011, that destroyed significant parts of the country and crippled many nuclear power plants, the Japanese self-reliance is obvious. Japan, in an independent self-reliant way, will repair itself without outside help. Japanese people do not have an entitlement mentality. The entitlement mentality, exist is Europe and is growing rapidly in the United States.

That is not the subject of this writing it is a good background. The last time I was in Japan for more than passing through the Narita Airport was about 25 years ago. I realized then and again felt the demonic presence near me as I entered and moved around the country. I am not sure what or why this is, but I am sure of the need for prayer and the Word of God even stronger.

I looked at some statistics. Today 6% of the population of Japan claims Christianity as their faith. This is up from the ever stagnate 1% for the prior 400 or so years. Praise God for the Glad Tidings! The growth has been among the young. Praise God for more Glad Tidings!!

I always travel with the Bible, my best friend. I read and study it in the morning. I read it throughout the day as I have gaps in the schedule. The most comforting thing I do each day is pray and read the Word and let it fill me up. The Bible gives us a glimpse of home each time we read it. The Bible brings us in a more intimate relationship with the Lord each time we fill up on His message. Prayer and reading the Word, plus our witness forces the presence of the Kingdom.

God loves the people of Japan. He died on the cross for each one of these beautiful people. It seems, from my travels, the message of the Gospel is not yet evident anywhere I have traveled in Japan. A business associate brought me to a shrine. He wanted to show me the beauty and tell me how they pray to Shinto or Buddha or the spirit of Japan, some demonic thing. He washed before he prayed and was proud to take me into this outside shrine. A time to witness; it probably was but I missed it. Jesus put me here at this time to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Japan. He does this with all believers. Jesus lives in us. We are on a mission, to bring the Kingdom wherever we go. I did not have a calling to witness to him. Normally when I miss an opportunity I have a burden. I pray that I have a burden for all people who I meet.

Japan is like San Francisco as to the presence of the real Lord in peoples' lives. About 6% of the 127 million Japanese people say they are Christians. The difference I found in Japan is people are more open to listen. They have an apparent interest to learn, there are other ways than the one they know in many areas of their lives. They do want proof.

To a few friends, I told the story that Chuck Colson, one of the Watergate conspirators tells as to why he accepted the Lord as his savior. He says; as the Watergate Cover-up was unraveling it became obvious to the conspirators that they were going to be discovered. He tells that he and his co-conspirators were at the pinnacle of power. They were in the office of the President of the United States, the most powerful person and office in the world. A few men had all the power. These men, as they realized they were going to pay for a silly crime, they stopped lying and told the truth to save their skin.

Chuck Colson tells the story then says; the Apostles each could have denied Christ and the authorities would not have executed them. They did not deny the truth and they suffered mightily for it. Jesus is the truth!

The correlation is men will deny a cover up, even if with this denial they lose overwhelming power. They will deny the lie to save their own skin. The Apostles believed the truth. They were executed for their belief in Jesus Christ.

I was able to tell this story. The people did not accept the Lord; however God Promises his word will never return empty. Isaiah 55:11

I started this writing thinking that the devil had a hold on Japan as I finish the writing; I see that God is doing a remarkable thing in Japan. The growth of 600% and having the main growth in Christianity be among the young is fabulous!

Traveling, once again, with my best friend brings reinforcements to the Army of God enhancing the reality of Our Kingdom on Earth. 

Frank Slovenec is the founder and leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International. www.gtmmi.com

Men in Ministry

An Arrival Meeting

Jackson Senyonga in Action

Recently, Jackson Senyonga, a powerful evangelist from Uganda, spent 4 days with us in meetings at Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco. I cannot say enough about what I experienced and what I saw others experience in those 4 days. The schedule was intense. His mission was intense. Before I discuss the schedule, here is some background.

Glad Tidings Church has been experiencing a dramatic move of God for 12 years. Twelve years ago when Pastor Beiser preached his first sermon as pastor of the church, there were 37 people in a dilapidated 85-year-old building on prime 2 acres in San Francisco. There are many moving parts. The most important is, Pastor is a spirit led, prayer warrior servant of Jesus Christ. I joined the church about 6 months after that first sermon. I moved to San Francisco from Boston; I was not serving the Lord, at the time. I had a calling to Glad Tidings. The first minutes that I was in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Beiser and meeting the few people in attendance, I knew I was in the right place.

Altar Call Sunday Night

Pastor, led by the Holy Spirit has directed every move we have made at Glad Tidings. The congregation began to grow, the building has an active remodeling plan and most important, with a powerful foundation in prayer and fasting, Pastor continues to take us to new levels. Levels in the Lord that are always a desperate reach.

There have been many prophecies over Pastor and the church about growth in the Lord through the leading of the Holy Spirit. All I can say is they all have come true in their time. This Sunday, a “regular” Sunday in June, 800 to 1,000 people will be in services. The congregation has representation of 40, plus or minis a few, countries and all social economic and educational ranges. It looks like heaven. We financially and spiritually support missionaries all over the world, this year we will talk 75 to 100 people on a mission trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador. This is the 5th or 6th trip of this kind.

I hope it obvious, from the background, that Jackson was sent to Glad Tidings at the perfect time. He would in the 4 days increase the momentum to another level in God.

Jackson’s schedule:

· 2 Services Sunday Morning

· A Pastor’s service at 4 PM Sunday

· Evening Service at 6 PM Sunday, ended about 9:45

· 8 AM Monday, Memorial Day Breakfast (after about 75 of us were in a prayer meeting from 5 AM to 8AM, getting ready

· 7 PM Service on Tuesday, ended 10:45 PM

Prayer Meeting Monday Morning

· 7 PM Service on Wednesday, ended at 10:45 PM

It was an intense, overwhelming and a miracle filled 4 days. We witnessed real miracles every day!

Jackson needed to raise about $27,000.00 for his orphans in Uganda. If he could not send the money the orphans would be asked to leave their school, that week. I was with him as was Pastor when he took the calls. The man is non-stop for God. In the 4 days, we raised $22,000.00 from the congregation I suspect Pastor made up the difference on Faith.

Jackson knew we prepared, so he said this is not a revival meeting this is an arrival meeting. A meeting where we expected the arrival of the Holy Spirit in a huge way, that expectation was realized every meeting


Frank Slovenec is the Leader and Founder of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International the Men's Ministry Outreach from Glad Tidings Church, San Francisco. 

Jackson Senyonga Comes to Glad Tidings

Jackson Senyonga from Uganda, Africa was at Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco for 4 incredible days. Six different times I listened to him speak. I also had breakfast, with him, one morning. A person does not listen to Jackson. The expectation is for active participation listening.

God needs to interrupt our schedule. Jackson again and again made it known to us that we were clogging up God’s Plan. We would not allow our schedules to clear for God’s Schedule.

Jackson said that he does not tell stories, which brag on God, unless he experienced it or witnessed it.

He prayed, called on the Holy Spirit and believed God for miracles right now.

Jackson told many stories and gave us a different, fresh, honest view of Jesus. He talked about how Jesus and the problem could not exist in the same room. He also spoke about how when Jesus was in town or the temple everyone expected things to change or just be disrupted. Part of the reason the Pharisees and the Sadducees hated Jesus is because Jesus disrupted their schedules and their man-made rules.

Jackson told the story about the man with the withered hand from Luke 6:6. On another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

What happened here?

1. Jesus recognizes the individual

2. Jesus had a specific purpose that day in the temple. He did not do anything else except heal this man’s hand.

3. Jesus disrupted the schedule in the temple

4. Jesus asked the man to do something, he actually was not supposed to do. Stand in front of everyone in the temple.

5. Hold out your hand. Again the man had to do something.

6. The man was obedient

7. The man submitted to Jesus

The man had to give up control if he wanted his hand healed. The man with the withered hand knew where to take his problem. He took it to Jesus.

The message to us is clear. Let Jesus have our schedule, be obedient to the Holy Spirit and submit to Jesus in everything we do. The outcome for us; expect miracles to happen in our lives.

Frank Slovenec is the Founder and Leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International.

Men in Ministry

Why is it important to Minister to Men?

Ministry to men is essential to winning the families to Jesus!

If the man in the family comes to the Lord, the family will likely come to know Jesus. If the man comes to the Lord, there is a greater possibility that the marriage will stay together.  When the man comes to the Lord, it is more likely the children will be raised with both parents in the home.

The who is easy...the how that is the challenge.

Men who come to church to see an event or are brought by their wife or children and begins to attend in a passive fashion...you have seen them arms crossed in and out as quickly as possible, smile and move on, shake a hand and move quickly past. So how?

Engage with the man. Men are more naturally drawn to men who look like them. Look like them? Yes, it could be nationality, race, dress, grooming or anyone of a number of things. This is one of the values  of a highly diversified congregation. It makes it easier to draw people to Jesus when the congregation is mixed. It is almost guaranteed that there is someone in the congregation that they will be comfortable. The initial conversation will stem from this humble beginning.

I have had the opportunity as I moved around the country with my family, to introduce myself to a number of churches in a number of cities. I looked for people who looked like business people because that is what I am. When I came to San Francisco, I walked into Glad Tidings Church Pastor greeted me in a fresh and honest way. It has been twelve years I am active and leading men in ministry, which is Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International.

I found someone that was "like" me and that was the introduction.

Once engaged, ask them out for coffee, find their interests and then invite them to a Men's Meeting or some other event to introduce him to other men.  Once interested the man will be open to other kinds of involvement.

Expose the world to Jesus, one man at a time.