Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Promise Keepers

Dear Victorious,

Several years ago, I remember going to stadium events hosted by Promise Keepers. It was a vibrant men's ministry that seemed to offer hope and renewal for men. To be honest though, life went right back to normal. Years later I don't think my life looks much different than it would have if I hadn't gone to the Promise Keepers events. So what really happened back there? Was I deceived? Was I duped? Did I just get an emotional high ... that couldn't last? Was Promise Keepers just a sham?

Louis D. - Paducah, KY

Dear Louis,

No, I don't think you were duped. And no, I don't think Promise Keepers was just a sham. They're a legitimate Christian ministry as far as most people are concerned. And that would include the government which grants them tax-exempt status and of course the donors who fund them, as well as the men who pay to attend their conferences and buy their resources.

Promise Keepers, in my personal opinion, missed an enormous opportunity to be a "horizontal church" partnering with local churches. They started strong and had an amazing impact, especially at getting the spiritual attention of men worldwide. However, their leadership fumbled and they lost their leadership position. Without that leadership, they lost the influence and were not able to provide the ongoing discipleship that men need.

Sadly, Promise Keepers is not unlike many other ministries that people are passionate about ... at first. Then they tend to lose their luster for the masses and their field of ministry becomes much more narrow. Promise Keepers is alive and well today. (Visit them at http://www.promisekeepers.org/.) They are still a conference factory, a resource center and do ministry on a day-to-day basis.

Perhaps a good question for you to answer might be what you would have wanted to have happened after your early Promise Keepers experiences. Did you really expect Promise Keepers to change your life or transform you? In other words, what were your expectations for Promise Keepers ... and were those really appropriate expectations?

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