Contact Information:

Pastor Shawn Ragan

pastor@meridianchurch.org

Elder Warren McQueary

men@meridianchurch.org

Men's Resources:

Pornography:  Get help now before it destroys your marriage, your family, your life.  Pornography is a silent killer of your marriage.  There is help out there.

First: take the anonymity out of your internet surfing.  We recommend one of two programs depending on your need.

Check out Covenant Eyes and MaxProtect.

Second, seek help and accountability with other men.  This can be a pastor or other spiritual and compassionate leader in your church.  If you need help finding someone, email Pastor Shawn and he will do his best to help you.

Third, if the problem is severe, check out an Every Man's Battle Workshop through New Life Ministries.  Both Pastor Shawn and Warren have attended the Leadership track of the Workshop and both recommend it.

If you have need of a specific resource, please email Pastor Shawn or call him at (208) 888-1921.  All emails and calls are kept confidential.

The Four Aspects of Ministry we are working on:

Prayer:  As we grow closer to God, we will learn more of what God wants and desires in our life.  We will better be able to live up to the calling He has for us as men.  Prayer brings us closer to God.  The interesting thing is, though, it does not only bring us closer to God, it brings us closer to each other.  It helps us support one another, hold one another accountable, and to lift up one another.

We encourage the men to be in a Prayer Partnership with another man.

Bible Study:  This is done through active study of the Bible and the use of resources to help men.  One of our foundational resources is the DVD Series "Wild at Heart: A Band of Brothers" by John Eldredge.  Other men's based studies are also used.  A variety of topics are discussed, but the common thread for them all is that they speak to and minister to the needs of men.

Retreats, Activities, and Outings:  When we speak of retreats, we are not speaking of a weekend in a deluxe hotel with speakers and room service.  We are talking about roughing it.  A number of activities will go on throughout the year, from fishing and hunting to camping and rock climbing.

Service:  Part of being the man that God has called us to be involves service (actually, a large part of it).  As men, we will be involved in various service projects throughout the year - putting our faith into action and learning the servant's heart.

Completing a service project at a Men's Camp in Oregon in 2004.

Men's Ministry

This ministry is greater than any one meeting or Bible study.  As we come together, we want to see men ministered to where they are at.  We want to see them grow to be the men that God has called them to be.

Our desire is to see men live up to all that they can be in Jesus Christ, to run a good race and to fight the good fight, and to model the love of Jesus Christ in their marriage.

(Elder Warren McQueary)

Biblical Manhood:

One of the first issues we need to address, though, is what in the world it means to be a man.  In the world, the idea of manhood has been diminished and distorted and sometimes destroyed.  Men are men, and there are some significant things about that.

The ministry we work through first is with the help of John Edredge and his DVD Series "Wild at Heart: A Band of Brothers"  This is not just coming in and watching a video.  Through various retreats and getaways and time spent sitting around a living room talking, the ideas and principles that John brings out are applied in our life.

The focus of John Eldredge's book is men finding their heart - getting their masculine heart back.  As we begin, we feel it is important to start with this idea - the Biblical idea of manhood.

A Man after God's Heart:

Our relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ is key to our life as the man that God intended for us to be.

During this time of ministry, we will look at what it means to be "God's Man" and to live a life for Him.  Time spent in prayer and time spent in His Word are essential parts of our walk with Him.

We want to help the men grow closer to God and to strengthen their relationship with Him.  We will look at what that means and what it takes. 

A Man at Home:

Outside of the man's relationship with Jesus Christ, his relationship to his wife and then to his children are most important.

We will study the calling of the Christian husband and the roles and responsibilities God has placed on him.  Many men confuse this role and either abuse it or neglect it.  We want to help men understand the calling of Ephesians 5.  We want to see them put an end to the trampling of their wives and instead to cherish them as the Lord has commanded.

There are many eye opening discussions and studies as we look at this, but I guarantee you they can radically transform your marriage and your family.  If you think you have a good marriage now, we assure you, it can get even better!

A Man and His Trials:

There are many stresses, trials, and temptations that men face.  From the lure of pornography to the drive to workaholism to pressures to protect and provide for our family and everything else, men have real issues to face.

We will spend some time and confront these issues - all of the dirt that Satan throws in our way to lead us astray to all the pressures the world has put on our shoulders.

In Jesus Christ there is freedom.  Sadly, few experience it.  During these discussion, we will show you that freedom and help you to be set free from the bondage of sin that is suffocating so many of us.

Satan does not want to see men be the men God has called them to be.  He does what He can to derail us.  We will look at his tactics and his traps and learn to experience the freedom that is found in Jesus Christ.

In setting out in trying to put together a men's ministry, I wanted to develop something that would actually minister to and help men grow in various aspects of their lives.  At first, I didn't know what that would be.

Before I could see an effective ministry for men, God had some work (and still does) to do in my life.  I had to experience some growth and I had several lessons to learn.  God used a number of people to confront me in my life and force me to evaluate where I was and where I was going.

My wife and I attend the FamilyLife Marriage Conference (click here for more information) each year.  The work began here as I started to understand what it really meant to be a husband to my wife and a father to my children.  This conference took me past the viewpoints I had long held and pushed me to really look and see what the Biblical model was.

Several books directed towards men also stepped on my toes considerably and made me realize what it meant to really "cherish" my wife.  They also forced me to face the extreme selfishness in my life.  The Every Man's Series of books made me realize some of God's standards and helped me understand even better the idea of "loving your wife as Christ loved the church."

Because of this work, my marriage and my family have seen some considerable change.  My wife is happier and more secure, though I still fail more than I would like to admit, overall she feels more cherished now than she had ever before.

God has begun this work, and since He has in my life, I have now stepped out to help other men face the realities of what it means to be a man, to address the issues in their life, and to grow in way that only God can do.

I shared the vision that God had placed in my heart for men, and Warren McQueary, an Elder in our Church jumped on board as the Men's Ministry Director, partnering with me to labor for the Lord in this ministry.  We also felt it would be good to have a leadership core group, and after prayer and discussion, we selected three other men to join us in this ministry.  We are currently working with these men and after over a year of prayer and preparation, we will begin ministering directly with men in September of this year.

As men step out and live up to their calling as Men of God, I believe it will transform the family, the church, and the community in which we live.  That is done through the power of God and men seeking His will for their lives.

Praise be the Lord!

- Pastor Shawn Ragan

(Warren took Pastor Shawn out duck hunting for the first time - these are his first ducks)