Men in Balance™: Wolf at The Door

Economic Worry Clinic: Dealing With the Wolf at the Door

We hope you will want to contribute to this worthwhile cause by mail or credit card.

REGISTER TO START THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR CHURCH

Churches wishing to sign up, click here. After you have registered, we will send you a confirmation email with instructions to download the instructor guide as well as promotional materials. (REGISTRATION PAGE)

Background on "WOLF AT THE DOOR" for churches and laymen.

As you may know, Men in Balance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, faith-based, non-denominational organization whose primary goal is to provide support for men seeking balance and integration in their occupational, spiritual, and personal lives. The primary vehicle to do this is conversations with other men facing similar issues.

Our immediate goal is to begin immediately discussion groups in churches and houses of worship across the country to help men through this difficult economic time by providing a structured program in which they can share their concerns with each other in a safe environment and find support from each other. This will be done using materials we provide. We would like you to consider hosting one or more of these sessions in your church. The study guide is available by download which most any lay leader or church facilitator can easily use. All you have to do is schedule the event, promote it in your bulletins and newsletters, local media and reproduce handouts.

A friend told me this week about a man who recently visited his doctor for a routine visit. When the doctor asked how he was doing, he broke down in tears from pent up anxiety. He unloaded on the doctor's empathic ear.

Men are seriously hurting because of the economic crisis. Likely some are your members or visitors. Many are out of work; more are worried about losing their job, their retirement/savings, their ability to support their families. They struggle because culturally they find it difficult to open up and talk to others — including spouses — about these issues. But our culture also expects them to provide well for their family and its future — which seems overwhelming at the moment.

Men in Balance has created a discussion format called "Economic Worry Clinic: Dealing With the Wolf at the Door" which churches and places of worship are already using. We hope to get others to adopt in as many locations as possible to help men deal with these issues which are threatening marriages, families and especially men themselves. Here is an overview:

Project:

"Economic Worry Clinic: Dealing With the Wolf at the Door" — 90 minute facilitated discussions with groups of men talking about their concerns about the economy, (potential or real) job loss, family responsibilities, spiritual grounding during this time of economic stress.

Goal:

To provide a resource for men feeling stressed by economic concern and uncertainty through nationwide meetings in churches, open to men of all faiths and demographics in which they can share their concerns with other men in a safe environment. The meetings will be facilitated by a professional facilitator or trained church leader.

The objectives are to:

• Help men reconnect with their faith during this difficult time
• Overcome the cultural expectation of men having to be strong and invulnerable
• Provide tools to deal with the personal isolation that many men are feeling

Strategy:

Arrange discussion sessions (in association with churches or other appropriate concerned organizations utilizing places of worship or other venues) dealing with the economic environment and its impact on men and their families.

• Churches will market the event to their membership and the community at large
• Expenses, if any, related to the program and marketing and reproduction of handouts will be absorbed by the church/venue as a contribution to the cause

Men in Balance is the co-sponsor of the event (along with the church) and will provide discussion guides with provocative, well-considered questions to stimulate dialog and interaction. We will provide suggested press releases/templates, brochure templates and other promotional material to help promote the event if you like.

This is an important call to action for an underserved population in a troublesome situation. Men typically have not sought out help--it is not in their DNA or cultural conditioning. And yet families, employers, churches and society suffer when men are not spiritually healthy.

Additionally, spiritually healthy men are more likely to

• Bring their families to worship
• Contribute financially to their church or synagogue
• Assume leadership roles in the house of worship
• Be involved in a Men's Ministry or men's activities in the church

In our survey of churchgoing men, many acknowledged a spiritual hunger and admitted they were not the spiritual leader of their family. With this program, we have the potential to impact that situation with a call for spiritual renewal.

I hope you will join me in making this a reality immediately. Please call at 704.895.8976 to discuss any concerns you have or to indicate your support for this important initiative. It is our hope that you/your church will also support this effort financially with a contribution to Men in Balance, Inc. of at least $200 (or whatever you can afford given budget conditions).