EFCCL_men

Here at the Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake
(EFCCL), we call our Men’s Ministry
“The Construction Zone.” Our men are “under
construction” spiritually and Philippians 1:6
promises us that the God “who began a good work

in us will carry it on to completion unto the day of Christ Jesus.”

We offer multiple ways to enhance this “construction” process of “transforming men to impact their world through Christ.” We seek to connect men together in meaningful ways to build relationships and to encourage their continued spiritual construction.

Annual Men’s Retreat

The first weekend of November is the time when we team together for an overnighter at the Lake Geneva Conference Grounds. We come together for in-depth sharing, prayer, worship, fellowship, fun competition and a biblical challenge in some of the issues specific to men’s needs. In past years we have dealt with such topics as anger and sexual purity. For those who attend, it is always a highlight of their year.

One-to-One Mentoring

Given the commuter culture of our community, we have discovered that one-to-one mentoring, where an older man meets with a younger man, works best in men’s schedules for in-depth discipleship. We have watched God bring about enormous transformation and spiritual re-construction through these relationships. Together men are able to ratchet down their faith deep into God’s Word and to learn from the life experiences of one another. Key scriptures are memorized and added to their toolbox of knowledge and understanding as men interact in a non-threatening, supportive way.

Kane County Cougars

Every summer it is the tradition of “The Construction Zone” for dads to take their children to a Kane County Cougars baseball game on “church night.” Unmarried guys or dads whose kids are grown are encouraged to adopt the kids of our single moms and treat them to this special fun night.

Hearts United in God’s Service (HUGS)

This is a new ministry of “The Construction Zone” whereby guys (and gals are often included too) lock arms in construction teams to help out in such areas as the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and in the partnership mission fields of our church – Honduras, British Columbia, and Hungary. They also do renovation projects locally for people in need in our church family.

March Madness

Our men gather together at the Student Center each spring to cheer on their favorite team for the NCAA basketball championship game. We eat chili, play games, have a half-time analysis of the game by a knowledgeable coach and enjoy one another’s fellowship as we watch the game on a 10 foot x 10 foot screen.

Prayer Breakfasts

Men are called together for prayer at various times during the year by our Construction Zone leadership team. These prayer breakfasts usually include a speaker and information about upcoming events as well as rich times of interaction with our Lord.

Recreational Activities

Among the activities sponsored by The Construction Zone are a weekly night of basketball in the activity center during the winter months, summer softball in a city recreation league, indoor mini-golf and a summer golf outing.

Small Groups/Support Groups/Mentoring

In cooperation with Celebrate Recovery, there are several support groups offered through our church that address key issues of men, such as anger management, sexual purity and overcoming addictions. As God raises up leadership and interest,
we also offer men’s small groups that meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis where men can connect together and share their lives and their faith around God’s Word.