Fellowship Around the Table
Great conversations about life, faith, and the Bible from Fellowship Bible Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma (www.fbctulsa.org).
Fellowship Around the Table
FBC Men's Ministry: Vision and Core Values w/ David Pentecost and Alex Hovorka (Part 2 of 2)
Sign up for the Boil here: https://fbctulsa.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/501/responses/new
Embark on a journey to the heart of Fellowship Bible Church's men's ministry with guests David and Alex. We unlock the profound impact of creating a space where faith, family, and fellowship intersect. Our dialogue reveals how regular events like the May 5th crawfish boil are more than just social gatherings—they're catalysts for connection and growth. In this episode, uncover the power of mentorship, the strength of cross-generational bonds, and the essential elements that forge a thriving ministry.
This episode is an invitation to step forward, wield your unique gifts, and become part of a formidable, gospel-driven force, equipped to withstand the relentless challenges of the modern world. Join us and be motivated to not just attend, but actively engage, lead, and grow in a community rich with opportunity.
You are listening to Fellowship Around the Table.
Heath Casey:Welcome back to Fellowship Around the Table. This is Heath Casey here in week two, talking men's ministry. We got a fresh cup of coffee and we are ready to go. Yeah, baby, some of us are drinking it black. Some of us have to add a lot of creamer how many is that?
Alex Hovorka:eight or ten for me? Yeah, I'm the junior at the table.
Heath Casey:Somebody's wondering we're gonna get you there. We're gonna get you there. I got david and alex back with me. Last week. We talked about the rebirth of men's ministry at here at Fellowship Bible Church and the organic way that it kind of started had. The retreat was amazing. And now this week, guys, I want you to talk about why have a men's ministry and help cast a little vision for what that's going to look like here at Fellowship Bible Church.
David Pentecost:Yeah, absolutely so. Fbc men's ministry. We want to encourage, equip and challenge men to faithfully lead lives of devotion to God, their spouse, their children, their church, and so that's really what we're focused on. How do we encourage men, how do we equip men and how do we challenge men? And we want to try to do those things I don't know equally, but in proportion. And we want to try to do those things I don't know equally, but in proportion. And I think, you know, one of the biggest things is just lovingly encouraging men to lead.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, absolutely so. I think practically like what that looks like and, david, you can correct me if I'm off the rails here, but we've discussed looking at a regular rhythm and trying to figure out what that's going to look like, but certainly what's on the horizon is we have a crawfish boil coming up Saturday, may 5th, from five to eight, so if you're interested in that, you can sign up to serve at fbctulsaorg slash men.
Heath Casey:There we go.
Alex Hovorka:Nice by the time this is published. That's right, all that to say. So we're looking at doing one to two bigger events through the year where we have sorry four. I'm getting a four.
David Pentecost:Once a quarter.
Alex Hovorka:Yes, once a quarter, big events with at least two of those being like hey, invite your friends. Absolutely, bring everybody that is a dude like they are welcome to be at this event. Not that I mean all of our events anybody that's a dude is welcome to be at. Anybody's welcome. We're going to have all of them. We're going to bring all the men together. It's going to be fantastic. So the crawfish boil is going to be one of those, and looking at bringing people in We've got a special chef on that particular crawfish boil.
David Pentecost:We've got none other than Heath Casey cooking it up hot.
Heath Casey:I love cooking up a good boil.
David Pentecost:You know who else on the men's survey mentioned they wanted to help with that. Is it John Jerry?
Heath Casey:Oh Jerry yeah.
David Pentecost:Jerry was like I'm from Slidell, louisiana, we know crawfish boils. I think that was the comment we know how to boil, we know how to boil. I was like heck, yeah, come on, buddy. Yeah, we know how to boil, we know how to boil. I was like heck, yeah come on, buddy.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, that is awesome. I've been at a Heath Casey crawfish boil and I can attest that we'll be in good hands.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Alex Hovorka:But yeah, so friend events through the year, get as many guys in the order as we can, and then also opportunities from that to go deeper, so that may look like a retreat once or twice a year with you know, one of those being a father-son component, one of those being, hey, just, you know, the adult men mostly, and then as well as finding some kind of regular rhythm where we're having a study or, you know, one-on-one encouragement, something of that realm.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Alex Hovorka:Again, we're kind of building this as we go.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Alex Hovorka:And the goal was to just have a solid retreat, which you know, praise God, I think we were able to do that, and so now we're up on top of the wave and now we're going to. Now we're going to ride.
Heath Casey:Start simply, but simply start Simply start.
David Pentecost:Keith Casey, everyone.
Alex Hovorka:Trademark Keith Casey, fantastic guy. He's doing lots of fantastic things. Let's be honest.
David Pentecost:Mike Pence not so much.
Heath Casey:Lightweight yeah, I love it. Like like, let's get going we will, we'll keep figured out figuring
Alex Hovorka:it out as we go.
David Pentecost:That's what men do yeah, at alex point, that's the format. We're trying to be consistent at having at least one big event a quarter and then adding in some likely smaller kind of higher interest driven. You know, if there's a group of guys that just love seeing cars race down the track at 200 miles an hour, formula One types or good old.
David Pentecost:NASCAR yeah, we're going to try to get some of those guys together, and we really want to provide opportunities for men to engage in fellowship as well as some of those bigger opportunities for for some equipping, and so we've we've got a lot of different things that we're looking at. We want to do things well, so I'd rather do you know four or five things, really really well, than eight to 10 and have three people show up every time.
David Pentecost:So that's that's really the focus is doing this well and I'm going to tell you right now that the men's retreat wouldn't have gone off without Alex and Jay and Ryan and the whole team of the church that really supported that effort. Yeah, had tremendous, you know, engagement there just from the church of like moving that ball down the field every single week. The level of marketing these guys did was incredible. So hats off to those guys.
Alex Hovorka:Definitely appreciate that and I'd say you know likewise to you. Know, I was jointly on staff and then also part of the kind of the men's lead team, and the men's lead team is the one that was driving a lot of that good communication. Hey, we'd love to do this. Then, you know, weekly, bi-weekly emailing, or twice weekly emailing, just keeping the ball rolling and just stoking that fire constantly.
Heath Casey:Well, this is a lay led ministry and you guys do have a team who's helping you out with that right now.
David Pentecost:Obviously, hank Haynes is the elder on board. That gives us the thumbs up. Alex and I are certainly kind of co-leading this thing. Then we've got some new members on board. We have Tim Bartell, we have Dan Galante. Jim Bruns is back in the mix.
Alex Hovorka:Happy to have Mr Jim.
David Pentecost:And then we actually had a few folks at least one that I know of and I think one other on the survey say, hey, I'd love to be involved in men's ministry. So I think we'll pick up another one to two folks moving into our next event that want to be a part of the men's ministry team moving forward.
Heath Casey:That's a strong team.
David Pentecost:It's a great start. That's exciting guys.
Heath Casey:We'll get into this a little bit more with me. On this vision, you talked about encouraging, equipping and challenging men. We want to challenge men to faithfully lead lives of devotion to God, their spouse, their children and their church. So maybe start with that encouragement piece. And what does that look like?
David Pentecost:Yeah, so the chair passage for that is Hebrews 3, 12 through 13. Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort. That could be interpreted encourage, appeal, invoke, invoke.
Heath Casey:We don't use invoke enough.
Alex Hovorka:Gotta invoke.
David Pentecost:You invoked it, but exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And that's a just rubber meets the road passage. Not only is it a command, but it's something that is repetitious, you can't get enough of. You need to do it every day. You need to exhort one another to continue pursuing Christ and living a life of devotion. That's where that encouragement we want to continually do that through this ministry continue encouragement to press on and to keep those who are called in the body of Christ and then, hopefully, the outpouring of that is. You know, guys are coming, they're getting engaged, they're getting plugged in, they're I don't want to say the word being known sounds just, maybe it's overused, it sounds a little too emotional for me. So any guys out there listening, uh, just getting to know each other, just getting to know, just hanging out just kicking it, it's cool.
David Pentecost:It's cool, yeah, uh. But you know guys having rich relationships, yeah, if they're getting, if they're getting fed and watered here they're just little. You know guys having rich relationships? Yeah, if they're getting fed and watered here they're just little. You know, they're just little succulent plants.
Alex Hovorka:Blossom like a beautiful flower. Susan loves flowers.
David Pentecost:And Talbots.
Alex Hovorka:And Talbots.
David Pentecost:Hopefully they're reciprocating that effort to other men in the body.
Heath Casey:So encourage encouragement. That's going to be a core value here of FBCs men's ministry. What's your kind of call to action there?
David Pentecost:Our vision there is. We will seek to encourage men to press on so that we may keep those who are called in the body of Christ and that we may reciprocate this well to other believers.
Alex Hovorka:I would say, to model it well for unbelievers.
David Pentecost:Yeah, keeping that door open.
Alex Hovorka:I think any ministry that is just strictly, you know, believers only becomes a holy huddle. And that's why we structured it so that we have those events through the year where we can. There's constant wide open front door, but a clear pathway to go deeper.
Heath Casey:Appreciate you saying that, alex, which falls right back to the clear mission of the overall church here at Fellowship Bible Church, and that is that we are a growing church family and that growing is a both. And we are going to grow because we see new people coming to Christ and we are going to see our people grow up in their faith in Christ.
Alex Hovorka:It is both Wide open front door and a clear pathway forward Amen.
David Pentecost:Yeah, yeah, I love that.
Heath Casey:So first peg encourage, second equip.
David Pentecost:Tell me more about that. Yeah, so that comes from 2 Timothy 3, 14 through 17. That reads but as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. So when we think about that call for men to lead well in their families, you know, in their homes, at work.
Heath Casey:You know, one of the things I love about this passage is this all scriptures inspired by God, or God, breathe and it's useful. And there's four things that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes here, but I think a lot of times we read it as just the first. So all scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching? Yeah, period. No, there's four things happening here. It's useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. And the reality is those four things are done in community and relationally done in community and relationally. It is not one person talking to many. To have a community where you can use scripture to rebuke, correct and training, you have to have intimate fellowship.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Heath Casey:This, it's critical. And a lot of this gets done eyeball to eyeball, man to man and in community. So yeah, I love, I love you guys using that as the cornerstone for the equip.
David Pentecost:Just a little side note on there's no the first part of verse 16 all scriptures god breathed. I heard recently that that could be translated all scripture is the breath of god. I don't know that. That just seems to add another layer of context there. Yeah, I liked that interpretation.
Heath Casey:Yeah, well, what's your call to action and vision for this core value?
David Pentecost:Yeah, so we will seek to equip men so that they are enabled to live out their calling to lead well in their marriage, family and beyond.
Heath Casey:Love it, Alex. Anything to add there?
Alex Hovorka:I think that's well said. And then you know again, we just have that wide open front door to anybody that wants to be a part of that. And you know, wide open front door, clear pathway forward. But I would also say there's no, you have to be this tall to ride either, right? There's no like oh, you can't be. You can't be in the, you don't have enough going. No, no we are. We would be glad for anyone to take that journey with us and just share what God's done in our own life.
Heath Casey:Get on the train. Get on the train.
Alex Hovorka:We got plenty of seats. We don't have more, we'll add another car.
Heath Casey:That's right. Yeah, All right. The third peg in this stool. So this is a stool, right? I see three? Three three legs. I see three legs, all right, so encourage equip and the third one here challenge that feels masculine.
David Pentecost:Yeah, challenge, let's get after it. So we're using the classic men's ministry.
Heath Casey:This came out of the starter kit we bought. This verse has been on a men's ministry t-shirt.
David Pentecost:There's no doubt. Yeah, I'd like it to go on our men's ministry t-shirts.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, let's get some tattoos and make this happen absolutely proverbs 27 17 says iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another they can't do that unless you're meeting together regularly yeah, exactly a, a weekly bible study is important with other guys, and that that's incredible and that is part of it, yep, but getting together as men on a regular basis for that purpose to be who God has called you to be that's a whole other level of sharpening. You guys, if anybody knows about sharpening metal, there's different types of grinding wheels that you can use. Oh, yeah. That's a step up on the old grinding wheel, if we can use the analogy.
David Pentecost:And just to further that one step you know, if you have a tool, an ax, that you're using let's just assume you live in 1920 and you have a wood stove you're going to heat your home by using that implement weekly, and so you sharpen that tool once a year. It's not very effective, right? So there needs to be frequency there in that effort. To your point, absolutely.
Heath Casey:And I think too, men were not the best of just gathering to talk, right, but you get men active and doing something together, like physically doing an activity together, and all of a sudden they start talking. And so I love this idea of finding ways for men to go and do something together, some physical activity, and the conversations will happen. Yeah, absolutely, they'll absolutely happen. So, yeah, all right. So the third core value there challenge what's kind of the vision there?
David Pentecost:So we want to challenge men to lead lives of purpose and intentionality, to passionately pursue their God, spouse, family and those people around them, for the sake of the gospel.
Heath Casey:Love it, Love it. Fbc men's ministry encourage, equip and challenge.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Heath Casey:Final thoughts guys.
David Pentecost:So I think really, the the end goal for us is and one thing, it's a concept or an idea that I think about a lot is how do we create an organic, dynamic discipleship community here at FBC, particularly when it comes to men, so that this is happening? We're providing space, place and time, but over the long term, that discipleship community is being formed that's cross-generational, where men are meeting with other men in mentorship capacities, in discipleship capacities, and guys are being spurred on, they're being challenged, they're being shaped, they're being sharpened, and so that's really the end goal here. Is that that would be cultivated here at FBC. Yeah, yeah.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, and I would just I would challenge any man that's listening, or you know this can happen or it cannot happen. You know, it's really easy to sit here and say these things that we want to do and where we hope God will take us, and we're going to need his help to do that. So, number one, we need to be praying about these things as men. So I challenge you to do that. But then also, don't be a person that just hears and doesn't do and that's a challenge as much to myself as anyone else.
Alex Hovorka:But God's word tells us that those who hear and don't do are really faithless at the end of the day, and so if we want to actually believe the things of God's word, we need to be doing them. And so I would just challenge you, wherever you're at, whether you have a small amount of time to give towards this effort, or you're like, hey, I'm all in, just find your place with the men's ministry and push with us. This church needs that. We can't accomplish great things as a church without strong men, and so lean in, be a part of that. Help us not only just grow the church, but help us take it deeper as well. I firmly believe that a church that believes the Bible like we do and then gets after it is a force to be reckoned with in the world.
Alex Hovorka:And that's the kind of church that the gates of hell will not prevail against. Yeah, yeah, we need to be that kind of church, yeah, and so I challenge you, each in your own way, with the skills and the gifts that God's given you, lean in, let's use those, and let's see what God does through this next year.
Heath Casey:Yeah, absolutely. That's great stuff, guys. I appreciate you coming in here and casting this vision in that call to just tell men to stand up. All right, let's stand up, let's get involved, let's participate in the local church and be the leaders of it. I think, um man, I just it's exciting to think of the potential if we get the men engaged.
David Pentecost:Yeah.
Heath Casey:Yeah, I think the the lowest hanging fruit here for those men listening. The next event just show up show up be willing to build relationships, be willing to meet other men, see where the Lord takes it.
Alex Hovorka:And invite yeah, invite, invite, invite. That is such an easy invite to your neighbor, your coworker hey, just come, we're just having a crawfish boil.
Heath Casey:Yeah.
Alex Hovorka:Come on, come on over Free food. Free food Delicious. So good and even if they don't like crawfish, we will have plenty of grilled meats. You will have to eat the crawfish, you have to try one, unless you have a shellfish allergy. You blow up like a balloon?
Heath Casey:Yeah, right Now, bring your EpiPen, we will have others. You're going to eat?
Alex Hovorka:it. We're going to do BYO. Epipen, you got to eat it.
Heath Casey:Yeah, no we'll have some alternatives.
David Pentecost:We'll have some alternatives.
Heath Casey:We'll have some shellfish, sure, sure, but it's going to be fun. Guys, maybe we should just dive into a little bit more on the crawfish boil. We do need people to sign up. We want anybody to come and invite as many people as possible. We'll build extra into it. But crawfish, believe it or not, are not just available right here in Oklahoma and we're going to have to get on an order there and kind of prepare.
Alex Hovorka:So yeah, help us out with that. So, like like Heath was saying so sign up, it's totally free, but please sign up so that we know how much crawfish to boil. That's right, cause if we don't know that we don't want to be short we will we will and shrimp yeah, crawfish Shrimp is easier to get in your local grocer.
Heath Casey:Crawfish, the real deal is not Not. So it's come on, man, don't sign up, it's a Friday before.
Alex Hovorka:No.
Heath Casey:Yeah.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah.
Heath Casey:If you forget to sign up, please come Right, but stand up, get online, fill out the form.
Alex Hovorka:Yep Today, we'll make it nice and easy.
David Pentecost:Yeah and invite your friends, that's right May 4th, 4 to 8 pm.
David Pentecost:Yes, we're going to have a lot of crawfish, we're going to have shrimp, we're going to have sausage, we're going to have some opportunities for guys to obviously just hang out around the boil pots, enjoy the spectacle of it all and dump it all on a table with corn and potatoes and all the fixings, I think for this event as well. If you've got some younger sons, you're welcome to bring them too. I think I told the guys at the retreat, hey, if they're so young that they might knock the boil pot over, maybe leave them at home, because we just wouldn't want any type of you know, safety issues. But you know, at our retreat I think we said 16 and up. I think we're totally cool with guys coming that are kids coming a little bit younger.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, totally younger than that 10, 12 years old.
David Pentecost:I think is totally acceptable.
Heath Casey:And it was, it's one of my favorite parts is getting young kids to try their first crawfish.
Alex Hovorka:Yes, yes.
Heath Casey:You, you saw that at our small group.
Alex Hovorka:the last time it was awesome.
Heath Casey:And it's fun to see kids that are all about it.
David Pentecost:Right.
Heath Casey:Yeah, All right, guys Love it. Fbc men's ministry encourage, equip, challenge. And I think that's my prayer, father, father, God, I just pray that you will encourage, equip and challenge the men of this church to stand up and lead well, faithfully lead lives of devotion to their God, to their wives, to their children and to their church. Thank you, Father. Guys thoroughly enjoyed it. Love what you're doing, Keep running, Keep running, All right.
Alex Hovorka:Thank you, thanks everyone, thank you all.
Heath Casey:We'll see you next week.
David Pentecost:Thank you for joining Fellowship Around the Table. If you would like to learn more, go to FECPulsaorg. What's happening? Everything okay.
Heath Casey:Just an Oklahoma earthquake.
Alex Hovorka:I did text Wes about the bird in the ceiling. We have a bird in the ceiling, so fancy. We're in the podcast studio here. If you want to come on by with a bucket or a stick, you can free us from the bird we're stuck in here.
David Pentecost:A little rat shot in a .22.
Alex Hovorka:Yeah, .22. Bring it on by.
