The objective of Strong Enough Men’s Ministry is to help men become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ through an annual retreat experience.
The first Strong Enough Men’s Retreat was held in March 2012 and has been at Bethany since 2023. Over 1,000 men have attended and have become better men through it.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness… For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Men across southern New England have attended and are now bringing this movement to other churches.
Snapshots from brotherhood, growth, and community.
The Men’s Ministry at Bethany creates spaces for men to grow in the Word, walk in accountability, strengthen their faith, and build meaningful connection with other men who desire to follow Christ.
From Bible studies and connect groups to breakfasts, retreats, fellowship nights, and one-day events, these gatherings are designed to help men answer God’s call with strength, humility, and purpose.
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Download Men’s Ministry PDFA seasonal study helping men align with God’s purpose.
Faith, fellowship, food, and teaching that speaks to men.
Relaxed nights of food, fun, and fellowship.
A deeper encounter with healing, renewal, and strength in Christ.
In-depth study designed for men and their biblical calling.
Reconnect after retreat and continue encouraging one another.
A family-style event that supports retreat needs and scholarships.
Small groups built for discipleship, prayer, and accountability.
Speakers, sessions, panels, lunch, and challenge for all ages.
Men’s Wake Up Call is available to men to enroll in twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. It is designed to help men answer the biblical call to be the priest of their home, their church, their workplace and their community. This is done through a study which encourages men to align themselves with God’s purpose for them.
Men’s Wake Up Call is a great opportunity for men to:
There are 2 Men’s Breakfasts scheduled for the year each spring. The breakfasts are a gathering of men who wish to celebrate their faith with each other and to share great food together. The breakfasts also have a speaker speaking on issues important and meaningful to men.
There are 2 opportunities to attend a men’s BBQ and Bonfire. The events are a night full of food, fun and fellowship. The BBQs are usually one in the late spring and the other is in the early fall. The BBQs are a great opportunity to expand your circle of men.
Come on out and enjoy some great food, fellowship and fun. The events are open to all men.
Many men have spent years living out their Christianity in their own power, not realizing how weak and broken they truly are. Like many men, we seem to believe that because we are Christians, no one is supposed to know that we have struggles. After loving and serving God for several years, many men come to a new point in their life of truly believing that God accepts us for who we are, and eventually we need to accept ourselves for who we are in Christ.
“9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (ESV)
The Strong Enough Retreat’s goals are designed to strengthen your faith and its application in your daily life, renew yourself spiritually, and build community through lasting friendships with other like-minded men. At Bethany, we want other men to experience true forgiveness and healing and to know that they are not alone in their walk.
Over the last couple of decades, well over 1,000 men from various churches have experienced an encounter with God and His Spirit over their weekend experiences.
There is an opportunity for men to gather and learn about their biblical calling as priests. Every spring there will be a Bible study offered for men, by men, to take a deep dive into a certain Book of the Bible, or a passage or set of passages pertaining to men. This year it is a deep dive into the Armor of God.
The Armor of God as stated in Ephesians 6:10-18 is there for us to put on and fend off the fiery darts of the evil one. This class is an eight-week study designed to encourage men with an in-depth look at each piece of God’s armor, including prayer as the seventh piece of armor.
The Strong Enough Reunion Breakfast is a breakfast where men who had attended the Strong Enough Retreat can reconnect with the men they shared an incredible weekend with a short time ago.
The reunion breakfast will share the Word, prayer, and insights into what is ahead for them as men of the Word. It is an opportunity to catch up with their brothers of the Word and a chance to encourage each other.
The Annual Family Pasta Dinner Fundraiser is a great opportunity to come out and support the Strong Enough Men’s Ministry. The pasta and sauce is made by the SEMM team and their wives. It is homemade and plentiful, so come on out and enjoy a great meal and support the men of Bethany.
The funds raised with this feast all go toward helping the men obtain the supplies necessary for the SEMM retreats as well as to help support their scholarship fund.
The Bethany Men’s Connect Groups meet in the spring and the fall. The group is a powerful discipleship tool for men to get connected and to walk arm in arm with their brothers in Christ.
The connect group format is designed to be small in size and powerful in outcome. The group will walk through a specific study which is pertinent to men and their walk with Christ.
The groups pray together, study together, hold each other accountable in their walk, and they experience life together. All men are encouraged to come out and experience the church the way it was meant to be.
The One Day Event is a gathering of men who wish to be challenged in their walk. It will feature speakers, break-out sessions, as well as panel discussions. A fantastic lunch will be provided as well.
This is a great opportunity for men of all ages to gather together, learn more about our walk, and pour into others.
Whether you are just getting started or have been walking with the Lord for years, Bethany Men’s Ministry offers meaningful opportunities to grow in faith, find brotherhood, and be strengthened in the call God has placed on your life.
Bethany’s Men’s Ministry is led with a desire to see men become strong in Christ, grounded in truth, and faithful in every area of life. Through discipleship, retreats, and community, men are encouraged to grow in spiritual leadership, brotherhood, and biblical conviction.
