June 2003 - Evangelicals Now - Christian Newspaper

It was the second London Men's Convention and the numbers had certainly grown from the previous year, with thousands of Christian men from across the denominations packing into the famous concert hall.

The singing is the first thing that strikes you. To hear so many male voices at full volume in joyful praise to God was very exhilarating and moving. The convention is strongly Bible-based and exists to stimulate men's ministry in local churches. We were welcomed into this splendid atmosphere by Richard Coekin who leads the Dundonald church in Wimbledon. From Hebrews 10 Richard emphasised the goals of the convention - to call men to the gospel of Christ, to teach men the evangelical faith of Christ and to encourage men to live for Christ.

The main agenda of the day was to take us through 2 Peter in three chapter-sized chunks, leading us to see our lives in the light of the Second Coming of Christ and so to be 'Men of the Future'. This was all ably handled by Vaughan Roberts of St. Ebbe's, Oxford, David Jackman and evangelist Rico Tice. The tapes are available and for me, especially, the talk by Vaughan Roberts was a real gem. His insightful and realistic applications for men to be steadfast, self-controlled and brotherly towards each other had many of us buzzing with conversation during the break that followed.

Decisions

There were decisions which had to be made this year. With over 4,000 men coming, the Royal Albert Hall had to be the venue, rather than Methodist Central Hall which was filled last year (with many people being turned away). But this meant there were no rooms for a diversity of seminars. (The organisers are hoping to address this next year.) However, the after-lunch slot was handled well, with interviews with men from Schroder's Bank and the Disney Co. about how they had started successful men's ministries in the church and in the workplace. A couple of the men with whom I went to the convention remarked: 'Heh, this is a wonderful place for networking!'

The other decision which had to be made was about lunch. The Royal Albert Hall is not able to deal with food for such a big crowd, so, apart from coffee, it was a 'bring your own lunch' day. This turned out well, with London parks and restaurants within easy walking distance which gave a breath of fresh air. Keeping the price down also meant that all the attendees were provided with a free book to take home: Men of God: growing men's ministry in the local church. This is a superb resource available from the Good Book Company (0845 225 0880).

Expansion

The men I travelled with enjoyed the day immensely and were keen to bring others next year. Great camaraderie was generated. This is a convention full of new ideas and expanding. Men's ministry is of crucial importance. The church has become too feminised to the detriment of both genders. Statistics show that if men are won for Christ they are most likely to influence their whole family.

Next year there will be two conventions: a Northern one in Manchester on May 15 and a London convention on May 22. Simon Manchester from Australia is booked as the speaker, and the theme is Men of the Cross. And the women are not left out. The London Women's Convention is scheduled to kick off in October next year at the Westminster Central Hall.

JEB

More information can be obtained from 0845 225 0899 or on the LMC website: http://www.londonmensconvention.co.uk

London Men's Convention buzzing!

Saturday morning May 10 2003 saw the male of the species out in force, flooding the roads and tube stations around the Royal Albert Hall

Decisions

Expansion

JEB

John Benton

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