Reclaiming Silence

Dear Leader,

In our modern culture, we’re inundated with constant noise—emails, social media, streaming platforms, advertisements, and more. Even when we’re not physically busy, our minds are often consumed by the endless chatter of information. This relentless noise can make it incredibly difficult to hear the still, small voice of God.

A study by the Barna Group highlighted that Americans spend over 6 hours a day consuming digital media. This perpetual connectivity creates a spiritual obstacle: we often neglect silence, which is essential for hearing from the Lord.

Silence and simplicity are fertile grounds for divine revelation. In contrast, we might ask ourselves: how can God speak if we are never truly quiet?

As leaders, we need to help ourselves and those we lead carve out sacred moments of silence, both individually and collectively.

In Christ,

Insights from the model

CREATING VALUE

When it comes to creating value for men, it's helpful to give them what they need in the context of what they want.

For example, men often don't realize how much they need silence and solitude until they experience it.

What men are likely to communicate is that they want help addressing stress, clarifying their purpose, or growing closer to God.

Providing tools for practicing rest and reflection while highlighting the practical benefits such as improving decision-making and enhancing inner peace can encourage men to engage.

Learn More

Church Highlight

One of the foundational aspects of the No Man Left Behind model is the Three Strands of Leadership.

This includes a pastor who provides visible support, a passionate and dedicated leader, and a committed team to support that leader and the church's overall discipleship efforts.

A client church that I have been serving for some time had the first strand, but they were lacking the other two. Through prayer, dedicated effort, vision-casting, and personal invitations, this church now has a men's leadership team!

This is a huge step forward in discipling all the men of their church, as this team will pray, strategize, cast vision, and strive to know their men.

Your Action Step:

Practice Silence

______________________________

Neal Gittleman is the Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. In a TED talk titled The Power of Silence, Gittleman observes "We don't really like silence. That's why we fill it with background music, talk radio, cat videos, podcasts, and playlists."

"But there isn't enough silence in our lives," he continues. "Our lives are too filled with noise, too filled with distractions, too filled with stuff." Gittleman profoundly states "Silence is nature's beautiful antidote to all that craziness."

Indeed, it is not simply nature, but God's design. Silence, solitude, rest. These are vital elements of the human experience and necessary components to a thriving faith.

Consider the opening line of Silent Night: "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright." This song evokes a sense of peace, a moment untouched by the noise of the world. It calls us to enter that quiet stillness and reflect on the miracle of Christ's birth.

For 400 years before that moment, there was biblical silence. God’s people waited patiently until the Word became flesh (John 1:14). Yet that silence wasn’t empty—it was pregnant with purpose. It teaches us that silence is not the absence of activity but the space where God prepares our hearts for transformation.

For leaders, silence may sometimes appear unproductive. Leadership often seems to demand continuous movement, communication, and action. However, silence remains one of the most powerful tools in a leader's arsenal.

Learning to practice this discipline brings clarity in decision-making as we reflect and discern God's direction for our lives. The Holy Spirit often speaks loudest in silence.

When we prioritize these healthy habits, we demonstrate to those we lead that rest and reflection are essential for spiritual well-being.

Furthermore, when our lives are filled with noise, we are more prone to exhaustion. Leaders who embrace silence are better equipped to sustain their ministry over the long haul.

In this coming season as we celebrate Christ's birth and prepare for his return, let's resist the temptation to fill every moment with activity and noise. As David writes in the Psalms, may our souls wait in silence for God alone (Psalm 62:1).

As leaders, let us not only practice silence ourselves but also create spaces for those we lead to experience the transformative power of secret, quiet, stillness before God.

GO DEEPER WITH THIS POST FROM THE MAN IN THE MIRROR BLOG

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Answers for Men Conference

Join the first-ever Answers for Men event, and bring your sons, nephews, or grandsons! It will be an encouraging time of opening God’s Word and learning that the answers are in Genesis!

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Join an orientation or host your own!

We would love to invite you and your men to be a part of this congregation-changing initiative. Through our campaign, we aim to empower and equip the mature Christian men in your church to become spiritual guides to the next generation of men.

We want to see 10,000 mature Christian men across the country disciple the younger men in their local churches - including your church! Let us help you restore the ancient art of one-to-one, intergenerational men's discipleship.

Together, we can invest in a new generation of strong, compassionate, and godly men who will lead the church for generations to come.

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