How to Start One That Actually Works

Why most men’s groups in the UK fail

The majority of men’s groups in UK churches follow a similar pattern: they begin with good intentions and reasonable attendance, settle into a rhythm of coffee and conversation, gradually lose the men who wanted challenge and depth, and end up as a social occasion for the same six men who would meet anyway. This is not a criticism of the men involved — it is a product of a model that does not account for how men actually engage.

Men engage with challenge, physical activity, clear purpose and genuine accountability. They disengage from vague discussion, passive listening and groups that make no demands of them. A men’s group that requires nothing of its members gets nothing back.

The elements of a men’s discipleship group that works

Clear structure and standing orders

The group must have non-negotiable elements. A start time that is kept. A format that everyone knows. An expectation of preparation — reading something, completing a task, tracking a commitment — before each session. Without structure, men who value structure will stop coming.

Physical challenge alongside the spiritual

Groups that incorporate physical challenge — a shared run before the session, press-up challenges, a ruck march, anything that involves the body — retain men at significantly higher rates than groups that do not. This is not accidental. Men are embodied beings. Doing something physical together, especially something challenging, builds the trust and camaraderie that makes honest conversation possible.

Genuine accountability — not just questions, but records

Each man should have specific commitments he is accountable for from the previous week. Not general impressions of spiritual health but specific measurable actions: did he fast twice this week, did he read scripture every day, did he have the conversation with his wife he committed to. The record is not for shame — it is to make the commitment real.

A leader who does what he teaches

The single most important element of a men’s discipleship group is a leader who is visibly doing the work he is asking others to do. Men will follow a man. They will not follow a programme.

Using the Forged in Faith programme as a group curriculum

The Forged in Faith 28-day programme works exceptionally well as a men’s group curriculum. Each man works through the daily tasks individually during the week. The group meets once a week — four sessions across the 28 days — to review the week’s section (Mind, Body or Spirit), share what God showed them, hold each other to the physical and nutritional commitments, and pray together. The structure is already built. The leader’s job is simply to create the space for honest conversation and hold the group to the standard.

For church leaders interested in using Forged in Faith as a group resource, contact info@forgedinfaith.org.uk for group pricing and facilitator guidance.

→ CTA: Get the Forged in Faith programme for your men’s group — forgedinfaith.org.uk