churches in their geographic region 52 weeks a year. ISI network ministries engage pastors and men’s leaders in ongoing relationships, providing training, coaching, equipping and resources. These vital resources help the church reach and build their men. While training and equipping local churches is the heartbeat of the regional ministries, the most visible resource is the one-day equipping conference held each year for men of all ages.
Equip
Iron Sharpens Iron is an equipping conference for men. We not only seek to build up men as individuals, but we strive to help and support the local church by providing seminars to equip men to minister to other men in their own local church. Our main objective is to support you, the local church pastor and your men’s ministry leaders.
Growth
This conference is not just for the leaders. You just never know who God is incubating a new ministry in. You may have a man sitting in the wings right now that God is preparing to use to minister to other men. Don’t limit your men’s ministry leadership to just a few. Bring as many men as you can and help them to spread their ministry wings.
Fellowship
We encourage you to bring any and all of your men to ISI. It is a great time for your men to experience being with other men from other churches in your community and region, fostering unity in the Body of Christ.
Worship
During the three main sessions, ISI provides a masculine worshipful atmosphere where any man can engage the risen and living God. The music will be from the ISI Worship Band and will be Spirit-filled praise and worship blending both classic hymns and contemporary Christian music geared towards men.
What Set’s Iron Sharpens Iron Apart from Other Men’s Events?
Distinctive #1 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are a resource offered by a regional ministry that serves local churches by equipping them to reach, disciple and mobilize men. This conference is not targeted to individual men but rather to local churches. Each regional ministry believes it is the responsibility of the local church to reach and disciple men and that the regional ministry hosting the conference is present all year long to serve and to help churches.
Distinctive #2 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences give regional visibility to the regional ministry. “Iron Sharpens Iron” is a network of ministries, not a national organization. Men in full-time vocational ministry lead these local, boots-on-the-ground ministries. These local leaders raise their families in the area, know the local turf and are passionate for their region. The conference is a one-day resource but the regional ministry leadership serves local churches fifty-two weeks each year. Revenue generated from the conference stays local and serves, in part, to help sustain the ministry year-round.
Distinctive #3 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences offer sixteen different equipping seminars designed specifically for men. The focus is on training and resourcing men to live for Christ in all areas of life. The seminar topics are specific to men and are rarely offered in the context of local church ministry. The conference does open and close with all the men together for a time of masculine worship and exhortative keynote messages from gifted national speakers, but the meat of the day are the equipping seminars.
Distinctive #4 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are for men of all ages (13 and up). The conference platform intentionally promotes and encourages inter-generational ministry. The conviction is that manhood begins early and that men of all ages need encouragement to finish strong for Christ. Seminars are designed to be specific to different men in different seasons of life. Seminars are targeted for Emerging Men (age 13-19); Pioneering Men (age 20-29); Full Throttle Men (age 30-55) and Seasoned Men (age 55+).
Distinctive #5 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are trustworthy. They occur once a year – every year – in the same location and in the same place in the calendar. The intention of the conference is to be a resource that local churches can trust and depend on. The ISI Men’s Conference is a reliable resource that can be added to the calendar of the local church. For example, 2021 will be our 15th consecutive year serving churches in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota through our Orland Park, Beloit, Davenport, and Cedar Rapids conferences.
Distinctive #6 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are one-day conferences. They start at 8:30 AM and end at 4:00 PM. Men can begin their day at home and have dinner at the end of the day at home. The (group) registration cost is $56 ($40 for students) (prices include lunch) and the one-day format eliminates extensive travel and lodging costs. This conference model is ideal in serving the majority of men.
Distinctive #7 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are “live”. There are no webcasts, simulcasts, telecasts, or videotaped portions of the conference. All speakers and musicians are live and in-person at the event, available for the men to interact with.
Distinctive #8 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are Christ-centered and are a resource to different churches across different denominations. The statement of faith is that of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). The conference is intentionally a ‘safe place’ where denominational distinctives are not emphasized but rather there is an emphasis on the unity found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Distinctive #9 Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences are “national” men’s conferences. The ISI conference network reaches out to churches all over the nation. Each conference features national ministries and resources that are specific to men and church-based ministry to men. The keynote speakers have a national platform with men and the seminar presenter line-up is comprised of leaders who are nationally known for their expertise in ministry to men.