#120 Holy Smoke a Method of Men’s Ministry
Premise
It can be incredibly difficult to get men together to talk about God, especially non-christian men. Yet Holy Smoke has found that most men are willing to go smoke a cigar and talk about God. When everyone is smoking a cigar, everyone has something to do, to enjoy, and a reason to be together other than the Bible. I have personally witnessed many non-christian men come to the group over and over again for the comradery of cigars which ultimately led them to becoming Christians. There are a great deal of non believing men who smoke cigars and spend their days in cigar shops who otherwise might never be reached by Christianity. Yet Holy Smoke meets them where they are, and brings them to Christ.
The Origins to Now
Holy Smoke is a non profit organization started by Eric Tienken Joe Basile and several others. There are now over 10 Holy Smoke groups meeting across the country weekly with over 100 active members. The premise of this group is that it is a place for men to be men and learn about God. The plan seems to be to start as many of these groups as possible until there is one in every major city across America. Holy Smoke members attend cigar conferences and have even launched several cigars to aid in the promotion of the idea.
How they Operate
The way the groups operate generally is that they meet weekly for 1.5-3 hours. The original group gets together at 3pm to eat and hang out and has a Bible study that starts at 4pm and continues until about 5:30pm. There are two regular group leaders who take turns guiding the group through a passage of scripture.
The Three Rules
Once the actual meeting starts at 4pm it opens with a presentation of the three rules of Holy Smoke which are 1. Said here stays here 2. Participate 3. Be yourself.
The Coin
We then present our challenge coins and hear an explanation of what the challenge is. By carrying the coin members commit to praying for other members of the group daily as they feel the coin in their pocket. It is also a commitment to invite others to be a part of the group. Thirdly it is a challenge, if you see another member of the group and they do not have their coin you have to buy them a cigar.
The Bible Study Format
The groups work their way through Scripture at a slow pace giving men time to ask questions, argue, and potentially come to an agreement on the meaning and application of a passage. The group leader acts as a sort of facilitator. They have studied the text, they ask questions about the text, and help the conversation along. In a given meeting 1-12 verses with an average of four verses will be worked through with the facilitator asking 5-10 questions.
My Conclusions
I have seen old men who have never heard of God. Who curse constantly, who have no relationship with their children. I have seen those men come to Holy Smoke and then to Christ. I have seen them stop cursing and reconnecting with their children. This is normal for Holy Smoke. Additionally, I have observed that seminary students like myself are challenged with questions and ideas we have never considered, leading us closer to God and shaping us into better teachers of the Word.
This sort of group is clearly not for everyone yet it might be the only thing for some men. Those men who cannot be reached in any other way my heart and prayer goes out to them. To see them come to Christ is a blessed thing indeed.
