Of food and fellowship, this one is for the boys: NGU’s men’s breakfast
C.J. Eldridge, Staff Writer
It’s vital for Christians to have a community of like-minded people to rely on and grow deeper in their faith with. The men’s breakfast seeks to provide men with this opportunity – and to kick off the day with a hearty meal.
This is a relatively new campus event created by Brett Plyler, who began his time at North Greenville slightly under two years ago. Plyler explained that historically there has been a lot of female ministry but not as much on the male side. He was brought on, to some extent, to do the “male side of student ministry.”
“I think a lot of guys, especially in today’s day and age, are prone to complacency and lean towards apathy,” Plyler said. “We don’t operate well in isolation . . . I wanted to create a space where guys can come in, guys can see that there are other men who are pursuing the Lord or just other men who enjoy their life that aren’t faking it, that are genuine and have a good time following Jesus,” he said.
When he was younger, Plyler went to men’s breakfasts that his father had done. So he decided to try it at NGU. Around 30 people showed up to the first breakfast. That number has doubled for the most recent one, which was held in the Craft-Hemphill Mission Control Center.
There is not yet a set schedule for when these events are to be held. However, Plyler wants to have a men’s breakfast to start and end the semesters.
There are many takeaways to be had from this. Plyler wants a place of encouragement where the individual can see he is not alone as he goes through the tough aspects of college life.
“I want them to walk away with a better understanding of the body of Christ and their identity in Christ. I want people to see God rightly. I want people to feel seen, to feel loved, to feel encouraged and to feel convicted . . . Ultimately, I want them to know God. I want them to see how God has wired them, to see how God has created them,” Plyler said.
The men’s breakfast isn’t meant to be a one and done. Plyler’s goal is for attendees to look after and disciple one another in the months between.
And there is the food side of things – of course. There were Chick-fil-a biscuits catered in and yogurt parfaits for breakfast on April 13. At a previous breakfast, they had several people make casseroles. They want to do something different every time.
“One of my favorite verses is in Proverbs. It says ‘He who has friends shows himself friendly.’ And I think there’s a lot of people who are looking for a friend to reach out to them . . . My encouragement would be [that] you be that friend,” Plyler said.
Participating in the next men’s breakfast is one of those opportunities to be a friend for new people or vice versa. It is a starting point to form a network of people to rely on and help you grow.
Graham Ford, a student who attended the most recent breakfast, said, “Seeing that we all kind of have, that we all deal with certain things, but that we can be open with those things – how important that is. Because there are a lot of people that struggle with the same things as us, and so when we know that, we get to see that it’s not just us but how we can help each other.”
Attending the men’s breakfast doesn’t cost a cent. All it requires is an hour out of your day in the early morning, but that hour could lead to a lifetime of fellowship.
