A number of years ago I received a telephone call from Colin Cuthbert from Christian Prison Ministries Scotland inviting me to a men’s Saturday morning breakfast in the community centre at Kirkfieldbank Lanark . I asked Colin how he had obtained my name and telephone number. I was politely but firmly told “I’m not telling you with the sound of a mischievous laugh “Out of curiosity I drove the 28 miles from my home in Newmilns Ayrshire the following weekend for what was the start of something which was to change my thinking and direction regarding my own individual walk with the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. “ John: 8 v 36.

When I arrived at the community centre car park there met me a fantastic aroma of cooked bacon wafting out of the open main doors and enticing my taste buds ---I can smell it now as I type . When I finally went inside, I was received warmly by the men sitting at the tables awaiting the weight watchers nightmare calorie counter. A big traditional Scottish breakfast with seconds to follow if you could eat more. There were men from various churches gathered together and after we had our breakfast we had a time of praise and worship to the Lord, before the speaker was introduced.

Many relationships were forged in that room and men would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour, deliverer and healer, as the Holy Spirit moved among us. There was never any discussion about men’s churches being better than others, but it was the opposite that men were being encouraged to be positive and to take back into their own fellowships that which they had received so that they would encourage and build up men spiritually. After a number of years of attending the breakfast meetings it was stopped, as it was felt that it had run its course in the plan and purposes of God. So very often we keep things going when in reality it should have stopped a long time ago, but because of our own ideas and ego we continue – It’s like the quote -you are trying to flog a dead horse when it’s already dead and buried a long time ago. We do that so many times and don’t listen to what God is telling us to do and don’t move into new pastures of ministries and experiences which would be of benefit to ourselves and others. Kirkfieldbank gatherings finished but the experiences and the men that I met continue to be fresh in my memory.

About three years later I was at a gathering of fellow brothers in the Lord to discuss what we should be doing to encourage others and if we should start a Full gospel business meeting in the town of Kilmarnock. This meeting came about after being away to a Full Gospel Business men’s weekend retreat and the need to start some kind of gathering to encourage and bring others into an experience of being introduced to the Lord Jesus and also to build men up spiritually. But I felt that the Lord wanted the men to start a breakfast on a Saturday morning and to take it to the churches in Ayrshire rather than having it in one place. Other men present also had the same idea and it was agreed that we would seek a church hall in the local area, and it would be modelled on the Kirkfieldbank breakfast gatherings with the men being asked to be involved in preparing and cooking a traditional Scottish breakfast. This would be men serving other men and being involved in foot washing ministries. The gatherings would be called “Men of Ayrshire “Breakfast meetings. A brother called Paul Dowden made a suggestion that we should also have in our leaflets “I must be about My Fathers business” This is what we should be doing at all times and be sensitive to the Lords’ promptings . Men of Ayrshire would also be non-denominational in its function and be part of Christian Prison Ministries Scotland and our pastoral leader and covering would be Colin Cuthbert . Why did we go down that route? We had a number of men involved from other fellowships and we did not want one particular fellowship to be seen as being in control and pardon the terminology seen to be sheep stealing we also wanted to break down the walls of suspicion which we have seen and no doubt built up over the years towards other Christians and fellowships through ignorance and miss- informed story telling.

 We had our first breakfast over a year ago in Irvine Emanuel Centre with our first speaker being Colin Cuthbert. The breakfast gatherings have now been going for over a year within the area of Ayrshire and we will go where we can get a hall with cooking facilities and an invite. There is expectancy when we have a breakfast that God is in our gatherings during the preparation of the hall and the cooking of the breakfast even before the men arrive. When the breakfast commences it’s great to hear the banter and the men talking around the breakfast table sharing there own experiences and encouraging others and breaking down the walls and developing relationships. Our aim is also that men who normally would not be asked in there own church setting be involved in the breakfast i.e. – open in prayer, introduce the speaker ECT. There are many young , middle age and more mature men who have gifting in the natural and also the spiritual who need to be encouraged to develop their gifts and ministries and take it back to there own fellowships and encourage others . The amazing thing about our times together is that as in psalm 133 where the brethren dwell together in unity there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore .God is in the house and boy we even feel it during the praise and times of ministry while doing the dishes and tidying up .I just love to be in His presence and see other men being ministered too. Fantastic – Great big God tiny little devil. Since we started I have been very much aware and open to the fact that we have so much to learn from each other and its not you in your small corner and I in mine and never the twain shall meet. But I believe that we can encourage each other in the Lord Jesus and that which you and my fellow brothers have in your Christian faith and experiences can have a positive life changing impact on other men because you have a lot to give and also receive, from others, and as you share your experiences they can be imparted and taken back to our fellowships for the building up and common good for the releasing  of men for the Kingdom of God for such a time and day in our churches and communities. Mighty men of integrity and valour who will posses the land and take back that which the enemy has stolen from us. Our salvation and promises of victory and repossession of the land and nations of the world has been bought not with the silver and gold of this world but by the sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection of my saviour, friend and the one who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Mighty Jesus Christ God’s only Son. The Men of Ayrshire breakfast have on average about 25 to 30 men gathering together for fellowship, fun and ministry the third Saturday of the month and where there is an invite or hall . My dear friend that is what the “Men of Ayrshire “is all about serving the church and the building up of men .  

  Harry Dearie