Session 13 · Going Deeper
Opportunity Map
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WHYZMEN · SESSIONS 11 AND 13 · A MAP, NOT A MENU
The Opportunity Map
Where your mission might go to work: sorted by who you serve and how you give
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep
hunger meet.” Frederick Buechner
Start with your sentence, not this list
At Session 11 you wrote: “I do ____ for ____ so that ____.” This map is built from the two blanks you
have already filled. It is not a buffet to browse. It is a map you read with your mission as the compass.
Read it in three steps
1. Find your row. Your “for whom” names the people. Rows A to H below are eight groups of people.
Pick the closest one.
2. Find your column. Your T-shirt verbs came from four families on the Session 11 verb bank: MAKE,
GATHER, TEND, CARRY. Most men’s verbs cluster in one or two.
3. Read where they cross. That square holds two to five candidates. The one your Field Tests said
gave you energy is usually the one.
USED TWICE
At Session 11, for Field Test 2 (Two Doors): your row tells you which organizations to call. “Where
does my ‘for whom’ actually live?”
At Session 13, for your experiment and your triad project: your square gives you a short list, and
your doors tell you which one to pick.
The marks
◆ Triad-sized. One outing of about three hours that three men can do together. These are ready-
made triad projects.
How often tells you the commitment: once · monthly · weekly · a season · on call. For a first mile,
smaller is better. A “weekly” can start as a single visit.
The eight rows: A Children and teens · B Young men and young adults · C Older adults, the sick and the
dying · D Men carrying heavy loads · E Refugees and newcomers · F Neighbors and neighborhoods · G
Organizations that need what you know · H Men like us
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ROW A · FOR WHOM
Children and teens
Where they are: Urban Impact (Hill District) · Imani Christian Academy · The Pittsburgh Project · NCC youth · Pine
Valley Camp · Cori Foundation
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE Build furniture or playground equipment for a Urban Impact · a season
build · create · youth program Pittsburgh Project
repair · restore
Toy-making for children in need ◆ Woodworkers · World once
Vision
A cogenerative project: youth and men as peers Urban Impact · a season
on a real problem (park, garden, mural, trail) Pittsburgh Project
GATHER A youth-group panel: three men, three short NCC youth once
connect · host · stories ◆
convene ·
welcome Imani · Urban Impact weekly
Start or coach a youth chess club
after-school
Coach a sport as a mentoring platform Urban Impact a season
(basketball, flag football, golf clinic, fishing
tournament)
“Fish with a Kid” day, joined to a stream clean-up Urban Impact · once
◆ Pittsburgh Project
Summer camp support Urban Impact · Pine a season
Valley Camp
TEND After-school tutoring and mentoring Urban Impact weekly
teach · mentor ·
listen · comfort A 30-minute weekly check-in with one student; Imani · public schools weekly
or reading partner for an early reader
Career day presenter; career conversations with Imani once
high schoolers ◆
Financial literacy for teens: budgeting, investing Urban Impact · NCC a season
basics, work ethic youth
Firearm-safety teaching at a sporting-clays day Skeet shooters once
◆
Anti-bullying support for kids and parents Cori Foundation varies
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Your verbs What you could do Where How often
CARRY Legacy recording: youth interview an older man; Imani · Urban Impact · once
serve · steward · he learns technology from them (reverse NCC youth
accompany ·
deliver mentoring) ◆
A child-sponsorship cohort: men sponsor World Vision monthly
children together and follow their stories
Cross-generational reading partnership Imani · Urban Impact monthly
Create or grow a scholarship endowment Imani a season+
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ROW B · FOR WHOM
Young men and young adults
Where they are: North Hills Community Outreach · The Pittsburgh Project · Urban Impact Saturday workshops ·
NCC young adults
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE “Fix something” Saturdays: teach trades skills Urban Impact · monthly
build · create · (woodworking, plumbing, electrical) Pittsburgh Project
repair · restore
Lead a summer work crew Pittsburgh Project a season
GATHER A career-shadowing day in your professional Imani · NCC young once
connect · host · world ◆ adults
convene ·
welcome NCC · Urban Impact once
A grilling or cooking class on life skills for young
men ◆
TEND Career mentoring for job-seekers North Hills Community weekly
teach · mentor · Outreach
listen · comfort
A trades apprenticeship with one teenager Pittsburgh Project a season
Coffee with a younger man, continued from Field Your own circle monthly
Test 3
CARRY Financial literacy coaching North Hills Community monthly
serve · steward · Outreach
accompany ·
deliver
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW C · FOR WHOM
Older adults, the sick and the dying
Where they are: Bridges Hospice · Gateway Hospice · Lamb of God Ministries · NCC pastoral care · local senior
facilities
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE Legacy life-story recording for hospice patients Bridges · Gateway monthly
build · create ·
repair · restore A small home-repair job for a senior who can’t do Pittsburgh Project · once
it ◆ NCC
GATHER Lead a group time in a senior-care facility Lamb of God monthly
connect · host · Ministries
convene ·
welcome A “Great Books” discussion, chess or game Senior facilities once
afternoon at a nursing home ◆
TEND Adopt a resident: one man, one person; cards, Senior facilities weekly
teach · mentor · chess, reading aloud, a meal
listen · comfort
Hospital visits with NCC pastoral care; prayer NCC pastoral care as needed
partner to a chaplain
Caregiver respite: sit with the patient so the Bridges · Gateway monthly
spouse can rest
CARRY Hospice companion; “No One Dies Alone” vigils; Bridges · Gateway on call
serve · steward · read Scripture or literature aloud
accompany ·
deliver
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW D · FOR WHOM
Men carrying heavy loads: recovery, reentry, grief, isolation,
veterans
Where they are: Light of Life Rescue Mission · Network of Life · VA facilities · NCC care ministries · your own
street
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
GATHER Host a game night or cookout at a residential Light of Life once
connect · host · program ◆
convene ·
welcome Light of Life monthly
Overnight hospitality hosting
Invite an isolated man to a meal; check in every Your neighborhood · biweekly
other week NCC
TEND Recovery mentoring and sobriety accountability Network of Life · Light weekly
teach · mentor · partner of Life
listen · comfort
Reentry mentoring for men released from prison: Light of Life weekly
job skills, an accountability friendship
Grief companion to a recently widowed man (a NCC weekly
friend, not a counselor)
Men’s discipleship alongside residents Light of Life weekly
CARRY Visit veterans and listen to the stories that need VA facilities monthly
serve · steward · telling
accompany ·
deliver VA · Light of Life as needed
Connect a veteran or returning citizen to
benefits, housing or work
Errands for a homebound man Your neighborhood · as needed
NCC
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW E · FOR WHOM
Refugees and newcomers
Where they are: Steps of Boaz / United Somali Bantu · Agapao · More Grace Outreach · local literacy councils
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE Furniture delivery and setting up a household ◆ Steps of Boaz once
build · create ·
repair · restore
GATHER A cultural-exchange dinner ◆ Steps of Boaz · More once
connect · host · Grace
convene ·
welcome Cross-cultural friendship, one family at a time More Grace · Agapao monthly
TEND English conversation partner or ESL tutor Steps of Boaz · literacy weekly
teach · mentor · councils
listen · comfort
Teach American systems: banking, the DMV, Steps of Boaz · Agapao once
health care ◆
Job-search coaching Steps of Boaz monthly
CARRY Volunteer driver Steps of Boaz · Agapao on call
serve · steward ·
accompany ·
deliver
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW F · FOR WHOM
Neighbors and neighborhoods
Where they are: North Hills Community Outreach · More Grace · The Pittsburgh Project · Pittsburgh Parks
Conservancy · neighborhood associations
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE A home-repair team ◆ Pittsburgh Project once
build · create ·
repair · restore Neighborhood beautification; tree planting; a More Grace · civic a season
garden in a food desert partners
Trail building or maintenance Pittsburgh Parks monthly
Conservancy
GATHER A community cookout as a friendship event ◆ NCC · your block once
connect · host ·
convene · A charity event for a mission partner: golf World Vision · NHCO once
welcome
scramble, sporting clays, BBQ
Block-level conversations; a neighborhood Your neighborhood monthly
association; a neighborhood watch built on
relationships
Host a nonpartisan civic forum on a local issue Community groups once
TEND Adult literacy tutoring Local literacy councils weekly
teach · mentor ·
listen · comfort A men’s health-screening or mental-health NCC · health partners once
awareness event
CARRY Food pantry shift; move furniture and appliances North Hills Community once
serve · steward · ◆ Outreach
accompany ·
deliver River clean-up day on the Three Rivers ◆ Watershed groups once
Adopt a park or a trail section; speak up for it at Pittsburgh Parks monthly
the city Conservancy
Disaster-relief supply drive ◆ World Vision once
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW G · FOR WHOM
Organizations that need what you know: nonprofits,
churches, small businesses
Where they are: MissionCo · SCORE · Family Guidance · board seats at Urban Impact and Imani · Pine Valley
Camp
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
MAKE Strategic planning for a smaller nonprofit; MissionCo a season
build · create · business-as-mission consulting
repair · restore
A work day: camp construction and landscaping, Pine Valley Camp · once
or a school facilities project ◆ Imani
GATHER Donor stewardship or fundraising leadership NHCO · Imani · Pine a season
connect · host · Valley
convene ·
welcome Cater a mission-partner event (smoker and grill) Any partner once
◆
TEND Mentor a small-business owner SCORE monthly
teach · mentor ·
listen · comfort Advise entrepreneurs in underserved MissionCo · SCORE monthly
communities
Parent-coaching support; help facilitate a men’s Family Guidance weekly
group
CARRY A board or advisory seat Urban Impact · Imani monthly
serve · steward ·
accompany · Program awareness and referral network Family Guidance as needed
deliver
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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ROW H · FOR WHOM
Men like us: in the church and next door
Where they are: NCC · old friendship circles · men who won’t come to “church stuff”
Your verbs What you could do Where How often
GATHER Host “The Porch”: a meal at your home and one Your home once
connect · host · real question ◆
convene ·
welcome Your home · NCC once
A cigar-and-wine or chess evening for men wary
of church ◆
A men’s book club by interest: leadership, faith, NCC monthly
history, biography
A game-night rotation that includes a new or Rotating homes monthly
isolated man
TEND A hiking group for men recovering from illness or Local parks monthly
teach · mentor · surgery
listen · comfort
Lead “Forest Church”: an outdoor walk with Local parks · trails once
Scripture and reflection ◆
CARRY A WhyzMen fishing trip or retreat Pine Valley · local once
serve · steward · streams
accompany ·
deliver
IF THIS IS YOUR ROW
A door I could knock on (Field Test 2):
What they said they need · more energy or less?
The square that fits my verbs: MAKE · GATHER · TEND · CARRY
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BEYOND THE FIRST MILE
Groups That Could Grow from WhyzMen
Not for Session 13. These are Rung 3 and beyond on the Cogenerative Ladder: structures, not single
projects. Bring them to First Fruits.
• WhyzMen Micro-Cohorts. 4–6 graduates meeting every other week, grouped by vocation (health
care, business, education, trades) or shared interest.
• The Barnabas Network. Men matched across age for mutual encouragement and mentoring.
• Men’s Grief and Loss Group. Peer support for bereavement, career loss, health decline; led by
trained graduates.
• WhyzQuest Adventure Groups. Trail sections, cycling, wilderness retreats as a setting for deep
conversation.
• The Porch, as a monthly habit. Rotating homes, a shared meal, one substantive question.
• Legacy Project Teams. A small team takes on one community problem for 12–18 months,
cogenerative style.
• Business as Mission Network. Men with business experience matched to social enterprises and
mission partners.
• WhyzMen Beyond NCC. Cohorts in other Pittsburgh-area churches using the same curriculum.
For men who think at scale
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals give global language to local work. Your row, in their
words:
A · Children and teens Quality Education (4)
B · Young men Quality Education (4) · Decent Work (8)
C · Older adults, the dying Good Health and Well-Being (3)
D · Heavy loads Good Health (3) · Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (16)
E · Refugees and newcomers Reduced Inequalities (10)
F · Neighborhoods No Poverty (1) · Zero Hunger (2) · Sustainable Cities (11)
G · Organizations Partnerships for the Goals (17)
H · Men like us Good Health and Well-Being (3)
“Meaning cannot be invented, only discovered.” after Viktor Frankl
This map shows where to look. Your mission tells you which direction to go.
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