One local church has used an unconventional method to start a men’s ministry.

Bethany Baptist Church Pastor Josh Wilson said the church was looking to begin a men’s ministry and decided to try a men’s book study.

The eight-week study is focused on the book titled “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan.

The goal of the study is to answer the question, “since God has shown us his great love, what should be our life response?”

“Typically, men don’t like to read, but we’ve found that more and more men are interested each week,” he said. “For men, getting together they know there is accountability. I know I’m more inclined to stay consistent if there is accountability.

“This is just to help men grow in their relationship with God and help men connect with one another. Men don’t like to sit around and open up, like women do. It gives men a place to share what’s going on in their lives.”

Wilson said there currently are 25 men participating and new men have joined each week.

The group includes men of all ages.

“We typically read a chapter and then discuss it at the next week’s meeting,” Wilson said. “Right now we are in week No. 3.”

There are two options to the program, either from 6 to 7 a.m. on Friday or at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

“We offer these options and it allows the men to make it up, if they miss it,” he said.

“With the morning study, they can do the discussion and can go pick up their kids.”

Wilson said Chan has a Web site, crazylovebook.com, which has video posts that they incorporate into the book study.

When the eight-week session is over, Wilson said the group plans to take a short break and kick off a new session with a book specifically geared to men.