Barry's Blog

Although Christians like to say that "every soul matters," many church leaders are specifically targeting men, they believe, in the hopes that the next generation of believers will find their way to the faith. Just last week, USA Today ran a cover story titled, "At Nation's Churches, Guys Are Few in the Pews," which chronicled this relatively new niche ministry of local churches.

One church highlighted in the article, 121 Community Church, outside of Dallas, was even begun with men in mind. No pastel colors or flowers, or traditional organ music can be found at 121, and the worship center's stone floor, and hunter green and amber decor, with rustic beam ceilings, screams out loud, "Guy Church!!" Ross Sawyers, founding pastor of 121, reasons that: "If a child comes to Christ, 12% of his whole family will follow, if the mom comes, there's a 15% chance the family will, but if the man comes to church, 90% of the time the entire family will follow."

The statistics from recent surveys seem to support Sawyers' contention, and the dilemma facing churches to attract men. Women are the majority in 21 of 25 Christian denominations; 45% of women, and only 34% of men, attend worship at least weekly; and 31% of men and 27% of women say they never go to church, not even on holidays. While literally decades of traditional ministries and men's groups in most churches, even the macho, all-men rallies of the 1990's Promise Keepers, haven't made much of a dent in the traditional religious practices of most American males.

Blame the church, not the men, argues David Murrow, author of the book, "Why Men Hate Going to Church." Murrow contends that "warm, nurturing churches ignore men's need to face the epic struggles of living for Christ." He even offers a free downloadable action plan, "Go for the Guys," that advises pastors how to infuse "adventure, challenge, boldness, competition, ferocity and fun," into church life. Murrow describes a gathering a few years ago of comedian Brad Stine's GodMen ministry, that featured karate fights, car chases, and a song with lyrics urging, "No more nice guy, timid and ashamed...Grab a sword, don't be scared - be a man, grow a pair!!"

Brandon O'Brien, who was quoted in the USA Today article and recently covered this story in Christianity Today, countered that those who prefer lattes and books to bows and arrows are equally able to embody Christ-like qualities. "Guy Church" pastors should not forget that "humanity in the image of Christ is not aggressive and combative; it is humble and poor."  But as congregations, primarily across the Sun Belt, are holding "Beast  Feasts," where the flock's outdoorsmen invite their unchurched male buddies to a game banquet, in the hopes of winning them to Christ, we can rest assured that there aren't a lot of Starbucks lattes at the church banquet where your host may have shot your supper!

"Men are driven by activity, by events, by doing. That's our nature," says Mark Estep, a pastor near Houston. "Beast Feasts, Fishing. Hunting. Golf...They build bonds with each other. That's the open door into their heart. Then you can begin to talk about their spiritual condition...A man is far more apt to come to a church event if another man asks him. It his wife asks him, he'll interpret that as nagging," he offers.

PLESE POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW
As you reflect on the "Guy Church," it would be helpful to hear your thoughts, posted below, so that others can benefit from your perspective. You need not leave your name unless you want to do so. Here are a few questions to stimulate your thinking.

1. What are your general thoughts and impressions of churchs that exclusively target men to build their church? Are there any Scriptural passages that come to mind that either support or argue against a niche ministry focused exclusively toward men? 

2. Do you think traditional churches, which tend to accentuate a "warm, fuzzy, and nurturing" culture, create a repellent  culture for most men? Are churches guilty of wrapping the Gospel in a man-repellent package? 

3. Would professional men who are interested in exploring the Christian faith be more open to this kind of niche church for men than a traditional church? Why or why not?

4. Do you believe significant involvement and membership in a local church is critical for the growth and cultivation of one's Christian faith? Can it be equally accomplished outside of the local church? Why or why not? 

Please share your thoughts and observations with others below.