There’s a gap in church according to David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church and How Women Help Men Find God. Murrow, who now operates Church for Men, says, “Women comprise more than 60% of the adults in the typical worship service in America. Some overseas congregations report ten women for every man in attendance.”
So why the gap?
Murrow suggests that some men feel many areas of the Christian church have become overly feminized and do not resonate with men. Guys have a hard time doing church. Even as an elder in his own church Murrow confesses, “I was dying of boredom.”
He wasn’t seeing the type of men he saw in the Bible, bold men taking huge risks for God.
Jesus shows us the example of a man who lived, fought, and died for his mission, but the only Jesus Murrow saw portrayed was one with children in His lap.
He felt something was missing.
The Mission
At Church for Men, Murrow gives tips on how to create an environment where men thrive.
1. Pray.
For men who won’t set foot in church, perhaps he feels the same way that David Murrow once felt. Begin by praying for them.
2. Follow the mission of Christ.
Christ is a strong, powerful and dangerous man who has an impossible mission for you – “Follow me.” It is a dangerous and demanding mission that is natural for men.
“The story written on the hearts of men is the story of Jesus, but few men realize it.”
3. Have guy-friendly activities for the youth to help them experience the lessons.
“A man’s pursuit of God is often a physical experience as much as a mental one.”
Giving boys opportunities for healthy kinetic expression helps them experience God more fully.
4. Build leaders.
If we teach the calling for men to become the spiritual leaders in their home, then we must equip them for the role.
But what about right now?
In his chapter, “How to Get James Bond to Go to Church,” Murrow really explores the mission of Christ and the call to serve others and taking risk for the sake of the Kingdom.
Because of quarantine restrictions and concerns, few of us are setting foot in a church building as regularly as we used to, but God’s call for men and their place in the church still applies.
“Men need the church but, more importantly, the church needs men.”
We can live this out now just as we have been discussing this month, through mentorship, small groups, and ties with other guys for the sake of the Kingdom.
Men, stay connected to other men. Women, help fill the gap by encouraging the men in your life as they take the church outside the walls, incorporate these ideas, and make true disciples of Jesus.