A Study in 2000 from Switzerland provides insight on the importance on male attendance on the religious development of children in the country. ‘In summary, if a father does not go to church, no matter how regular the mother is in her religious practice, only one child in fifty becomes a regular church attendee. But if the father attends regularly, then regardless of the practice of the mother, at least one child in three will become a regular church attendee.
Stop and think about that for a moment.
The disparity between “1 in 50” and “1 in 3″ is huge! These facts should cause you to stop and consider how you are designing our church plants. From the color of the curtains to the use of PowerPoint backgrounds, we need to target the men.
If we are honest, much of what the church does appeals to women. Not that I have a problem with women coming to church. In fact, I am thankful for those women who have faithfully served our churches over the decades. All of my Sunday School teachers were Godly women. The issue really becomes an issue of impact. How can we best impact the family? Many experts in the field of family development agree that the American Family is suffering in our nation.
Here is the issue. Women, by in large are far more spiritually inclined. (A mountain of Gallup survey data attests to the idea that women are more religious than men, hold their beliefs more firmly, practice their faith more consistently, and work more vigorously for the congregation,) She may go to church, and the kids may go with her, but there is no guarantee dad will go along. But if the Father catches on fire, he will drag the whole family with him. I heard Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle share on a video The Good Soldier, if want to win the war, you have to win the men. I agree wholeheartedly.
Steve Gallimore, pastor of Tennessee Valley Community Church, recognized this need several years ago and launched a NASCAR series. The church was located in an old car dealership and the stage and worship room was completely set up for this theme. The stage had a set of gummy tires from a racing car and when the service started the speaker roared with the sound of squealing tires and smoke machine added a sense of realism to the burnout. While many may find that kind of service sacrilegious, God used this series to bring hundreds of men into a saving knowledge of Christ and kept them active in the church.
July 25, 2011 at 11:24 am
“Here is the issue. Women, by in large are far more spiritually inclined.”
You have scripture to back this up?
Read more: http://www.churchplanting.com/2011/07/25/planting-churches-that-target-men/#ixzz1T8BRRwf2
July 26, 2011 at 11:34 am
It seems like you’re assuming that if something’s not in Scripture it’s not true. Now, if something is in Scripture as universal truth (not just observation of a specific setting), then I understand.
For instance, the internet exists. It’s not in Scripture, but it’s still true.
You can argue whether or not women are more spiritually inclined by design or not, but what’s written here seems like a general observation of culture that I would support. All the research shows women are more open spiritually than men. I would say that might just be an American thing though.
July 28, 2011 at 5:35 pm
I am not assuming anything. It’s a valid question.
December 10, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Maggie,
I think your question is valid to a point. It is critical that we question our assertions. It appears that Mr. Grey is relying on statistical data to back his comment, and is not making a doctrinal statement here. As a pastor, I have seen a propensity for women to be much more spiritually sensitive than men, so I do not have a personal problem with the assertion made. When I first started the church I had a group of women in the fellowship that did everything. I called them the North Avenue Irregulars (after the Disney movie of the same name). They came faithfully without their husbands. IT took almost a year before I began to get their husbands involved.
If you are looking for Scripture to back up the assertion, I do not believe that you will find anything concrete. It is interesting though, that it was Eve talking to the serpent in the garden and not Adam. It is also notable that the Scriptures place a great emphasis on the importance of men leading their families spiritually.
As a church planter, I place a great importance on getting men involved. This is not because they are better or more important, but because they tend to lead their families – for better or for worse.
I do not know that this will satisfy your concern, but I do hope that it will give you some food for thought.
Sincerely,
Jimmy M
July 25, 2011 at 12:13 pm
AMEN Maggie!
Where’s the line also between an inculturated church plant and a contextual church plant.
I mean do you start having hot dogs, burgers, some party kegs for the men as they enter the service and strategically place the “sermon” where the commercials would go in between plays on the sports game?
That’s a bit far fetched example, but where does the catering to a “popular view of masculinity (i.e. Nascar, Football, etc.) end?
Just remember ” How you catch them is typically how you keep them.” There are ways to participate in the Mission or Lord in Evangelism and Discipleship without tainting the worship of the Church or utilizing marketing gimmicks.
July 25, 2011 at 12:38 pm
There are valid points to both perspectives that should make us sit up amd take notice. The numbers cited from the study make me say, “wow”. There is such a large difference between when men attend and when they don’t that it leads me to ask more questions and seek out answers. At the same time I want to be sure that whatever answers I come to are not an over reaction.
July 28, 2011 at 1:55 pm
We do not need Scripture to prove the obvious. While it is true that the plural of ‘anecdote’ is not ‘evidence,’ when that which is anecdotal is so overwhelmingly obvious we ignore it to our own peril. The feminization of the American church in the last generation has done inestimable damage to the cause of the gospel. I once planted a church in a military town where half of the congregation was made up of active duty and retired Marines. I was more likely to get an “oo-rah’ than an ‘amen.’ There were generally more men than women. Today (25 yrs later & 2k attendance) that church is still half Marine and the leadership understands the dynamic involved. Oh… and while I was there our youth pastor took the high schoolers to a rifle range to shoot his Colt AR-15 assault rifle. We found it was easier to get the girls to shoot guns than to get the guys to bake cookies. Oo-rah, Maggie. You’d have loved it.
))
July 28, 2011 at 5:42 pm
The author stated that women are more spiritually inclined which sounds like a positive thing to be although I don’t know that it is true. You, Phil, are saying that the American church has been feminized to the detriment of the cause of the gospel. This appears oh so conflicted.
October 24, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Phil, that is my kind of Church! oo-rah!
August 4, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Flip me, talk about splitting hairs. Hows this, if we don’t get men saved we do not win society. I work among College students and most of the strong women I know who are following in Jesus in College and who are on fire for Jesus, the fire has gone out in 5 years after they graduate and they marry almost any man because they don’t want to be alone. 60% of people attending University are women!
August 11, 2011 at 10:06 pm
Why the fuss? We simply target men and keep a 50/50 balance in our church. We do it with intention; our women understand it as outreach to an under-evangelized people group. They especially love it when their husbands and sons join them in the Lord
March 13, 2012 at 2:13 pm
I don’t know if women are more spiriatual than men, they may very well be but that’s not why men don’t come to church. In the church there is the perception of the ‘bull in the ring”. The pastor is the head bull and he gets all the attention. Men are more conquest oriented and they cannot deal with the idea that they are not the big cheese. Some men are htreatened by men who have everything The last place they want to feel less than is at church while watching their women or the women perform for the “man”. I found this out by talking with the men who would come on easter, Mother’s Day and Christmas. I took notice of it and started promoting my men as the big cheese at home and as leaders of their families who lead their family to a closer relationship with God. I am simply the conduit for information. I support the men who desire to lead as the head (I know this is going to rub some women wrong or the feminist) but I have men who love their wives and want to lead them on a spiritual journey as he learns more about Christ.
March 16, 2012 at 7:16 pm
My husband and I were having a discussion about church and the lack of men that show up in the pews. We do not believe that the church has feminized things. In fact, what we are exploring is culture and socialization. Percentages of divorce and single family homes have increased over time, and have not helped to draw men into church. My own husband admitted he believed in God but didn’t like church because of his bad experiences with hypocritical church people and lack of teaching style that helped him apply the word to his life. He also admitted he didn’t feel connected when coming into the church.
The NASCAR theme was a creative idea to encourage the men to come through the doors. I personally don’t see anything wrong with that as long as biblical teachings ministered to them. How can men benefit from biblical teachings if they don’t feel connection- and we can’t even get them in the door?
Thank you for the information!