Churches Need to Man Up

This is not news to us. Guys are few in the pews...and we know it. USA Today just released an article on this growing problem concluding that churches overall are "fretting and sweating" to reel men into their sanctuaries.

In fact, according to the research women are outnumbering men in attendance in every major Christian denomination, and they are 20% to 25% more likely to attend worship at least weekly.

Although most pastors will admit that every soul matters and that guys are few in the pews, are they willing to "man up" and begin programming their churches in a way to attract men?

Some churches are going the distance to reach men. 121 Community Church in Grapevine, Texas programs with dude's in mind...

"No pastels. No flowers. No sweet music. No sit-with-your-hands-folded mood. Women are welcome, but the tone is intentionally 'guy church' for a reason," says Ross Sawyers, founder and pastor of 121.

Several church plants have stated they program with men in mind. Revolution Church (Lead Pastor, Gary Lamb), Pine Ridge Church (Tadd Grandstaff) and Thomas Station Church (Tom McCoy) are among them. And who could forget the Church for Men?
According to Dave Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Church, "The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male." This gap shows up in all age categories.

So if we turn men off and the problem continues to grow how do we turn this thing around? Murrow suggests a few practical ways to change the environment in your church to become more man-friendly:

  • Stop sending signals that church is for women
  • Become students of men
  • Be Great, Courageous Leaders
  • Help men learn
  • Help men worship
  • Help men serve

    Ok... so you may feel overwhelmed and not know where you can begin. What about just ONE Sunday to get things rolling?

    The leadership at the Church for Men suggest that one way to begin would be to have a "Go for the Guys Sunday" They even provide a free resource with steps on how to implement from start to finish.

    Bottom line: today’s church needs to go back to the drawing board... and man-up.

    Click here to read the article in USA Today.

    Click here to read more on this topic from the Church for Men

    Click here for more details on the practical ways you can change the environment in your church to become more man-friendly.


    So I'm curious... what churches do you know that are man-friendly? What are your thoughts on today's church?

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  • 4 Responses to “Churches Need to Man Up”

    1. # Blogger Miss Mandy

      GCC does a great job of not being too femmy.

      I will not go back to a church that is flowers, has stuff scrolled on the walls or smells like potpourri. It's distracting.

      Men barely feel like their OWN house is comfortable because women frill it up. Let's make church somewhere they WANT to go, not one more place they've lost their man card to.  

    2. # Anonymous Anonymous

      Terrace, you never cease to amaze me. Now man up. :)

      Seriously, though, this is a real issue that I feel plagues many churches. I get so tired of telling men to man up and start being the spiritual leader in their families.

      YOu rock.

      Zak  

    3. # Blogger Tim Liu

      One thing I liked from his book was how he talked about doing things with quality. Men like to be on the cutting edge of technology and seeing things done the right way. Mediocrity in churches is something that turns a lot of guys off.  

    4. # Blogger Terrace Crawford

      @ MCC - I've heard this about GCC, Mandy. They are doing a great job.
      --
      @ Zak - Thanks bro!
      --
      @ Tim - Great point, Tim. I agree with this.  

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