Where are all the men?

On any given Sunday there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s churches. This Sunday almost 25 percent of married, churchgoing women will worship without their husbands. Midweek activities often draw 70 to 80 percent female participants. The majority of church employees are women (except for ordained clergy, who are overwhelmingly male). As many as 90 percent of the boys who are being raised in church will abandon it by their 20th birthday. Many of these boys will never return.
More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only two out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church.

Many men attend church out of habit, unaffected by what they hear. Quite a few men go to church simply to keep their wives/mothers/girlfriends happy. The majority of men who attend church do little or nothing during the week to grow their faith. Relatively few churches are able to establish or maintain a “vibrant” men’s ministry (including our church).

The question I am asking is: How can we return an authentic, life-giving masculine spirit to our church without running off the women? Or could that attract even more women?

How did Christianity, founded by a powerful man and his 12 male disciples, become so predominantly female? Jesus was a magnet to men but the modern church is not-what’s changed?

Try to see church through the eyes of a typical guy. It’s intimidating for a man to hold hands in a circle, to cry in public, or to imagine falling deeply in love with another man (even if his name is Jesus).

Jesus had no trouble captivating men with a compelling vision. Fishermen dropped nets full of fish to follow Him, but today’s church can’t convince most men to drop their TV remote controls for a couple of hours a week. God’s vision for the church needs both men and women. We must reengage men if the church is to accomplish its mission of expanding God’s Kingdom around the globe.

If we’re going to be fishers of men, we’ve got to do a better job considering men’s needs and expectations. Jesus did it; so must we.

For the next month we will be addressing this critical issue of men and their vital roles in today’s world. Join us in our weekend services for the series “You’ve Got Male”.


Today’s article inspired and adapted from the book “Why Men Hate Going To Church”

Chris