At the Blokes Breakfast I mentioned a Web Article that caught my attention titled "Five reasons men hate church." This was an aussie response to Alaskan, David Morrow's Book " Why Men Hate Going to Church. Five issues for Aussie blokes were identified:
PROBLEM NUMBER 1: Church meeting styles are ‘feminine.’ It’s singing that has received the widespread comment. Author David Murrow writes, “Think of the mental gymnastics that must take place inside a man’s subconscious mind as he sings lyrics … using words no man would dare say to another, set to music that sounds like the love songs his wife listens to in the car.”
PROBLEM NUMBER TWO: Church leadership model is weak and not compelling. To put it crassly, author David Murrow thinks a key reason men hate church is that too many pastors are gutless wimps who present a ‘girlie’ message blokes don’t care to follow. “Christ’s bold, masculine command, “Follow me!’, is now ‘Have a relationship with me.’ We’ve recast Jesus’ offer in feminine terms. Men want a leader, not a love object...”
PROBLEM NUMBER THREE: Church is boring and safe. There is no risk.
One of the key conclusions of David Murrow’s book Why Men Hate Church is that the church has let men down: that men are drawn to risk, challenge and daring, but our
“Men like adventure as a rule,” he said. “Men warm to challenge and to leadership and to responsibility.” Andrew Cameron describes the problem as our church’s culture of ‘niceness’.
One of the key conclusions of David Murrow’s book Why Men Hate Church is that the church has let men down: that men are drawn to risk, challenge and daring, but our
“Men like adventure as a rule,” he said. “Men warm to challenge and to leadership and to responsibility.” Andrew Cameron describes the problem as our church’s culture of ‘niceness’.
PROBLEM NUMBER FOUR: Church doesn’t relate to a man’s world
As Andrew Cameron puts it, our churches treat most men as if they are ‘spiritual incompetents’ (see article below). Pastors are failing to teach men the skills they need to become the ‘theological expert’ for their own field of endeavour.
As Andrew Cameron puts it, our churches treat most men as if they are ‘spiritual incompetents’ (see article below). Pastors are failing to teach men the skills they need to become the ‘theological expert’ for their own field of endeavour.
PROBLEM NUMBER FIVE: Blokes like to get their hands dirty
Andrew Cameron believes that if churches pursued a range of mission activities that gave men – especially working-class blokes – something to do, ‘we might not have to change Sunday meetings much’.
The article went on to suggest a number of solutions for each problem, tell me if you think they got it right...
“Five reasons men hate church” http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/indepth/articles/five_reasons_men_hate_church/
“Why men hate church”
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1 comment:
Just another thought. Maybe for some Aussie guys the challenge has been NOT to conform to the prevailing image of the Aussie bloke, but to be themselves, even if that's not seen to be cool. I think the church has room for all types, though I would agree that the kind of Aussie bloke that fits the stereotype is hardest to attract with a message that emphasises (as it must) repentance, humility and non-violence.
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