by The number of men in churches today continues to dwindle. Movements are started (like Promise Keepers) that try to get men engaged, but churches are finding that their primary attendance is now made up of the elderly (or senior saints), single moms (or dad stays home) and children.
And yet at the same time we are reminded that men are the key to their families. They’re influential in their family structure. If you win one, you have the chance to win the whole family. If the man is involved in church, the whole family is likely not only to be involved, but to be involved after the kids grow up and leave home.
Since it’s so important to win men, keep them and engage them, how are churches meeting this need? Sadly, I find that there is more activity in organizing Ladies’ Bible Studies than men’s. Men have to go on a retreat or eat, but don’t challenge them doctrinally or spiritually.
One web site is trying to encourage men in the Christian faith. Out of the Wild website is trying to use a 3 step process to not only see men saved, but to encourage them in a walk that reaches out and gets them engaged:
- Accept Christ as Savior
- Become Discipled
- Become a Man on a Mission from God (find your purpose in life and pursue it wholeheartedly).
They have forums for discussion, a weekly e-mail devotional series and other places for encouragement.
This is not the only way to get engaged. I would suggest that we should all talk to our pastors and deacons and get a focus on ministry to men, but this is one way. Anyone have any others they know about?
Men need fellowship?
JK. Actually, our church has had a fabulous men’s ministry, using Robert Lewis’ Men’s Fraternity primarily, but many of us are happy to see it taking a backseat this year. Now that the men have had three years or so of weekly meetings to learn how to be Christian men, they need to be busy serving.
You may be surprised to learn that in our church we have more trouble getting ladies to serve than we do men.
Our church has a men’s bible study now and it is really catching on, and my stay-at-home husband is thinking about attending. Let us hope more men will feel the need or urge to seek God and His Word.
LEticia!! Your husband is thinking about it!? That’s a miracle, right? I hope he goes and keeps going! Something I’ll pray about for sure…
Men need God the Father’s emphasis, and they aren’t getting it in church. Most churches anyway. You are completely right though, if the church can reach the man, they’ve reached the family. So often it’s children’s and women’s ministries though, that churches focus on.
Our men, for the most part, are incredibly active but they don’t have scheduled “fun” get togethers to achieve this. We have many different home Bible studies going on throughout the week (instead of a mid-week prayer/Bible study time), and committee meetings that are full of men (Missions, Building Committee, Awana) that meet all the time. They’re hoping our new building with the gym, will give them a place to play basketball, etc, and hang out.
??? Good question ???