Thursday, April 30, 2009

MEN, an "UNREACHED" people group?




This is one of my favorite books! A GREAT read for men or women, especially if you're in a church leadership position.

Short preview from website: It's Sunday morning! Where are all the men? Golfing? Watching the tube? Mowing the lawn? Sleeping? One place you won't find them is in church. Less than 40 percent of adults in most churches are men, and 20 to 25 percent of married churchgoing women attend without their husbands. And why are the men who do go to church so bored? David Murrow's groundbreaking new book reveals why men are the world's largest unreached people group. With eye-opening research and a persuasive grasp on the facts, Murrow explains the problem and offers hope and encouragement to women, pastors, and men. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to the church-it calls the church back to men.

Why Men Hate Going to Church
By David Murrow
Edition: illustrated
Published by Thomas Nelson Inc, 2005
ISBN 0785260382, 9780785260387
248 pages

I found my copy of this book a few years ago on amazon.com for about $10.00 . That reminds me.... I loaned this book out, and haven't seen it since. Maybe I need to buy another couple of copies!

Prefer LISTENING instead of READING books?
Check out the link audible.com
http://www.audible.com/adbl/entry/offers/productPromo2.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&productID=BK_HOVE_000179


Wednesday, April 29, 2009

REAL MEN need Jesus!




How is the local church doing when it comes to building relationships with the MEN in the community? Lets be honest...
in general, men aren't very good at communicating verbally about what's going on inside of them. It's not a bad thing, it's just the way their wired!

Men have emotions, stresses and a need for meaningful relationships just like their counterparts. The problem is that most males will not be very comfortable sitting around in a cozy circle at your Sunday School class, chatting about their week. That's not how guys usually connect with each other!

I once heard it said, if you put two men in a six foot boat in the middle of a lake for eight hours, they may not say more than a few sentences to each other ALL day.....but a week later you'll over hear them proclaiming to their buddies what a GREAT TIME they had TOGETHER! What if you tried the same scenario with two women.... would you expect the same results? Not likely!

Women and men develop friendships very differently. It's not rocket science and yet so often we fail to transfer that simple information into the way we do church.
Men need to be men, they're hungry for a challenge, something significant as well as spiritual to sink their teeth into! When this doesn't happen, it becomes increasingly easier for them to isolate or disconnected from the Christian community. How do we make the Sunday morning experience "Guy Friendly" and not just kid friendly?

Continually seeking creative ways to connect with the men in our culture is a huge responsibility. If we aren't intentional, they'll simply seek fulfilment with their comrades somewhere else.


"Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. Let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us cheer each other up with words of hope. Let us do it all the more as you see the day coming when Christ will return." Hebrews 10:24-25

Community - Everybody needs connections