Why Men Hate Going to Church
Ebook
Overview
“Church is boring.” “It’s irrelevant.” “It’s full of hypocrites.” You’ve heard the excuses—now learn the real reasons men and boys are fleeing churches of every kind, all over the world, and what we can do about it.
Women comprise more than 60% of the adults in a typical worship service in America. Some overseas congregations report ten women for every man in attendance. Men are less likely to lead, volunteer, and give in the church. They pray less, share their faith less, and read the Bible less.
In Why Men Hate Going to Church, David Murrow identifies the barriers keeping many men from going to church, explains why it’s so hard to motivate the men who do attend, and also takes you inside several fast-growing congregations that are winning the hearts of men and boys. In this completely revised, reorganized, and rewritten edition of the classic book, with more than 70 percent new content, explore topics like:
- The increase and decrease in male church attendance during the past 500 years
- Why Christian churches are more feminine even though men are often still the leaders
- The difference between the type of God men and women like to worship
- The lack of volunteering and ministry opportunities for men
- The benefits men get from attending church regularly
Men need the church but, more importantly, the church needs men. The presence of enthusiastic men is one of the surest predictors of church health, growth, giving, and expansion. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to church—it calls the church back to men.
Top Highlights
“People are so convinced of God’s meekness they no longer fear his wrath. (Who fears a raging lamb?) God is not seen as a judge who holds us accountable for our actions; he is a protector who watches over us. He’s no longer a disciplining father; he is a doting grandfather.” (source)
“Once again, modern marketing created a Jesus who does not exist. The true Christ of Scripture is more akin to a gritty superhero. As a homeless man, he was no stranger to sweat and grime. As a tradesman, he must have been well muscled. Like a video game hero, Jesus was a fighter who left a trail of mayhem in his wake. He vanquished demons, destroyed stuff, and made people so mad they tried to kill him.2 Camp counselors don’t get nailed to crosses.” (source)
“A healthy, kingdom-minded church does not negotiate with terrorists. When they threaten, strong leaders call their bluff. Leaders say, ‘We’re sorry you’re angry. We pray that God uses you mightily in your next church. Good-bye and God bless you.’ Healthy leaders see the departure of a member not as a death in the family, but as the king moving a soldier to another platoon.” (source)
“Howard Hendricks says there are two kinds of people in the church: the pillars and the caterpillars. The pillars uphold the church with their prayers, their work, and their donations. They build the kingdom of God by the sweat of their brows. The caterpillars crawl in on Sunday morning, sing a few songs, listen to a sermon, and crawl out again, not to be seen for a week.” (source)
“They hate a system that’s perfectly designed to reach someone else. A system that makes them feel unneeded. A system that exalts the gifts they simply do not possess. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’” (source)
Product Details
- Title : Why Men Hate Going to Church
- Author: Murrow, David
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN: 9780849949814
David Murrow is an award-winning television producer and writer based in Alaska, most recently working for Sarah Palin. A best-selling author, he is also director of Church for Men, an organization that helps churches connect with men and boys. David and his wife, Gina, have three children.