strange man in your church

• The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories.

• 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).

• Over 70 percent of the boys who are being raised in church will abandon it during their teens and twenties. 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.

• Churches overseas report gender gaps of up to 9 women for every adult man in attendance.

• Christian universities are becoming convents. The typical Christian college in the U.S. enrolls almost 2 women for every 1 man.

• Fewer than 10% of U.S. churches are able to establish or maintain a vibrant men’s ministry.

• A study from Hartford Seminary found that the presence of involved men was statistically correlated with church growth, health, and harmony. Meanwhile, a lack of male participation is strongly associated with congregational decline.

““Don't accept rides from strange Don't accept rides from strange men, and remember that all men men, and remember that all men

are strange.” are strange.” Robin MorganRobin Morgan

“There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” Sir Francis Bacon

Menamorphosis

• A transformational man for a transformational moment. There is the man and there is the moment. They need each other to stand in time and touch eternity!

suspicious nature

“Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated

issue.” » Scott Adams The Dilbert

Blog

• There's a huge There's a huge difference difference between the between the one-time, one-time, blockbuster blockbuster event and an event and an on-going, on-going, transformational transformational men's ministry.men's ministry.

…The Difference

“One has high emotional value and catalytic energy, but lacks staying power. The other requires intelligence and intentionality and has the potential for long-lasting results.”

As Kenny Luck puts it,

"One transformed man transforms many things." So too, a vital men's ministry can make an exponential impact on your church and community.

How Important Are Relationships

10% of men change when they here the

truth.10% of men never

change.80% of men change in

the context of relationship!

Mark 10:42-43

• "Those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them," Jesus said to his disciples, "but it shall not be so among you!" Rather than being lords, he went on to say, disciples are to be servants of one another and the greatest is the one who is servant of all.

James Baldwin: “If the relationship “If the relationship of father to son could really be of father to son could really be

reduced to biology, the whole earth reduced to biology, the whole earth would blaze with the glory of would blaze with the glory of

fathers and sons.”fathers and sons.”

Pastor, There Is A Strange Man In Your Church

• SSuspicious Natureuspicious Nature

• TTransformational Nurturingransformational Nurturing

• RRelationship Nourishmentelationship Nourishment

• AAuthority Numbnessuthority Numbness

• NNow Necessitiesow Necessities

• GGrievance Negligencerievance Negligence

• EErrors Neglectrrors Neglect

4 Requirements for Building a Strong Men’s Ministry

1. Strong "Funnels" for Gathering Men. 2. A Strong Spiritual Pathway or Process. 3. A Strong Relational Infrastructure of

Leaders. 4. A Strong Alignment to the Mission and

the Vision of the Local Church.

Kenny Luck

Happy Birthday