A completely revised and updated version of the book ‘Why Men Hate Going to Church’ by David Murrow should be available in the UK around mid December.  The original book was published in 2005 and set out the theories as to why men hate going to church. This revised edition is much more practical and includes study guides for 6, 12 & 24 sessions and also a Guy Friendliness Test.  It is a must read for those in church leadership

The book is divided in to 3 sections:

1          Where are the Men?

2          Church Culture v Man Culture

3          Calling the Church back to Men

I personally believe that there are significant differences in the way in which men and women behave and react.  This book highlights a number of them and then suggests ways in which churches can be more man friendly.  Many of the steps can be taken without a major upheaval in what we do; it is more about being aware of the things which could put men off or make them feel uneasy. 

At a recent conference David was asked why he thought Jesus only chose men as disciples.  He replied that Jesus knew that it would take 3 years for the men to understand what he was on about but that the women would understand straightaway!  This is why men’s work takes longer and is much harder.

I am hoping that over the coming months in Baptist Men's Movement we will be looking at some of these issues and sharing them with you.

Tony Aylward, Strategy Coordinator