These days, men are less and less likely to attend church. According to a story in Newsweek, a ministry in Nashville thinks they’ve found the solution:
This wasn’t your Daddy’s religious revival. Last Saturday morning, 200 Christian men gathered in a downtown warehouse in Nashville for a daylong spiritual extravaganza. Inside, strobe lights flashed, and tracks by the Killers thumped from speakers stacked on either side of a stage. Four large video screens showed clips of karate fights, car chases and “Jackass”-style stunts. Then the music lowered and Christian comedian Brad Stine appeared. With his rat-a-tat delivery and aggressive style, Stine quickly whipped the crowd into a chorus of “Amens!” “A lot of guys out there wouldn’t have the balls to be here,” he shouted. “Are you ready to be a man? Are you ready to kick ass? Are you ready to grab your sword and say, ‘OK family, I’m going to lead you?’ Buckle up. This is GodMen!”
We had a great discussion at our mens hui a few months ago about the feminization of the church, and we came to a similar conclusion: men need to be proactively leading their families and friends toward Jesus, rather than passively waiting until crises force them to act. Still, I’m not sure “Jackass” and Jet Li will motivate them to do that.