I attended a session led by Gary Lamb of Revolution Church in Canton, Ga. He spoke on the topic of reaching men...a vital challenge for the church in America overall... and something I definitely want to do as part of Oasis Church...here are some notes from this great session...
everything they (Revolution Church ) do they want to reach men
65% church attenders in America are women
70% of teenage boys will leave church when graduate hs
go to average church...chances are you will not find men
most songs are love songs to Jesus....don’t want to sing that stuff to another guy!
men want other men they respect, that will challenge them, that will motivate them, kick their butts, etc...
reaching men is harder then reaching women...am I more concerned with building a crowd or changing a community??
revolution lives with conviction that if you reach men, you reach the family.... this has to be something you will die over...
reach man first 87% chance of reaching whole family...17% chance if you reach women first...
decisions, songs, sermons, graphics, even kids areas (if 5th graders like it then every age below them will like it), locations, etc...will this help or hurt us reaching men?
must be a broken record about this!
design services around reaching men...
every sermon is issuing a challenge to the church
music geared to men... musicians sign rider about what they wear...guitar driven...hang out at bars...
most men won’t sing, don’t get frustrated over that....be attractional in worship and don’t be afraid about that...
no music stands... spend money on quality equipment...men like toys!...good musicians and equipment attract other good musicians...do a lot of secular music...gotta fit with message and theme...instant icebreaker for men...
rarely have women on stage...dudes want to see dudes
graphics designed by men....no stock photos, not into artsy artists or musicians
dress like dudes not italian models...
blue jeans and t-shirts church...look like people in community...
teach to men...teach hard, don’t sugar coat, go hard against sin,
greatest lie in church is small groups...no church is doing it well!!
lightning in a bottle...interest groups....person of passion, spread it word of mouth, meet once a month, got to pray at it... ex... motorcycles, cigars, flag football, volleyball....geared to men...
celebrate recovery....you are either in recovery or in denial...
Make Jesus a dude...rebel, carpenter, man’s man, working man, got a sword, changed the world with a band of misfits...
untapped mission field in America... reaching men...
staff and team watch tv geared to men...discovery channel, spike,
you can tell if you are reaching target by listening to unchurched men comments...real, uncensored, ballsy
Thanks for the notes! Good stuff.
Posted by: Terrace Crawford | February 26, 2009 at 07:32 PM
and serve beef jerky... Jesus doesn't need to fart and wear levis. Docker's are just as evil by the way.
To reach men is with honesty- not watered down religion. As a dude- challenge me with the tough message, make it deep, and let Jesus be who He is- some some dorked out "tough guy" image the church would like to portray.
Seriously, the traditional church is indeed "womanfied"- no doubt. But the guys have done a bad job in leading- so, the women did what they had to do.
All of your notes can pretty much be found in the book "Wild at Heart". Great book on how to reach men.
Posted by: Jason Wilbanks | February 27, 2009 at 10:36 AM