Free Republic

In a research brief this month, Bradford Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, analyzed three national studies in order to discover if "there is any evidence that religion is playing a role in encouraging a strong family orientation among contemporary American men?" His research led him to conclude that men who regularly attend Christian services are engaged in happier and stronger marriages and are more involved in the lives of their children than men who do not. "70 percent of husbands who attend church regularly report they are 'very happy' in their marriages, compared to 59 percent...

It may not be inclusive or politically correct, but the unabashed aim of The Grove Church in Peoria, IL, is to attract one hitherto unreached demographic: men. Inspired by David Murrow's Why Men Hate Going To Church, Murrow and Pastor Mark Doebler freely admit they are inventing a new style of worship. "We're not going after low-hanging fruit," said Murrow. "We're building a ladder to reach men, the fruit most churches ignore." The first couple of rungs were hammered together in Peoria, IL, on a September weekend when the Murrow conducted a Church for Men Summit in the city and...

...In 1994 the Swiss carried out an extra survey that the researchers for our masters in Europe (I write from England) were happy to record. The question was asked to determine whether a person’s religion carried through to the next generation, and if so, why, or if not, why not. The result is dynamite. There is one critical factor. It is overwhelming, and it is this: It is the religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children. If both father and mother attend regularly, 33...

Nashville — THE strobe lights pulse and the air vibrates to a killer rock beat. Giant screens show mayhem and gross-out pranks: a car wreck, a sucker punch, a flabby (and naked) rear end, sealed with duct tape. Brad Stine runs onstage in ripped blue jeans, his shirt untucked, his long hair shaggy. He's a stand-up comic by trade, but he's here today as an evangelist, on a mission to build up a new Christian man — one profanity at a time. "It's the wuss-ification of America that's getting us!" screeches Stine, 46. A moment later he adds a fervent:...

New Berlin, WI - With a logo that looks like a coffee stain, it's clear The Ridge Community Church is a bit different. There won't be power-tool demonstrations at the pulpit when the inaugural service is held at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Marcus Ridge Cinema, 5200 S. Moorland Road. But other steps are being taken to make the target group - unchurched, beer-drinking, sports-loving 35- to-38-year-old guys - as comfortable as the wives and children with them. Think of it as soul improvement instead of home improvement. Consider also that the outreach activities of the launch team included cleaning...

HACKENSACK, N.J. - Is church too much of a girl thing? That's the fear of some Christians around the country. They say American congregations need a dose of testosterone. So they've launched an effort to make church more of a guy thing. An Essex County, N.J., congregation recently staged a special football service, with church women playing cheerleaders, the choir and pastor dressed in numbered jerseys and a banner proclaiming, "Christ: He gave his all for the team." A Lincoln Park, N.J., church has invited men to occasional paintball competitions - in which players shoot gelatin pellets at each other...

Have you ever asked yourself, "Self ... why do churches today look more like the lingerie department at Wal-Mart, than a battalion of men poised to plunder the powers of darkness?" Why do men avoid going to church, and what can be done about it? Certainly, the lack of men in church is not at all difficult to see. Just open your eyes any Sunday morning and go to church. Then, count the number of ladies in the pews, and the number of men. The result: you're slapped in the face with the Jose Cuervo-like reality that men are avoiding...