A simple survey question revealed an interesting answer. Men were asked to describe their local church experience. Two words came up more than any others. Two words from men who not only attend church, but accepted an invitation to attend a men’s conference! Think for a moment what two words you would use to describe your own experience in your own local church.

The two words that came up most often were 1.) boring and 2. irrelevant. Can you say, “Ouch?” How did this happen? How did the typical local church with pastors and leaders who are men end up becoming boring and irrelevant to men? What do men mean when they say the local church is boring and irrelevant? Let’s start by looking at those two words:

Boring – tiresome, tedious, dull
Irrelevant – no bearing to the matter at hand,

Could it be that when these men who attended a men’s conference were asked this question that they did not think of the ministry of the church but only of the Sunday morning weekly service? They must know that a caring Christ-like community that is mission minded and is God’s representative on this earth is neither boring nor irrelevant. That said, the weekly service at the building where this local church meets might fall into those two categories.

It should be noted that Sunday morning is not the prime entry point for men to come into the local church. It is not my intention to take on the redevelopment of the Sunday morning service. What I will encourage is that we need to intentionally develop entry points for men outside of the Sunday morning worship service that are interesting and relevant to men.

What would be interesting and relevant to adult men? Let’s start by defining the terms:

Interesting – exciting the curiosity and holding the attention
Relevant – bearing to the matter at hand, pertinent, timely

The last few years I have had the opportunity to serve as a presenter for Great Dads. Great Dads offers fathering seminars at local churches all over the country. These four hour seminars equip men to be great fathers and grandfathers. Why have they been so successful? I believe it is because they are interesting and relevant. Men want to be great dads! These seminars bear to the matter at hand in a man’s life. They hold a man’s attention because they engage him in an area of life that is very important to him. These seminars are specific, practical and the applications can be put into practice immediately. www.GreatDads.org

When you plan an entry level event for men you must consider if it will excite the typical man’s curiosity as well as being timely and pertinent for the average man at your church.

If it is content driven, will the content address an area relevant to the life of an adult man?

If it is not content driven, will the event engage men in an area of current interest?

Remember that a critical goal when putting on an entry level event for men is that it be Interesting and Relevant.

Are you listening to our daily radio program for men?

Go to www.Man2ManExpress.com and click to hear the daily broadcast.