Tune to Men's Needs

Written by Sid Woodruff

Alexander Mitserlisch once wrote, "Society has torn the soul of the male, and into this tear the demons have fled-the demons of insecurity, selfishness and despair. Consequently, men do not know who they are as men. Rather they define themselves by what they do, who they know or by what they own." The following facts illustrate the spiritual state of American men today. These statistics are from a nationwide survey of a random sampling of 2,000 men:

Approximately 94 million males are 18 or older.

• On a typical weekend, about 26 million men attend church services; 68 million do not.
• During a typical week, roughly 27 million men read the Bible, while 67 million do not.
• One of three men embraces Jesus Christ as Savior; 60 million rely on other means for "salvation."
• Eighty-five percent of all unchurched men were previously churched.
• Since 1991, church attendance, Bible reading, Sunday School attendance, volunteering at church and contributions to church have all decreased among men. The proportion of born-again men has remained unchanged.
• From 1992 to 1996, the average church attendance among men has declined.

Unchurched Men
These statistics enforce the need for churches and ministries to connect men with God's life-changing power. Sixty-eight million men do not attend church. Unchurched men today have the following needs:

Understanding. They want a church that helps them truly understand the Bible. They want a church that seeks to understand them.

Relationship. Most men feel lonely, isolated and disconnected. They would appreciate a church that brings them in contact with like-minded peers in a non-threatening setting.

Instruction for kids. Millions of men want their kids to have positive Christian learning experiences.

Solutions. Men are staggered by the pressures they carry. Most men require that the church provide practical, tangible solutions to the difficult problems they face daily. They want to know spiritual principles that make life "work." The church must answer the questions that men are asking.

To know God. Many unchurched men have given up on organized religion but not on God. They want to know God but don't know how.

Christian Men
What about men who have already accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior? A survey of Promise Keepers attendees conducted by the National Center for Fathering, an independent research foundation, revealed that Christian men have a number of deep needs in their lives.

They are not satisfied with themselves. Forty-four percent would like to change the way they feel about themselves. Forty-three percent feel a deep sense of failure when they think about their pasts.

They are not satisfied with their marriages and family lives. Only 25 percent indicate satisfaction with themselves as fathers, while only 62 percent are satisfied with their relationships with their wives.

They experience stress on the job. Eighty-one percent describe their jobs as highly stressful, while 63 percent are concerned about the future health of their careers.

They struggle with sexual matters. Fifty-three percent admit fantasizing about sex with other women. Fifty-four percent state that they feel shame about past sexual experiences.

They need relationships with other men with whom they can be open and honest. Seventy-five percent in the survey have feelings they do not share with anyone. Only 35 percent have others to hold them accountable for their sexual thoughts and behavior.

Meeting the Needs of Men
Men want to be successful, to feel significant and to have meaning in life. Men want to be good husbands, good fathers and the spiritual leaders of their families. But many of them do not know how to accomplish these goals. The programs the church has used to reach lost men and meet the needs of redeemed men are not sufficient.

George Barna states, "The explosive growth of Promise Keepers in the past several years is finding freedom and renewal in the name of Christ. But outside the church, the battle for the hearts of male America is just beginning to take shape. The stage is set for a dramatic awakening of our nation's men."

A men's ministry can provide the spiritual direction men need to join God's work in every area of their lives. A men's ministry that draws men to Christ and mobilizes them for ministry must be based on a thorough knowledge of their specific needs and characteristics.

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