Men @ Christchurch

The Reason

Standing at the back of Church I was struck by the huge difference between the number of females and males in the congregation(70% - 30%).

• What is keeping men out of church?
• Why are there so many wives without their husbands?
• Why is it, as a man who has been going to church for over 10 years, I couldn't think of one other male there who I could trust to stand shoulder to shoulder with me in a crisis.
• Why is it after 10 years in the Army there were friends I would die for, yet after 10 years in church there wasn't a man I could truly call 'Friend'.

When talking to male colleagues at work I was surprised by the number who used to go to church when they were younger, but stopped in their teens because it was no longer relevant, and how they don't go now as adults because it is even more irrelevant; it was full of wimpish soft men, men who needed a crutch, a support.

When I look around the men in our church, that is the last thing I see, I see strong, reliable men. I see men committed to what they believe.
Men from all walks of life, Lawyers, Builders, Accountants, Carpenters, Aircraft Carriers project managers, Computer programmers, Ambulance men, Psychiatric Nurses and Teachers. These are ordinary working men, so why do my non-church friends see them in such a negative light?

I believe we don't know each other, both as man to man in church and man to man outside church. This is why, with the help of Chris Smith, I started to organise beer nights, nights when we could start to forge relationships and start to break down barriers.
Opportunities where we could get alongside those who don't go to church and show them we are normal after all.

I am thankful that as a result, I know of at least one man who is now venturing to church more often and no longer thinks of it as irrelevant. (Since writing this, the numbers are rising) The journey has begun, it is full of surprises and challenges, so why not join us on it?.    Ian Rousell.