Quotes from David Murrow

When Christ called disciples, he did not say, "Come, have a personal relationship with me." No, he simply said, "Follow me." Hear the difference? Follow me suggests a mission. A goal. But a personal relationship with Jesus suggests we're headed to Starbucks for some couple time.

Men tend to be more orthodox in belief. Their concern for the rules keeps a congregation from drifting toward mushy moral relativism.

Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results you're getting.

Western men are openly hostile toward the Christian faith, I believe most are simply ambivalent toward it. What's more troubling, the men who do go to church seem to become more passive and detached by the

But once a church reaches a certain size, it stabilizes. The building gets finished, cash flow firms up, and a core membership is in place. So the congregation makes a subtle shift from offense to defense. The focus changes from fishing for men to creating a comfortable aquarium for the saints.

People are so convinced of God's meekness they no longer fear his wrath. (Who fears a raging lamb?) God is not seen as a judge who holds us accountable for our actions; he is a protector who watches over us. He's no longer a disciplining father; he is a doting grandfather.

Why are churches so unproductive? They try to be all things to all people. They can't say no. They do too much and end up doing a lot of things poorly. They keep adding ministry programs but never prune the ineffective ones. But parachurch organizations do one thing—such as hunger relief, housing for the poor, vaccinations, or Bible translation—and do it very well. Productivity fires the imaginations of men.

Here's a mind bender: What if we canceled the children's ministry and put that effort into building up the men of the church? I firmly believe that such an approach would, in the long run, win more youth to Christ. It would also save more marriages and produce happier women. Children's ministry and youth ministry are good things—but spiritually healthy male role models are the best thing.

lamented, "Too often sissy fellows have paraded themselves as representatives of Christianity's crowning work and characterization

Many have called men back to church. Now it's time to call the church back to men.