“When men weren’t participating,” Hoffmann says, “The congregation was more likely to be in decline.”
So why aren’t men more involved? In some cases, it could be their approach to life doesn’t mesh with a church’s approach to worship.
“Men appreciate logic, a no-nonsense approach to leadership and efficient and effective use of time,” Hoffmann says. “They don’t like services that are not organized.”
She has a few suggestions for churches that want to address the problem:
•Watch out for subtle discrepancies in how men and women are treated in church. Sometimes churches can, even if unintentionally, send out signals that certain things are expected of women but not men, and vice versa. For example, Hoffmann says, sometimes pastors announce an upcoming event and ask the women to bring food and to help. “Why not include men? Many men certainly could and would be willing, but since women were specified, they don’t think about doing it.”
•Understand that the presence of men as church volunteers itself can lead to more men taking on volunteer duties. They become role models for other men and, especially, for the boys and teenagers who will be the next generation of active church members. “This is why it’s critical to get men involved,” Hoffmann says. “I’ve heard many men say that it was a male teacher at church or school who influenced their faith the most.”
•Issue quarterly survey questionnaires so church members can express their thoughts about the church and make suggestions to improve. That could help the church discover opportunities it might be missing for drawing more men into active volunteer roles.
“It’s just like in a business,” Hoffmann says. “Most customers won’t tell you when the service is bad. They just don’t come back.”
(Article provided by Brittany Thomas, News & Expert Services.)
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