Today’s church is experiencing an epidemic of male
isolation. Research reveals that nineteen out of twenty Christian men
have no best friend, no one helping them fight their spiritual battles,
much less a brother who has their back.
Yet there are many signs that God’s Spirit is at work, bringing the
age of John Wayne Christianity to a close. Here are just three:
1. The rising generation of Christian men sees more clearly the
importance of living out their faith in community. For some, the
brokenness of their family of origin motivates them to seek connection
in the family of God. Others realize that since sin has fractured the
relationships of this world, the church is called to be the place where
Christ’s power to restore relationships is demonstrated. They are
committed to building community, so that the church is seen to be a
place where Jesus is reweaving the well-being (shalom) of his kingdom.
2. Twenty-first century Christian men are not particularly enamored
with material success. Not only do they want to be engaged in a mission
that matters, they also realize that their deepest struggles—with God,
with themselves, with sexuality, with relationships—are spiritual in
nature.
3. Today’s rising generation of Christian men realizes that
discipleship isn’t a program; it’s a relationship. They’re not so much
interested in a mentor or program that provides “The Ten Steps to
Discipleship” as they are a brother (maybe an older one) who walks with
them through life’s challenges as a Christ-follower. They want a brother
saying to them, “Got your back.”
In short, the conviction is growing among contemporary Christian men
that God never intended for them to fight their spiritual battles alone.
Way too conscious of the battles they are losing, today’s men are
wondering where to find a few close friends who will have their back.
But finding them may be the wrong verb. They may need to forge them. Got
Your Back is written to help men forge the kind of brotherhood
connections they sense that they are missing, and know that they need. See the video trailer about this new exciting tool for your men’s ministry.
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