Is the Age of John Wayne Christianity Coming to A Close?

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.