I found that too. These men found a place where they were accepted and encouraged to be the men God made them to be, and were also encouraged to read and study the Bible and serve others in the community.

Maybe I did not adequately convey in this post the depth of Bible study that goes on as part of their weekly meetings. The leader gave a high-quality message based on Scripture which was better than most sermons I have heard in churches. If he does that every week, these men will learn the Bible better than the average person does in church.

I know people who think they know about everything there is to know about the Bible, but seem to forget all of it once they exit their “Bible study”.

Maybe the reason lots of people aren’t interested in “Bible studies” is because the Bible has been used as a weapon or club against them in the past.

It seems that churches today are becoming little more than a glorified social club — a country club for the middle class, if you will. For example, I have a weekly prayer meeting to which only three men attend (sometimes it is just me). When asking people about it, the excuse is that “I don’t have time.” And yet when there is a football game, suddenly those same people show up early on a Saturday morning (the same time as our regular prayer meeting) to play for three hours. The same goes for meeting with people for breakfast or lunch or having a family over for dinner to talk about spiritual things. You make time for that which is a priority, and apparently God does not rank very high. People would rather be entertained than challenged, sing or listen to songs than kneel in intercessory prayer. They try to assuage their guilty consciences with work rather than wait upon God.

What we seem to have forgotten is that we are waging a spiritual battle in which the stakes are unfathomably high. I think we are coddling a bunch of hell-bound people who have deluded themselves into thinking they actually believe the Gospel message without making a single change to their lifestyle. Here in Texas, there are churches on virtually every street corner, and yet 25% of all sex trafficking in the United States occurs in the state of Texas. There is a major disconnect here.

If I know there is a twenty-five foot high wall of water coming down the canyon toward my house, I am not going to sit down to watch another episode of “American Idol”. I am going to head for higher ground. We need to remember that the lost have a 100% chance of going to Hell unless we do the work that God has called us to do: preach the Gospel. Woe to us if we give them a pillow on the way to eternal damnation.

Great insight. Women often learn “face to face” while men learn “shoulder to shoulder.” In other words, women love to get together and discuss things, while men prefer to get together and do something side-by-side. Both are learning styles the church needs to be aware of and make available.

I think the Emerging Church is asking some great questions and raising some great issues, but I don’t think they have offered some good answers. I believe that all churches should at least hear the questions and try to find ways to answer them from sound biblical theology and through good church practices. Some of the best questions and issues they have raised are in the areas of the Mission of God, the Kingdom of God, and how to reach those who do not “fit” within the traditional models of church.

I understand your concern. The term “Girly Man” is of course, a reference to a 1980′s Saturday Night Live skit by Arnold Swarzenegger, but it is definitely not a slam on girls, any more than calling a girl a “Tomboy” is a slam on boys.

I don’t think there is necessarily anything wrong with more effeminate guys, just as there is not necessarily anything wrong with more masculine women. The important thing is being true to who God made you.

However, there are certain activities that a “manly man” likes to be involved with, and there are certain activities that an effeminate man likes to be involved with, and the two worlds usually do not meet. This Bible study in Montana is not for all men. It is for the rugged, individual man who wouldn’t be caught dead in a typical church.

I am of the persuasion that we need all kinds of churches to meet all kinds of people. Here is a group in Montana that is teaching the Bible and bringing the gospel to a particular group which is notoriously difficult to reach. I say “Bravo!”

And the same goes for a church with crying men, trans-genders, and hermaphrodites. I say “Bravo!”

But we must not say that crying men and trans-genders should have churches while rugged, individualistic men should not.