The success of David Murrow's book Why Men Hate to Go to Church will not be measured by its standing on any best seller lists but on whether it becomes "the match that ignites thousands of conversations" across today's church landscape as the author hopes.

You may not agree with all of reasons Murrow's reasons for stating that churches are not masculine enough to attract more men today, or you may think those reasons don't apply to your particular congregation, but you can't ignore them, either. The author, who lives in Alaska where he attends a nondenominational church, offers more than an eye-popping title in his attempt to prod anyone concerned with the health of the church into action. His findings are documented with meticulous research and statistics that can't be denied.

Murrow is the director of Church for Men, an organization dedicated to restoring a healthy masculine spirit in Christian congregations. He emphasizes that his book is not calling men back to church but rather is calling the church back to men. The modern church system, he says, is "getting the results it is designed to."

He decided to write the book after worshipping at congregations of various traditions and noticed there were always more women than men in attendance, that there were no men in the 18 to 35-age category, and that there were no single men in the pews. His findings might add some legitimacy to the United Church's current Emerging Spirit campaign aimed at that age group. However, it implies that perhaps the church's biggest mission field starts at its front door and continues up the street and around the block.

Murrow strongly believes that men want to know God but want nothing to do with church. He claims more than 90 percent of men believe in God but only two of six attend church. (Most of his research and statistics are U.S.-based but the Canadian experience may not be much different.)

One of the most damning statements in the book, and the one that should be of the most concern for the people actually in the pews today, comes on page 20, when Murrow says "the actual Christian life lived by most churchgoers is about as challenging as finger painting and as exciting as a bologna sandwich." If that doesn't kickstart a discussion in your church, what will?

Throughout the book, the author finds church programs tailored more towards women and their needs. His goal is to encourage more masculine imagery, vocabulary and behaviour for relating to God. "Are we willing to admit our current model of Christian formation is not producing many male disciples?" he asks. Men thrive on risk-taking, adventure and challenge in the workplace or their spare-time pursuits. Thus they need to find those same qualities if they are once again to walk through church doors shunned since childhood.

Murrow emphasizes this 232-page treatise is not to encourage male dominance but only to support a male resurgence.

Lest anyone think Murrow is totally gloom and doom, he does cite encouraging trends in new marketing of men's ministries. As an example, he singles out Promise Keepers, whose original ads 13 years ago showed men singing, hugging and crying. Their pitches now show men climbing rocks, wielding swords and being covered head to toe in mud. The ads almost apologize for their past representation and now suggest the program is "bold, dynamic, challenging…and a blast."

He further applauds the explosion in outdoor ministries, boot camp-style retreats and servant evangelism efforts where men build houses for the poor or teach life skills in the community.

As well as asking churchgoers to break the code of silence on the gender gap by organizing a discussion on the missing men, Murrow believes Christian leaders should organize a national, or even worldwide, summit on the problem. And a new kind of pastoral training in seminaries is also needed, he says.

In the end however, the book is nothing if it doesn't become the match that ignites thousands of constructive conversations on what has been a silent concern for too long.

Bob McClellan is managing editor of Fellowship Magazine.