Status Quo

The current state of affairs in America that is affecting the church and our ability to reach men is one of gaps. At Mirror Labs, the research and development arm of Man in the Mirror, we have identified three such gaps. 

There is the cultural gap, wherein the U.S. has fallen from one of the most diverse and free places for faith to become the 12th LEAST religious country in the world. For the first time, Christianity seems to be viewed negatively in our country and Christian moral views increasingly come into conflict with secular moral order.¹ Because of this, our typical practices of inviting men to an event or a traditional Bible study may frequently prove unsuccessful.

Then there is the fatherhood gap. In the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau, it was found that 1 in 4 children live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.² Furthermore, some fathers who were physically present weren't emotionally present. This lack of present fathers is likely a factor that often undermines the appeal of traditional men's ministry efforts in the lives of young men. 

Finally, we have a discipleship gap. At Man in the Mirror, we have long pointed to the fact that only 1 in 10 men in the church have a Biblical worldview. Furthermore, we find today that only 28% of Christians say they are engaged in any type of discipleship, and as many as 40% do nothing to grow spiritually outside of Sunday worship.³ 

When asked their opinion of a simple statement - "My faith in Jesus impacts the way I live my life every day" - 65% of those in a discipleship community agreed, while only 26% of those who aren't engaged in discipleship agreed.⁴

Without discipleship relationships, the faith of our people is weaker, thinner, and more prone to fail when tested.

If the church is not making disciples, what have we been doing with the billions of dollars that we spend annually? We are now bearing the full brunt of our failure to make disciples. 

There are still plenty of biblical churches in the U.S., led by leaders whose faith and passion are genuine. They are committed to good things, such as evangelism, missions, outreach, and solid preaching.

Yet, we must each take an honest look at ourselves and evaluate whether our current systems and strategies are effectively reaching people and making disciples.