Does the church insult men?

Yesterday, I had coffee with Russ. Russ is a fellow "Wild At Heart Boot Camp" alum, who is also looking at redemptive communities as the possible new face of the church. We talked about a multiple campus church we had both visited in Colorado Springs that is the same service, switching back and forth between live bands being broadcast to the other campus, and vice versa, with the preacher speaking at one while it is broadcast to the other; about another church based in an Atlanta suburb that actually has something like 17 campuses across several states, using simulcast of the sermons (and with a campus in Colorado Springs that uses a tape delay of it).

Russ asked (paraphrasing): Isn't this insulting to men? Did God make so few talented people that we have to do this? That out of every 100 men, we can't find one guy to teach that we have to "simulcast" like this.

The result is such an increasing church consumerism attitude. Russ also told me of a pastor he was counseling once that wondered why he has so few volunteers. Incredible, huh? Your system is designed for the results you are getting. Our church services are such spectator events, a "show" for the masses -- and this is the center of the "church". The service is where so much of the effort is spent. I've heard some preachers take 20-30 hours per week preparing the sermon. With so much centralization of church around a 'show', is it any wonder churches have trouble getting volunteers? If the focus was on active participation in the central event of the church, don't you think the results would be different?

The justification of this is often about "if we build an excellent service, they will come, be impressed, and glorify God" yada yada. Next time you are with a large group of Christians, ask two questions -- first ask, how many of them just stumbled upon a church, went in, were impressed by the service and what was said, and that was what led them to Christ. Then ask, how many of them came to Christ because of a relationship with a friend or relative. After that, ask yourself why do some churches spend so much time, money and other resources on the "service".