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Credit: Courtesy of David Murrow
Why Guys Don't Go To Church, Ministering to Introverts, and More
June 08, 2012
Summary: Why men are missing from the pews, helping introverts feel comfortable in extroverted churches, and welcoming worshippers with disabilities.
Credit: flickr | bsabarnowl
Missing From the Pews: Men June 08, 2012
From the moment a man walks into a church, says David Murrow, he gets the message that he doesn’t belong. There’s the feminine décor, which Murrow calls “Victorian parlor motif”: quilted banners, flowers, lace doilies, boxes of tissues. And don’t forget the music, which often describes Jesus as the ultimate boyfriend. This female focus makes a difference, and Murrow says it’s the reason why most churches are about 60 percent female, 40 percent male.

David Murrow, author of "Why Men Hate Going to Church"
Credit: Christian Books
Introverts in the Church June 08, 2012
There's a certain restless energy that defines many evangelical church services. There’s the pastor with the big personality. The sharing of personal stories. Singing, dancing, clapping...hugging. All this activity can leave introspective worshippers feeling drained, ignored, and worst of all, less faithful. Adam McHugh, a proud introvert and ordained Presbyterian minister, is trying to change that.

Interview by Laura Kwerel

Rev. Adam McHugh, author of “Introverts in the Church: Finding our Place in an Extroverted Culture"
Credit: Courtesy Laura Lee Wright
Made Perfectly, and Disabled June 08, 2012
For people of faith living with disability, the challenges of attending a worship service run the gamut, from non-existent wheelchair ramps to scripture font so tiny even people with normal sight can barely read it. And the barriers aren’t just in architecture; they’re in mindsets, too. 

Laura Lee Wright, director of the disabilities ministry at Northland Church