1. Have you noticed that women are more attracted to the Christian church (or to Christian faith) than men seem to be? Are there some age, socio-economic, or ethnic categories in which this trend is more evident?
2. When you first saw the two lists of values, the Left Set and the Right Set, how did you answer the question, “Which set of values better characterizes Jesus Christ and his true followers?” When you examine the two lists with greater care and in more detail, do you still come to the same conclusion? Why or why not? What list of values would you propose that should characterize Jesus Christ and his followers?
3. Use the two lists and the accompanying question to do a survey among your friends. What are the results? How do you interpret them? Do Christians answer the question differently than non-Christians? Do Christians in leadership, including clergy, answer differently than lay people do?
4. “The church of the first century was a magnet to men,” Yagel says. “Jesus’ strong leadership, blunt honesty, bold action, and fearless confrontation mesmerized them.” Does the biblical witness—in the Gospels and Acts—seem to confirm this? Why or why not?
5. “Men learn best,” Yagel argues, “by observing the lives of other men. Jesus’ invitation, ‘Follow me,’ is masculine language. But in today’s church the invitation seems to be, ‘Come into this auditorium, sit for an hour, and I will give you a lecture.’ That has far less appeal to men—and the shortages in our pews proves it.” Do you agree that mentoring, rather than a series of lectures, is more appealing to men as a preferred or more attractive method of learning?
6. In the Victorian period in England (as depicted in Eric Liddell’s story in Chariots of Fire) the ideal was called “muscular Christianity.” It combined physical prowess and spiritual maturity in a faith that was considered manly in its deep commitment, and fearless in giving one’s life to some form of Christian activism (such as the worldwide mission of the church). Does the term, “muscular Christianity” sound attractive to 21st century ears? Why or why not?
7. For much of church history, the heroes of the Christian church were its martyrs, who gave their lives for the gospel. Their memories were honored and their stories were told to fire the imagination of each generation and to set them as a standard for Christian faithfulness. Has the evangelical church today continued this practice? Do you think it should? Why or why not?
8. Many young women complain that the Christian men they know tend to be unimpressive, hesitant to make a commitment or to take risks, relatively immature, and easily intimidated by intelligent active women. Do you think the complaint is valid? Why or why not? Is this related to the broader question we have been considering?
9. If you could tell the leadership of your church one thing as a result of this exercise, what would it be? What Scriptures would you reference?
