I hate reading about hating Church

I didn't really feel like this book applied so much. Sure, we lack male church enthusiasm here in town, but I think that some of the things he talked about, we already do well.  And I really feel that if the local church functions as the the General leadership would have it (and I think a lot of this has to do with functioning priesthood quorums and committees as outlined in the Church Handbook), it can be perfect, and men won't hate it.

On Jesse's Comments:
2. I listened to a lesson by Gene R. Cook: The Church did a study--what is the major factor in getting YM to serve missions? Personal prayer and scripture study. What are the major factors in getting YM to have personal prayer and scripture study? Family prayer and family scripture study. So if you're missing those, the Church has a lot of work to do to help YM set that habit.

3. My elder's quorum president asserts that most men don't want to be in elders quorum classes. I think that it comes down to that statement by Stephen L Richards. He said, “A quorum is three things: first, a class; second, a fraternity; and third, a service unit” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1938, 118). Often, my quorum is just a class, and sometimes it's not a very good one. I've been in quorums that have real fraternity and act as service units--it has been then that I felt most fulfilled by being at church.
I wonder if instead of listening to the oldest high priest talk about the missionary experience he had in the 1950s every month, we could leave the building and go home teaching during the Priesthood portion of the block of meetings.

5. I told a Sister at church I was reading this book--she didn't believe me--she's reading the Twilight series. It seems to me that a lot of the women in the church believe that men DO hate going to church, and a good percentage of men are all too willing to let this perception go unchecked. I really think that we need our meetings to be so packed with spirituality that men will get over their inhibitions--spiritual things aren't necessarily weepy things. We have so much truth, we don't need a go for the guys sunday" with the bishop in Camo. I . Ward basketball is also good thing--i think more things like that would help men feel more manly.

6. I listened to a tape by Diana Hasler Hoelscher, "The missionary next door". She talks about how we can invite. Of the two conversions, the easiest is the social. It is easy to invite someone to play basketball. She says, have the missionaries there-they can invite them to hear the missionary lessons. If our friends don't accept, the missionaries don't care, they're getting transferred anyway. I think the challenge in inviting someone to church is that we don't even know who will speak, let alone what it will be about. I wonder if we could announce it down in the bulletin: "Next week: an exciting perspective on David and Goliath, by Brother Arnold Young.

I think I'm up for the book for July: I propose http://www.amazon.com/State-Fear-Michael-Crichton/dp/0066214130. I'll put another post up specifically for it.