Did you see the article?

http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/relationships_test_case_sees_success/

So, what do you guys think?

Craig,

I think the main block for others picking up the ‘ultimate relationships’ theme for a mission in 2008 is one of the big questions of the moment: will it work for men? To some it all seems very girly and/or inner-city.

The article says that it worked in housing commission areas.

Now that doesn’t really suprise me, considering that many people in such an area would be grappling with family dysfunction. But the question remains: does this mission theme work for the ‘footy dads’?

That’s a fair question. I don’t think any “theme” we come up with is going to bring guys surging into the church - the issues are far deeper than that.

This theme seemed to work as well as any other with the guys - I don’t think it will be an impediment.

Craig,

Can you think of example/evidence that guys weren’t at least turned off by the theme? I think that would help sell the idea....

Were any of the events blokey in focus and if so how did the theme mesh with those events?

Well, attendance at the “Ultimate Relationship” night on Saturday looked to be about 50/50 guys and girls. The “Ultimate Parenting” night was also about 50/50.

We had a men’s BBQ, called “The Ultimate Man”. This was not as well attended as the women’s event - but I doubt that had anything to do with the theme. It’s just a manifestation of the “where are the men?” problem in church.

At the high school, we handed out invites to “Ultimate Short Flicks” and “Ultimate Reality”, and the guys seemed as interested as the girls. I had a long chat with a guy who was about 15.

One day we did some walk-up evangelism in the local park. It was mostly women in the park, but there were two burly looking blokes sitting there as well. I walked up to them and said “G’day, have you guys got 2 minutes to talk about the Ultimate Relationship?” They said “sure” and invited me to sit with them. Others in the park that day also had long talks with men.

We had a men’s BBQ, called “The Ultimate Man”. This was not as well attended as the women’s event - but I doubt that had anything to do with the theme. It’s just a manifestation of the “where are the men?” problem in church.

.. yeh perhaps they were all wtching Ultimate Fighting instead ;)

[quote author="Jeremy Halcrow"]

We had a men’s BBQ, called “The Ultimate Man”. This was not as well attended as the women’s event - but I doubt that had anything to do with the theme. It’s just a manifestation of the “where are the men?” problem in church.

.. yeh perhaps they were all wtching Ultimate Fighting instead ;)

I’d be all for that...not sure if the church is ready for it yet though.

Seriously… church planter Wayne ‘The Punisher’ Pickford is using pro-wrestling as an evangelistic tool. See my story on Wayne here .

That’s pretty interesting…

I have to say that my taste runs more to mixed martial arts (MMA). Pro-Wrestling is staged (duh!) - MMA is real, basically a combination of kick-boxing and jujitsu. Can be a bit disturbing for unitiated.

I’ve been toying with the idea of a monthly “Fight Night” at my place for guys, where we can drink beer and watch boxing or MMA…

did anyone see the SBS doc on Ultimate Fighting last night. It was & insane fearsome!
That would get guys along!

Imagine ... Dominic and Craig… bent nose...bare knuckle fighting in lycra pants, followed by some ‘punchy’, ‘no holds barred’, ‘a.. kicking’ talk on Jesus as the Ultimate fighter in Revelation!

Tell me its got legs!

I’m a great fan of the UFC and I have a whole heap of DVDs. I’m sorry I missed the SBS special - I wonder if they will put it up on the net?

here’s the bill on it

HOT DOCS - SMASHING MACHINE
A sport so dangerous it was once banned in the U.S., no-holds-barred fighting is undeniably the purest form of human competition. Simple in concept and savage in execution, it is the definitive test of survival – one ring, two fighters, and no rules. In this documentary, the camera takes an unflinching look at the world of extreme fighting through the eyes of the sport’s top fighters, including Mark “The Smashing Machine” Kerr, a modern-day gladiator who became an overnight sensation when he claimed championships in Brazil, Japan, and the US. The number one ranked fighter in the world, Mark Kerr’s success has brought him money, international fame, and a full-blown addiction to painkillers. As he navigates his way through a never-ending struggle with drugs and dysfunction, he attempts to remain on top of a sport that is growing and evolving at a furious rate. Along the way, Kerr may come up against Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, his mentor and former UFC Champion, and inventor of his own brutal style of fighting known as the “ground and pound”. Once the most feared man in the world of no-holds-barred fighting, Coleman is determined to make a comeback and regain what was once his, even if he has to go through his friend and former protégé to do so. (From the US, in English and Japanese, English subtitles) CC WS

now you wish you saw - it was in a really sick and brutal kinda way, a brilliant doc.

I seriously think its got legs for a talk on Jesus smashing his enemy.

Now I feel compelled to put on my UFC apologists hat ;-)

A couple of corrections. Firstly, UFC is not “no rules” - there are actually a number of rules such as no biting, no gouging, no spinal locks etc.

Is it dangerous? Well, there are no recorded fatalities, so it is clearly much less dangerous than motor racing or skydiving (for example).

I admit that the early competitions were a bit nastier than the modern stuff, but they have tidied the sport up a bit.

hey who’s the guy on the final blog with the cheesy..er..pizza?

could that be UFC’s Craig ‘the slegdehammer’ Schwarze training for his next match against Dominic ‘the demon slayer’ Steele?

That’s right - just stocking up on my protein…