Working deep in the south amongst southern men I discovered that guys generally had a very negative view of church and even people who went to church. Most who did struggled with the culture and many wouldn’t even grace the doors unless they really had to. However one day I was invited to consider going to a PK event in Christchurch and so I gathered a few guys together and we went on a road trip. The whole thing from start to finish was an eye opener. The guys weren’t sure what to expect but they loved it from start to finish and we ended the trip by playing the tapes we’d bought all the way home.

I know that most of those men didn’t want the weekend to finish and they talked about it for weeks afterwards. For most some part of their life was deeply touched and healed at that conference. Most went forward at some stage to receive prayer and it turned out to be one of the most significant spiritual events in the life of my church because it encouraged men to participate and to open up to God.

12 years later most of those men are still walking with God and are contributing significantly to their local church. This has also deeply affected their families and has generally made life easier for their wives and children. It also helped me to see how important it is that we make church a place that men can identify with and feel understood in.