{"id":2998,"date":"2012-09-14T11:00:34","date_gmt":"2012-09-14T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2012-09-28T08:59:56","modified_gmt":"2012-09-28T08:59:56","slug":"ive-got-testosterone-for-a-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/carls-thoughts\/ive-got-testosterone-for-a-reason\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I’ve got testosterone for a reason’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The last time I was interviewed by Christian.co.uk<\/a>, it was the most-read article on their website for weeks on end. This interview was written and first published by Sam Hailes here…<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Having seen the head of Christian Vision for Men (CVM) give his seminar at New Wine, I waited patiently as a queue of people formed to speak to Carl. He would later reveal, while making a point about lust being a \u201cprimary issue\u201d for men, that every conversation he had was about sexual sin.<\/p>\n

After half an hour of Carl counseling and praying for people, we made our way to the speaker\u2019s tent to discuss his vision of seeing a million men come to faith in Jesus.<\/p>\n

One Million Men<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carl tells me that according to surveys, 75% of British men are antagonistic when it comes to the gospel. \u201cWhich leaves 25% who are not\u2026I think we can take a million of that 25%. I think it\u2019s a God given figure actually. I had a prophetic guy contact me recently who said \u2018I don\u2019t think a million is enough, you need to up your game\u2019 which is quite interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking bluntly throughout our interview, Carl keeps his answers to my questions brief and to the point. He\u2019s just explained CVM\u2019s four levels of evangelism. 500 small groups across the UK and beyond aim to: 1) Befriend other men 2) hold an event with a speaker who shares the gospel 3) organise an all male course further explaining the gospel 4) help people find a male friendly church.<\/p>\n

Starting a fight<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next, the subject turns to testosterone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got my testosterone for a reason and since I don\u2019t need to hunt a stag for dinner anymore, I might as well use it for something,\u201d Carl says<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m trying to call the guys to get involved in a fight with something that\u2019s noble and good.”<\/em><\/h5>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been given a fighting spirit so I\u2019m trying to call the guys to get involved in a fight with something that\u2019s noble and good. I\u2019m not talking about bar room brawls but the spiritual equivalent of that.”<\/p>\n

“Let’s tackle issues like violence against women, seek to become better husbands and fathers or if we\u2019re single keep our sexual integrity. We\u2019re there to make a profound difference and bring men to Christ. So use your testosterone for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 12 point honour code<\/a> Carl developed has resonated with thousands of men across the UK. What is it about?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a new monastic order without the celibacy and we can still have a drink,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea is you read it, are inspired by it and take action because of it. There\u2019s things like \u2018Jesus is my captain brother, rescuer and friend\u2019 which is a declaration of faith and the last one is \u2018I\u2019ll never give up because he\u2019ll never give on me\u2019 which is a declaration of grace.”<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s stuff like \u2018I\u2019ll treat all men and women as brothers and sisters.\u2019 If you do that you\u2019re not going to jack off to porn because she\u2019s a potential sister in Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought about 12 areas of a man\u2019s life that need to be brought into sharp focus. It took two years to work out 12 statements. Normally I do things in half an hour so that was quite challenging,\u201d he admits.<\/p>\n

The Manual<\/strong>
\n\"\"Following on from The Code<\/em>, Carl has just released a series of short snappy devotions for men called The Manual<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the basis that most men\u2019s attention span is short and we like things that are blunt and direct we thought we\u2019d pick on the issues that man are facing. They are 200-300 words long and start with a verse and end with a prayer. The idea is everyday a guy can pick them up, read it and get something out of it. It\u2019s not irrelevant fluffy stuff, it\u2019s real stuff that men are facing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although these devotions are hot off the press, feedback has been rolling in already. \u201cI had one guy saying he\u2019s reading it outside of work with two younger men he\u2019s led to Christ before they walk through the office doors. Crucially what we\u2019ve done is we haven\u2019t dated it, we\u2019ve numbered it. If blokes miss the date they won\u2019t look back at it through guilt but if they are looking at number 13 it doesn\u2019t really matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not irrelevant fluffy stuff, it\u2019s real stuff that men are facing”<\/em><\/h5>\n

‘Why are there tissues everywhere?!’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those familiar with Carl and his ministry will be unsurprised to hear him complain about what he calls the \u201cromanticisation\u201d of the Church. His seminar at New Wine included a moment where he kicked a box of tissues across the stage asking, \u201cWhy are there tissues everywhere!? Do they think we\u2019re all going to cry or something!?\u201d<\/p>\n

It was moments like this that made me compare Carl to the controversial US pastor Mark Driscoll. \u201cYeah people say that,\u201d he replies when I put this to him. \u201cWe\u2019re the same age but I\u2019m not as belligerent as he is. I don\u2019t know. I think I\u2019m my own man.\u201d<\/p>\n

CVM\u2019s annual event, The Gathering certainly sounds like an event for manly men. \u201c1500 guys together in a field. We burn stuff, eat stuff and talk to people about Jesus. We sing hymns, we don\u2019t sing romantic songs. We make a lot of noise and it\u2019s great fun. We have sports cars and that kind of stuff, it\u2019s good blokey fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inflicting intimacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carl says the women he speaks to hate the romanticisation of the church too. \u201cThere\u2019s a really small group of people who are really heavily into some of the intimacy stuff and I wouldn\u2019t want to take that away from them but I would say is \u2018don\u2019t inflict that on the rest of us who don\u2019t get it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people think you\u2019ve not achieved this revelation of God if you\u2019re not in that zone. They think you\u2019ve got issues because you can\u2019t say \u2018Jesus is my lover\u2019 or \u2018He is beautiful\u2019. I say \u2018if that means I\u2019ve got issues then I\u2019ll keep them! I like those issues!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Amusing throughout our short conversation, Carl isn\u2019t afraid to be direct and make important and weighty points. But he isn\u2019t quite as macho as he sometimes comes across. \u201cI drink warm beer in warm pubs with newspapers,\u201d he says as we finish our conversation.<\/p>\n

After thanking him for his time, I get up to leave. \u201cDon\u2019t write anything that will make people hate me too much,\u201d he asks. Smiling I reply, \u201cI\u2019ll do my best!\u201d<\/p>\n

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