Authentic Living v. Bait and Switch

In response to a New York Times article describing churches that are using the violent video game Halo 3 as a hook to lure boys and men to church, Anthony Bradley asks if they might try "hook up" night next. More seriously, he has this advice to churches that traffic in such gimmickry:

Men and boys are not a “market,” they bear the image of God and are called to follow Jesus. What if churches did something radical like loving and serving men and boys in their local neighborhoods, off the church property, bringing them into real discipleship by immersing them into communities of authentic and open masculine formation?

If churches were really serious about having boys and men join them they would stop singing love ballads to Jesus, repaint the pink and lavender walls, and preach to the transcendental questions looming in the minds of boys and men. Jesus does not use gimmicks he simply invites men into danger to heal, fight, suffer, and die for the Kingdom of God.

Indeed.