With one-quarter of Australian men reported to be working 55 hours or more per week, and family time under increasing pressure, it would seem the humble Saturday is becoming more and more precious. Men's Katoomba Convention numbers have plateaued in recent years. And yet, over the weekend that has just been and the weekend to come, over 4000 men will spend their Saturdays at this year's MKC. Are conventions becoming extinct or evolving as a means of reaching men?
Bishop Al Stewart, Chair of Katoomba Christian Conventions and Russell Powell, Chair of Men's Katoomba Convention indicate a significant reason behind the stall in growth is competition from as many as seven or eight other men's conferences " such as those in the Illawarra, North Coast and Western Region - which they say the convention has actually encouraged over the years.
"In terms of numbers, we're a victim of our own success," Mr Powell says.
"When we started 13 years ago, Dudley Foord's dream was to encourage men's ministry in local churches, and for people to take men's ministry seriously.
"We've been successful in doing that in that so many churches now have men's ministries and they're starting to organise things themselves."
Mr Stewart happily calls this "cooperation" rather than "competition", all the while admitting that "we (MKC) need to lift our game a bit".
However it seems there are factors commonly affecting attendance at men's conferences across the Diocese.
Why men stay away
Mr Powell says the availability of so much good preaching on the internet, can mean the preferred site for accessing quality teaching could be on the web rather than in the mountains.
"It used to be that if you wanted to hear good speakers, you had to come to Katoomba to hear them and they'd be flown out. These days, for example, I can dial up John Piper and listen to him."
While the busy pace of life can be a barrier for Sydney men, Mr Powell also indicates that the drought has affected numbers of country men who have traditionally made the trip to Katoomba.
"There are still a substantial proportion who come from the country, but it is sometimes hard for those guys to leave their properties," he says.
Bruce Pollard leads the Men to Men ministry at St Paul's Castle Hill, and says a range of factors from weekend sports to family ties can prevent men making it along to the parish's annual weekend-long conference.
Mr Pollard adds that the challenges of getting men to come to conferences increase as men get into their twenties, and get out of the rhythm of weekends away.
"The younger guys are used to going away for weekends " it's nothing new," he says.
"We hope that at the age of 25 when they hear about men's conference, they'll still say, "let's go'."
What brings men back
Despite the difficulties modern life appears to be throwing at the humble men's convention however, feedback from organisers and attendees indicates their popularity is still significant.
Demand for a weekend-long event at Castle Hill is strong enough to convince Mr Pollard that it remains the best way to bring men together.
"We do weekends because we still have men who want to go away for a weekend," he says.
He adds that the positive strength of past experiences is the main reason for the demand.
"As much as we try and talk to guys to come along for the weekend, it's when they go that they understand why it's good to be there," he says.
Mark Dean, a member of Norwest Anglican Church, has organised a group of men from his parish to make the trek to Katoomba this year.
Why go, when he has hours and hours of quality teaching at his fingertips?
"My access to Bible teaching online is excellent, but since I spend most of my working day tied to a keyboard when I get home I prefer a more traditional approach to learning," he says.
"Technology is all very well but you can't beat face-to-face communication and personal experiences."
The fellowship factor
However fellowship remains the most significant drawcard conventions can offer to men with busy lives and most likely little time to think or connect deeply with other men.
"The key thing we can offer that you don't get over the internet is fellowship, hundreds of guys standing together " there's a camaraderie among the guys who come back year after year," confirms Mr Powell.
The benefits of fellow male company begin even before the arduous climb up the KCC hill, says Mr Dean.
"Going as a group gives the guys an opportunity for fellowship on the way up and coming back," he explains.
"In the past we've stopped off for dinner on the way back and there is always a lot of discussion about what they liked and didn't like about the convention.
"Going up as a group also gives some of us the opportunity to keep one another accountable for commitments made during or after the event."
This appreciation of fellowship reflects deeps needs within Christian men that may not be met anywhere else, Mr Stewart indicates.
"I think a lot of blokes are isolated and lonely," he says.
"Men don't make friends the way women do " it's easy to be isolated as a Christian, so blokes appreciate fellowship."
"The biggest issue for men is significance and status," Mr Stewart continues.
"It's tempting to look for status in the wrong places " the world says it's in sex, money and power, but Jesus says you'll find it in service."
Mr Pollard agrees, adding that conferences can often be places where men realise their experiences and struggles are not uncommon.
"It comes down to the fact that we see and hear men who share. At church, it doesn't happen to a lot of men that often. But when you're at a conference, it's a new ball game, it's a relaxed atmosphere," he says.
"A guy might talk about an issue he's got, and lo and behold, there are three other guys who have the same problem."
Reaching the modern man
Mr Stewart says many of the structural decisions behind MKC have been made with the time constraints and responsibilities of modern men in mind.
One of these decisions has been to keep the convention to a Friday night and Saturday, to enable men to fulfil their Sunday church responsibilities and to make teaching direct and practical.
"Blokes usually like to get on with it, so we figured we'd give them a packed program, so they're only away from their families for a day," he says.
"I think blokes want to be told straight what the Bible says and what it means for them " that's the biggest thing they want, just no-nonsense, straight down the line."
For all the demands of modern life, rector of Toongabbie Anglican Church and organiser of the Western Region Men's Conference, the Rev Raj Gupta says the value of spending time in "training' at a men's conference far outweighs the costs.
"A parallel is the demands in people's jobs these days for more training" we need to see people doing that in a Christian context," he says.
"To spend a day or a weekend or a week thinking about these sorts of issues that impact our lives " nothing could be more valuable."
