2016
A Pastoral Invite to Man Camp
Discipleship, Event | by Pastor Adam Sinnett
Men of DCC,
By now you’ve heard we are holding a men’s retreat, aptly titled Man Camp. This is a pastoral invite intended to stir us to faith and action around this important event we have lined up next weekend.
DETAILS:
When: Oct 14th-16th. There are also Fri-Sat or Saturday only options.
Where: Island Lake Camp on the Olympic Peninsula.
Cost: $100 covers room, all meals, and supplies. Other recreational activities will be available, but at additional cost. If you need financial help, or would like to offer it, please let us know when you register.
WHY MAN CAMP?
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity” – Ps 133:1
But, you may be thinking “Why pull all the men of DCC away for a weekend in the middle of October?” Answer: It’s good for us. Though we don’t like to admit it, we need one another. We are God’s ordained tools for sharpening (Pr 27:17), encouraging (1 Thess 5:11), correcting (Gal 6:1), serving (Gal 5:13), and pointing one another to Jesus (Heb 10:24). How can we do that if we’re never together in an intentional way?
It has been four years since our last Man Camp. The vast majority of you weren’t with us then. We need a time to gather around the Word, in the woods, and consider afresh God’s call on our lives, families, church, and city. This past Sunday I offered four reasons to attend, I will repeat those here:
#1 It is good for our souls. If we regularly take our cars in for oil changes, or visit our doctor for annual physicals, or regularly sit down to manage our budget, doesn’t it make sense to carve out intentional time to tend to our souls? As Paul instructs Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you wills save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim 4:16) At times we need intentional time away to examine our life and consider where we are at.
#2 It is good for our relationships. Times away from the normal hustle-and-bustle of life serve to build and strengthen relationships in ways that few other things can. Men bond over shared experiences, particularly if they involve the woods and campfires. An intentional weekend away, like this, is much more relationally fruitful than an entire year of quick, surface-level Sunday greetings. Speaking to the church in Rome, Paul writes, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Rom 12:10) It is hard to live out what these verses are calling us to if we don’t even know one another.
#3 It is good for the church. There is much that could be said here but, put simply, when men take responsibility for their souls, relationships, families…a local church flourishes. Times like this create space for us to consider who God is calling us to be and how He he has gifted us to build up his church (1 Cor 12:4-11; Eph 4:11-16)
#4 It is good for our city. What our city needs, though it doesn’t know this, is more men who’ve surrendered their lives to Jesus. Our city needs humble (Phil 2:3) men of courage (Josh 1:9), integrity (1 Tim 3:2), self-sacrifice (Eph 5:2), that serve women not consume them (1 Tim 5:2), who know their life is not their own (Acts 20:24). Intentional, time away with other men who are pursuing Jesus helps to stir godly aspirations in our souls for our good, the good of the city, and the glory of God.
OBJECTIONS
Objection: “Well, it costs too much”
Response: Actually, it doesn’t. We’ll do what it takes to get you there.
Objection: “I’m busy.”
Response: There may be things that will hinder you from participating. We understand that. But, for the majority of us, we need to consider whether we will allow ourselves to be pulled along by the subtle undercurrent of hurry, or whether we will we stand against the current. Most things are flexible. In the majority of cases we can make it work, even if it requires some creativity.
Objection: “I don’t know anyone”
Response: You might not realize this, but most of the men in the church feel that way. That’s actually a reason to go, not stay behind. Man Camp is a great opportunity to meet other men. Who knows what kind of new relationships may emerge or how existing relationships may be strengthened through a time like this?
Objection: “I have to help at home with our kids”
Response: That is a good and admirable desire. Depending on the age of your children, that may be true. But, unless you have newborn twins or triplets, your wife probably wants you to go. You should ask her.
Objection: “I’m kind of a big deal”
Response: Few would actually verbalize this, but the reality is that we have many skilled men who operate at a very high level in their field among us. So, the reality is that it can feel awkward to go from business prominence to being unknown, in the middle of the woods, sleeping on a plank. But, if this is you, deep down you know this kind of thing is good for us. We all need to be reminded regularly that we are just people too. That means, at times, we need to intentionally put ourselves in humbling circumstances for the sake of our heart.
Objection: “I’ve been to one before”
Response: I understand the sentiment here. It easy to commodify something like this and think of it as a good to be consumed, rather than a unique experience in which we are trusting Jesus to uniquely work. We don’t want anyone to miss out on what Jesus may do here. Just like we don’t settle for changing the oil in our cars once nor reading our Bible one time, in the same way, we don’t settle for a past spiritual mountain top experience but continue to look to Jesus in faith in the present.
If you have any other questions, just let us know.
I encourage you to register today and invite a friend
With brotherly affection and pastoral care,
In Christ,
Pastor Adam