Help Me Out
I am tasked with planning our men's retreat. I am to present 3 or 4 themes to the eldership. Here are 4 themes I thought to be appropriate. Rank them in order of your preference.
Theme: Men's Christian Service
- What is expected of me?
- Why is it expected?
- Am I Reaching expectation?
- How do I get started?
Theme: It's Not About Me
- Unity or Disunity, that is the question.
(Essentially unity is 'to be', or to live as one body in Christ, and disunity is 'not to be', or to die as a church)
Theme: Dealing with temptations and sin - Based on James 1
- Every man's struggle - lust
- Pre-marital sex, post-marital extra-marital sex (in mind or matter)
- The problem and accessibility of pornography
- A law issue or a heart issue (Scripture says that law increases sin; therefore, we must reach our heart; this is the 'heart' of the matter.)
Theme: Why men don't like church - What it means to be a Christian man?
- What does it mean to be a masculine Christian?
- Lies of the effeminate church.
- Touchy-feely versus brotherly love.
- The headship of the man.
Theme: Men's Christian Service
- What is expected of me?
- Why is it expected?
- Am I Reaching expectation?
- How do I get started?
Theme: It's Not About Me
- Unity or Disunity, that is the question.
(Essentially unity is 'to be', or to live as one body in Christ, and disunity is 'not to be', or to die as a church)
Theme: Dealing with temptations and sin - Based on James 1
- Every man's struggle - lust
- Pre-marital sex, post-marital extra-marital sex (in mind or matter)
- The problem and accessibility of pornography
- A law issue or a heart issue (Scripture says that law increases sin; therefore, we must reach our heart; this is the 'heart' of the matter.)
Theme: Why men don't like church - What it means to be a Christian man?
- What does it mean to be a masculine Christian?
- Lies of the effeminate church.
- Touchy-feely versus brotherly love.
- The headship of the man.
posted by Rick Harper @ 3:49 PM
6 Comments:
At 12:50 PM,
Mister Jason said…
Here's the themes you should discuss in order of importance:
1. The Importance of Church Membership. Jesus said that whoever denied him before men, would be denied by God. What Jesus was trying to say was that church membership is important. Bring some buff-colored cards to the retreat and have the men fill them out.
2. Infant Baptism. Wait...no...scratch this option...wait until you do a children's retreat, and then you should talk about this subject. You can bring a bottle of Dasani and possible sprinkle many of the children at the retreat.
3. The Institutes. You guys should take turns reading from Calvin's Institutes. You could maybe extend the retreat to cover more than just a weekend. You could have a SURVIVOR theme. After reading each chapter, whoever doesn't agree with Calvin would be eliminated. This is a great idea.
4. Technique. You could teach the guys about various sexual techniques from the Song of Solomon. This would increase the romance with their marriage partners. Try not to illustrate anything around the guys--that would probably get uncomfortable. You can leave all that touchy feely business in Taylor with B.J. Just joking, B.J. I miss your manly hugs. I haven't hugged a man at church in a while. I'm having withdrawals.
5. The Importance of Hunting. I think it would do you guys some good to take a hunting trip like the guys in that movie THE DEER HUNTER. Those were some manly men. I think you guys could benefit from some of the exciting and manly games that the guys in that movie get involved with. Let me make this clear--I'm talking about THE DEER HUNTER, not DELIVERANCE. Some of the wives wouldn't be too happy, but, hey, this is about the men.
6. Okay, all silliness aside. I like the last option. I would want to see what you had to say about that, especially if I was a bit on the feminine side, you know, like Kip from NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. I mean, he's a guy and all, and he got a hot chick like LaFawnda, but geez, he WAS a bit feminine. I don't know, maybe I'm just jealous because he gets to sit around all day and talk to babes.
Seriously, I like the last option: "Why men don't like church..."
At 8:57 AM,
Anonymous said…
As an outsider, I will give my preference as if my local church body were having a retreat. 1) dealing with temptations and sin. 2) men's christian service. 3) it's not about me. 4) why men don't like church.
here's my thinking. temptations and sin are common to all believers and affects the other 3 choices. many use their sin as an excuse as why they don't serve God. sin serves as a reason there is disunity, and is the source of the effeminate church. why men don't like church is very interesting, but I think that would be better as a Bible study rather than a retreat. what man that doesn't like church ISN'T going to come up with an excuse to miss THAT retreat! I think on a retreat you need a subject that everyone including the speakers are impacted by.
love, dad
At 4:52 PM,
Rick Harper said…
Thanks Dad! Excellent words. My first choice would be the same.
At 4:52 PM,
Rick Harper said…
Thanks to you 2 Ooze! Hilarious!
At 7:52 AM,
Mister Jason said…
So have you done the retreat yet? If so, how was it? If not, when is it?
At 11:02 PM,
Rick Harper said…
It's in October. I've got a while. The elders decided on "It's Not About Me".
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