This past weekend we had a weekend Men's Retreat with students from around the Omaha area. One of the highlights of our time was what we called "Whack-a-Staff". During one of our breaks, each student had a chance to shoot at each staff member, using paintball guns, as we ran back & forth between barriers. We thought it was a good guy thing to do, and it was definitely a hit (pun intended)!
On a more serious note, our time was set up to guide and teach the guys through four main themes: Reasons Men Need Exhorting, Dangers Men Face, How To Change, and Having a Vision For Your Life.
Throughout our teaching times, we mixed in small group discussion, with a two hour block for each guy to share their story with their group. This is a unique chance for guys to do something that guys don't often do - share deep wounds and some main events of their lives that have shaped who they are today.
A few thoughts about what the students took away from the weekend:
"The idea of "who we are now will affect who we will be" really had an impact on me."
"I enjoyed the time to be real with other guys and learn how God is working in different areas of our lives."
"It brought to my attention the distinct lack of real transparent and accountability relationships that I have."
"What stood out to me was the need to evaluate myself and recognize areas of weakness."
"I learned that we need to daily remind ourselves of our role as men - we need to reject passivity and accept responsibility."
"I was made more aware of some of my weaknesses."
"It was good for me to think back and take a hard look at some of the scars that I have from when I was younger and how they still affect me today."
"Recognizing the dangers we face as men and how much I fail to see them was significant for me. Things like pride and fear of man's approval are huge in my life. I also appreciated learning how to address these issues and live a life of authentic manhood."
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