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[Read the Blog or click on the Video below to listen to my thoughts on the upcoming Men and Young Men’s Retreat this October 16 – 19 in Cornwall, ON.]
DIRECTOR’S BLOG
I have a very important question before getting started? Do you often listen to what “They say…”?
They say that if I write something too long, no matter what the actual content, people won’t bother getting to the end. The presentation seems to be as important as the message…
They say that people don’t have the attention span or the commitment to spend the effort to go deep. (It’s a sliding scale between intellectual laziness and lack of stimulation.)
Specifically they say that the men that I want to reach won’t hear the entirety of what I want to communicate because our men don’t like to read.
Whatever your position on what they say, I will challenge you to ignore them for a moment… I want to poke and stir up your mind about two things: time and value.
Speaking of time, after teaching high school for over thirty years I’ve learned that you can’t force anyone to do anything that they don’t want to do.
Sure, you can use different types of reinforcements, but the old adage pricks you in the arm:
“You can bring a horse to water…”
Having said this, I don’t expect my discourse to immediately change minds, (neither am I certain that you’ll have the interest to read to the end), but it will nudge those that may be heading in this direction of thought.
You might not know this, but Men’s Retreat has always been a priority in my life -especially growing up as a young man.
I’ve said this frequently…
One day I looked around at my life and I had a wife, kids and mortgage, and thought, “I must be a man, but when did this all happen?”
Eyes Closed
Growing up into a man, I had the distinct feeling that I got there with my eyes closed. Men’s Retreat was a place where I could speak to other men and have frank, open conversations.
As well, it was time to get away! When I had my first child, Retreat was time to abandon regular routines and have some time to myself.
No one begged me to come, no one coerced me to go… Attending brought value to my life and it was worth the time to be there every year!
Here is something to consider, the men who have attended Retreat and even those who have not, are convinced of its immense value. It’s been expressed multiple times that the camaraderie and the Word are the main things that come together in a distinctly unique atmosphere and environment that just can not be duplicated anywhere else.
(Of course, there is always room for improvement on the little things of planning and programming, but the big things consistently knock it out of the park.)
Are you still with me? Are you ready to scroll to something else?
However, the reasons for delaying attendance to the Retreat (until next year, or some other elusive time) come down to time and value, yet ironically most will agree that it is worth the time and value.
What’s with the disconnect? Have we become comfortable with cognitive dissonance?
[Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort you feel when your actions, values, and beliefs do not align.]
So, what about time? Life is busy, right? Considering that 2026 has 52 weekends, we have set one apart for Men’s Retreat. (That is 0.01% of your total weekends.)
Unfortunately for some, affordability is an issue that can overshadow value. However, God said to Job, “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” (Job 41:11b) Full stop.
The understanding is that God owns everything. If you lack the resources to afford Retreat, I believe that God can make it happen. Have that conversation with Him, and don’t be too proud to accept help.
As a National Team we have been working on ways to lower cost through promotions and sponsorship. By the way, the more profitable our Retreat (the more men that attend) , the more we can discount and help those in need. (It’s a win win!)
Some people won’t like this, but I’ll say it anyway… It’s selfish not to support Retreat. Hear me out! Would you agree that whatever we don’t invest in will not grow, continue or last?
Do we want Men and Young Men’s Retreat to be around for our sons and other young men in our sphere of influence?
Quite frankly, it’s difficult to focus on getting young men to Retreat if we are still making the case to our men.
As a newly retired (30 year tenured) teacher, I’ve learned that value and time are the key things that make education what it is and preserves its legacy and future. (This rings true for the Men’s Ministry.)
I’m not going to lie, after a rather disheartening conversation about the negative attitude of a group of men (that had decided not to go to Retreat because of x, y and z) two things came to me after a good night’s sleep…
The Ninety-nine
First of all, with teaching, leaving the 99 to get the one is a poor strategy for the overall success of the majority. Teachers exist to teach the whole and not to save every individual.
Sometimes you have the whole class, but there is the one student who threatens to derail everything and if you’re not careful, a teacher will mentally leave the 99 and obsess over the one. What happens? You miss the progress and the good things of the 99.
Here me carefully, the One is important – Christ died for the One. Yet the problem can arise when one begins to lead the classroom or erodes the moral of the teacher.
We are not to leave the one, but each brother needs to go and find the one and bring him with us.
However, what happens when the one starts to grow in numbers?
The second thing that became clear to me is that at times there may be more Wilderness Men than Promise Land Men. The Ones can lead others to disregard God’s promise and focus on what could be seen and felt.
(By the way, if you’re still here and reading, thank you! You have defied the odds..)
Some men will choose to stay in the wilderness of the past.
There may be things that they just can’t… well… get past. There are complaints that become so much of a hindrance and it blocks their directional views, and they seem destined to wander around in circles until their time expires.
Then, there are the Joshua(s) and Caleb(s) that catch the vision and put their hearts into reaching the Promised Land. They follow and become part of the new generation that will enjoy the bounties of a God.
(I’m wondering, what if the unfortunate reality is that God might skip his desire for this generation of men just like the Wilderness Men?)
The Spiritual Battle
Lastly, it is not lost on me that this is a spiritual battle. I’m not wrestling here against flesh and blood.
In an unusual way I’m actually very encouraged, not disheartened, because I know that if spiritual forces are fighting against our efforts, it’s because they know of the unstoppable blessings that must follow.
My desire is that we can all see the Promised Land for Men’s Ministry in Eastern Canada and that we will all travel there in the most efficient time possible.
Do you know what else they say (but not out loud)? The momentum of Men’s Retreat is not likely to reach the level of Ladies Retreat…
Who are they, anyways? Don’t be distracted by the noise, and don’t miss this year’s Retreat.
Registration ends August 31.
I look forward to seeing all our travelling partners, both young and old!
Israel Harriott
National Men’s Director | Eastern Canada
The Genesis Man Project 