Reach Church Men’s Weekend 3/10/2024
I feel like I was here with purpose. I think being an encourager is part of my calling, and I loved the opportunities to meet new men and encourage them on their walk.
___
I have a new fire for God. To put him first so I can lead my family well. I have a better understanding of community. I want to continue this act of worship & being in community when I come home.
___
Feeling overwhelmed. This weekend kind of wrecked me. Haven't felt loved like that for years. Like, I matter to people more than it has seemed the last several years. Just grief, loss, failure, let down, resignation, and coping. So, it's hard to say how this will change things. I feel some hope kindled, and feel God's love in a new way.
___
The Holy Spirit lives in me and I am forgiven of my sins. The closer my relationship with God becomes, the deeper emotions I feel with Jesus dying on the cross. I can't explain the overflow of joy, sadness, happiness, and disbelief of it all. But this even opened my heart in ways I didn't expect. Thank you to every one of you leaders.
___
I met new friends. God's judgement is kind and different than how I/we do judgement. His is a reminder of what He says about us. I was living under my own established judgements, and it was messing me up.
___
I learned that God allows challenges in our lives to grow our faith.
___
Story was very helpful to me. It provided me a better vocabulary for understanding my own story. I heard an emphasis on "supports", "identity", etc. And so, I learned to explore deeper roots of sin and trauma to make the way for healing. I am not abandoned. God has never forsaken my identity as his son. My story is impactful, not because of me, but because God has impacted my life. I am valuable. I was feeling weak. Now, I feel strong. Thank you so much!
___
I will press on my life to love and serve God and others despite my challenges.
___
I felt a stirring in worship I hadn't felt in a long time. I remembered brokenness that I hadn't thought about in a long time, along with God's rescue.
___
The vulnerability was weird to me. I'm usually used to it but not to the scale of what I have seen at the retreat. I think it's important to be vulnerable in the masculine context but for me there has been a threshold which has been pushed which has been a new experience.
___
Been in the church my entire life, but this was the first time I felt God move in my heart. Some of this was related to personal insight about my story, but I think a lot of it was making space, being vulnerable, and asking for God to act.
___
I've been to events like this before so I was skeptical if this one would feel authentic or different. It has been both of those. God has moved in my heart to remind me of His love and care for me. He's also shown me areas where I still need to obey, specifically regarding how I treat, lead, and love my family. He is directing me to lead our family towards God and this weekend has refreshed my heart to do just that. I came in feeling very alone and not knowing anyone and this even has broken down a wall of isolation that I felt trapped by. I've experienced true connection with several men that I can't wait to cultivate.
___
I have been keeping my story to myself because it feels incomplete. I'm still in the middle of the storm in many ways. Hearing from some other people share their story of still being in the storm, but their story can still have an impact, that was encouraging for me. Things are still a struggle. Life has come up short in lots of ways. But I take comfort in knowing that God has a plan. That He is still writing my story. That I am not lost. The thing I am taking away from this, and this is another step in the journey, is that I need to lean more into God's love. To seek the joy of the Lord, even when it hurts. That there is still joy, even in the struggle.
___
Reinforced I am adventurous, a visionary, full of heart, joy, genuine, and all-in. I can have empathy without a silver lining and comparison to me. Hearing the call to fast, pray, get silence and solitude. Share my story with my kids. I am a leader wherever I go and I have the mind and spirit of Christ and authority to see transformation. I am an heir.
___
Nourishing to my spirit to be with other men seeking the Lord. It's been a while.
___
It helped me. I learned that being vulnerable needs first a vulnerable space fostered. Also, I actually did learn how to respond to others broken stories better which I can confidently say I was not as good at beforehand. So, thank you for that gift. I learned I have a lot more to say and speak out then I think. I will respond to stories better. I learned that God is a Big God who can handle big prayers. He's very patient. But He is also very fast. Yet He chose to create the world in 7 days and put intention into us versus creating it in a nanosecond.
___
I learned that God is here for our flourishing. Sometimes, that means doing the uncomfortable thing of sharing our struggles and brokenness such that our weights can be laid down, our shackles can be broken, and that we can be free. I learned hope. I realized that if Jesus is love, joy, peace, and hope, then spending time to be with Him means to spend time with love, joy, peace, to become more like Him means to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, and hopeful. I want to continue to keep things in the light and to continue to bring things into the light. I want to be humble like Jesus such that I may receive love, care, and prayer from my brothers in Christ and be boldly known for all of me, all my struggles and brokenness while serving others and get to know my brothers in Christ and pray for them.
___
I was reminded how many men grow up without training on how to identify and handle their emotions, especially in relation to loss.
___
I received a reaffirmation of God's faithfulness for us. I also gained a better understanding of the purpose of emotion in our relationship with Christ.
___
I really enjoyed the time when we shared our stories in the small groups. This was helpful to get answers to questions I had and helps navigating situations in my life.
___
Everything was fantastic. Thank you so much! Sharing was great - first with leaders and then in smaller groups.
___
I have a new fire for God. To put him first so I can lead my family well. I have a better understanding of community. I want to continue this act of worship & being in community when I come home.
___
Feeling overwhelmed. This weekend kind of wrecked me. Haven't felt loved like that for years. Like, I matter to people more than it has seemed the last several years. Just grief, loss, failure, let down, resignation, and coping. So, it's hard to say how this will change things. I feel some hope kindled, and feel God's love in a new way.
___
The Holy Spirit lives in me and I am forgiven of my sins. The closer my relationship with God becomes, the deeper emotions I feel with Jesus dying on the cross. I can't explain the overflow of joy, sadness, happiness, and disbelief of it all. But this even opened my heart in ways I didn't expect. Thank you to every one of you leaders.
___
I met new friends. God's judgement is kind and different than how I/we do judgement. His is a reminder of what He says about us. I was living under my own established judgements, and it was messing me up.
___
I learned that God allows challenges in our lives to grow our faith.
___
Story was very helpful to me. It provided me a better vocabulary for understanding my own story. I heard an emphasis on "supports", "identity", etc. And so, I learned to explore deeper roots of sin and trauma to make the way for healing. I am not abandoned. God has never forsaken my identity as his son. My story is impactful, not because of me, but because God has impacted my life. I am valuable. I was feeling weak. Now, I feel strong. Thank you so much!
___
I will press on my life to love and serve God and others despite my challenges.
___
I felt a stirring in worship I hadn't felt in a long time. I remembered brokenness that I hadn't thought about in a long time, along with God's rescue.
___
The vulnerability was weird to me. I'm usually used to it but not to the scale of what I have seen at the retreat. I think it's important to be vulnerable in the masculine context but for me there has been a threshold which has been pushed which has been a new experience.
___
Been in the church my entire life, but this was the first time I felt God move in my heart. Some of this was related to personal insight about my story, but I think a lot of it was making space, being vulnerable, and asking for God to act.
___
I've been to events like this before so I was skeptical if this one would feel authentic or different. It has been both of those. God has moved in my heart to remind me of His love and care for me. He's also shown me areas where I still need to obey, specifically regarding how I treat, lead, and love my family. He is directing me to lead our family towards God and this weekend has refreshed my heart to do just that. I came in feeling very alone and not knowing anyone and this even has broken down a wall of isolation that I felt trapped by. I've experienced true connection with several men that I can't wait to cultivate.
___
I have been keeping my story to myself because it feels incomplete. I'm still in the middle of the storm in many ways. Hearing from some other people share their story of still being in the storm, but their story can still have an impact, that was encouraging for me. Things are still a struggle. Life has come up short in lots of ways. But I take comfort in knowing that God has a plan. That He is still writing my story. That I am not lost. The thing I am taking away from this, and this is another step in the journey, is that I need to lean more into God's love. To seek the joy of the Lord, even when it hurts. That there is still joy, even in the struggle.
___
Reinforced I am adventurous, a visionary, full of heart, joy, genuine, and all-in. I can have empathy without a silver lining and comparison to me. Hearing the call to fast, pray, get silence and solitude. Share my story with my kids. I am a leader wherever I go and I have the mind and spirit of Christ and authority to see transformation. I am an heir.
___
Nourishing to my spirit to be with other men seeking the Lord. It's been a while.
___
It helped me. I learned that being vulnerable needs first a vulnerable space fostered. Also, I actually did learn how to respond to others broken stories better which I can confidently say I was not as good at beforehand. So, thank you for that gift. I learned I have a lot more to say and speak out then I think. I will respond to stories better. I learned that God is a Big God who can handle big prayers. He's very patient. But He is also very fast. Yet He chose to create the world in 7 days and put intention into us versus creating it in a nanosecond.
___
I learned that God is here for our flourishing. Sometimes, that means doing the uncomfortable thing of sharing our struggles and brokenness such that our weights can be laid down, our shackles can be broken, and that we can be free. I learned hope. I realized that if Jesus is love, joy, peace, and hope, then spending time to be with Him means to spend time with love, joy, peace, to become more like Him means to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, and hopeful. I want to continue to keep things in the light and to continue to bring things into the light. I want to be humble like Jesus such that I may receive love, care, and prayer from my brothers in Christ and be boldly known for all of me, all my struggles and brokenness while serving others and get to know my brothers in Christ and pray for them.
___
I was reminded how many men grow up without training on how to identify and handle their emotions, especially in relation to loss.
___
I received a reaffirmation of God's faithfulness for us. I also gained a better understanding of the purpose of emotion in our relationship with Christ.
___
I really enjoyed the time when we shared our stories in the small groups. This was helpful to get answers to questions I had and helps navigating situations in my life.
___
Everything was fantastic. Thank you so much! Sharing was great - first with leaders and then in smaller groups.