2009 CBMC Mid-Atlantic Winter Men’s Retreat
KEMPTON, PA – A group of 50 men from the Delaware Valley (PA, NJ, and Delaware) braved the frigid temperatures and joined together on January 23, 24, and 25, 2009 to attend the 5th annual CBMC Mid-Atlantic Winter Men’s Retreat.
The retreat was held this year at SPADE Ministries. SPADE is a non-profit Christian Retreat, conference and outreach center located in beautiful Kempton, PA. A unique 36 room country inn, built in 1832.
Did I mention frigid? I believe the thermometer topped out at about 15 degrees during the daytime. The large inn was partially heated by a central system and sporadically placed electric space heaters. Interestingly we found that some of the heaters mysteriously relocated themselves while the men were sleeping at night.
The worship center, where the session were held, had a cozy wood-burning stove.
FOOD, FELLOWSHIP, and FUN!
The Inn may have been chilly at the beginning of the weekend but the Food, Fellowship and Fun was warm from the beginning.
For the fourth year in a row CBMC men and their friends and associates have gathered together to share their lives and God’s truth with one another. It was not just the sessions that were life impacting. Our minds are flooded with memories of these special weekends when we have been courageous enough to remove our masks and to be honest with each other and to have authentic ministry with one another.
The retreat theme for this year was “The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture.” Our speaker, Mark J. Crocco, poignantly delivered each of the five sessions we enjoyed through out the weekend. Prior to the retreat Mark spent many months observing what God’s Word says about itself and the impact that His Word is to have upon our lives personally.
Singer songwriter Dave Gantz led us in worship and personally wrote a song for the event entitled, “In Your Word I Delight.”
This year was a celebration of God’s written Word that promises to lead us into a life transforming intimacy with the living Word, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This event gave all of us the opportunity to affirm the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of God’s Word in our lives. We were challenged to become men of the Word, which may potentially impact our personal lives, families and careers more then any other decision we have ever made in our lives.
Sessions 1 through 4 each built upon the previous lesson and concluded on Saturday evening with a 4-point guide of practical steps to receiving God’s Word.
Session 5: God’s Design for the Church, encouraged us to evaluate how the Word of God must become the primary lens that governs how we approach and actually do ministry within our churches.
The weekend concluded with a homework assignment: A 22-Day Journey Through Psalm 119. The self-study is designed to equip us with the ability to understand the life-transforming impact that Scriptures has upon those who meditate upon and obey them.
AUDIO FILES AVAILABLE ON LINE
Check out the audio files from each retreat session
RETREAT HISTORY
These retreats started with God laying an idea upon the heart of John Rhoads for how he could open-up his Pocono vacation home to a group of men to experience true fellowship and solid Bible teaching. That first gathering of 18 men grew to men staying at 2 houses the next year and then 3 different Pocono vacation homes to accommodate all the men. This year we desired a location where all the men could be under one roof and the SPADE center was just the perfect location, where 50 men came together.
NEXT YEAR: 2010
Next year’s retreat is planned for January 22-24, 2010! We are already praying for what God may have in store for us next year and also a new location that can handle even more men! Mark your calendars now!
If you would like your name added to the growing list of men who receive an email invitation to next year’s retreat send an email to: mid-atlantic@cbmc.com. Included, “Add me to the Retreat list” in the subject heading.
CBMC Mid-Atlantic Newsletter Archive
February 2007 Newsletter--Almost 150 men meet together weekly among our 29 Mid-Atlantic CBMC teams. They enjoy fellowship, ministry training, praying for the lost, and planning how to be better “Missionaries in the Marketplace.”
Special thanks to the local team members who helped me man the CBMC Booth at the Christian Business Expo in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
May 2006 Newsletter--In this issue, Bill White writes about a February retreat in the Pocono Mountains, which John Rhoades calls "a fantastic time skiing and getting to know the guys better." There's a profile on the CBMC group in Franconia and summaries of three upcoming events: Family Time Out, Schroon Lake Family Retreat, and the 75th Anniversary Celebration.
March 2006 Newsletter--In this newsletter, read what's going on in the region and offer your feedback as a young man in the ministry.
January 2006 Newsletter--In this newsletter, Scott Newcomer addresses five focus areas for 2006. 1. Securing the Mid Atlantic Budget, 2. Develop Existing Teams, 3. Leverage Cross Team Relationships, 4. Nurturing New Teams, 5. New Forums Teams.