Men's Retreat
On May 1-3 of 2008, twenty-three men associated with St. Andrew's attended the 58th annual Men's Conference at Mo-Ranch. This was a great time to be with old friends and to meet new ones. Several men attended for the first time or as guests, adding to the fun.
The formal program theme was "Integrity - Leading the Consistent Life." The speakers were superb and approached the theme uniquely. Integrity, defined by the world, is at its best about faithful, observable adherence to a code of behavior - all good stuff.
Integrity to Christian men is more than keeping promises, though. It is, first of all, appreciating who God sees when He looks at us in Christ. Integrity is about being whole, undivided in our nature, centered on God and remaining aware of what is important in our lives. Bob Crilley (Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian, Grapevine), Jesse Truvillion (widely respected minister of 50+ years), and Joe Clifford (Pastor, First Presbyterian, Dallas) delivered great messages from Scripture, history and personal experience. There were also some excellent workshop opportunities - I attended a couple on mission history and on conflict resolution. Marj Carpenter (moderator of the 207th General Assembly) provided an inspiring oral history of modern mission work. Others learned about Islamic sects, parenting, what a shepherd REALLY does to care for sheep, and managing church campus utilities. There are also rumors that some might have taken naps.
There was plenty of time for fellowship, fun and individual time, and even a few moments for food fellowship. St. Andrew's did not repeat as volleyball champs this year, unfortunately, though we did take second and look forward to reclaiming the championship next year!
To learn more about Mo Ranch and next year's exciting conference, click here to visit the Men's Retreat page on the Mo Ranch website. For more information about the retreat or available scholarships, click here to email Pastor Jeff.
The formal program theme was "Integrity - Leading the Consistent Life." The speakers were superb and approached the theme uniquely. Integrity, defined by the world, is at its best about faithful, observable adherence to a code of behavior - all good stuff.
Integrity to Christian men is more than keeping promises, though. It is, first of all, appreciating who God sees when He looks at us in Christ. Integrity is about being whole, undivided in our nature, centered on God and remaining aware of what is important in our lives. Bob Crilley (Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian, Grapevine), Jesse Truvillion (widely respected minister of 50+ years), and Joe Clifford (Pastor, First Presbyterian, Dallas) delivered great messages from Scripture, history and personal experience. There were also some excellent workshop opportunities - I attended a couple on mission history and on conflict resolution. Marj Carpenter (moderator of the 207th General Assembly) provided an inspiring oral history of modern mission work. Others learned about Islamic sects, parenting, what a shepherd REALLY does to care for sheep, and managing church campus utilities. There are also rumors that some might have taken naps.
There was plenty of time for fellowship, fun and individual time, and even a few moments for food fellowship. St. Andrew's did not repeat as volleyball champs this year, unfortunately, though we did take second and look forward to reclaiming the championship next year!
To learn more about Mo Ranch and next year's exciting conference, click here to visit the Men's Retreat page on the Mo Ranch website. For more information about the retreat or available scholarships, click here to email Pastor Jeff.