Southeast Texas Christian Men can be very solitary.
It is not uncommon that between our obligations to our careers, our families, and our home church we find very little 
time to fellowship with other men. It is extremely uncommon that we spend meaningful time together, getting beyond the easy sports-weather-work conversations.
In my neighborhood, I regularly see men golfing alone, fishing alone, and walking alone.
“No man is an island unto himself,” (John Locke) has been an intriguing observation for over 400 years. As men, we “get it”; we just don’t do much about it. Unfortunately, many of us have trouble acting on making adult friends – other men who we can open up to- and meaningful spending time with other men. Talking about real issues like God, money management, how hard it is to raise good kids, speaking openly about the challenges of marriage.
Many of our Southeast Texas churches do have active men’s ministry programs. Crestwood Church in Lumberton (and many others) have basketball nights for men. First Methodist Spurger (and several of the other Southeast Texas Methodist Churches) have regular men’s breakfasts on the weekend. First Baptist Beaumont holds lunchtime Bible Studies for men. They aren’t the only one. Southeast Texas churches of all denominations coordinate men’s Bible Studies before work, during lunch, and evenings. Several times a year there are retreats for Southeast Texas Christian men.
The Southeast Texas church community does a great job of giving men ways to break down their barriers of isolation and many men do respond and participate. Many more, however, remain isolated. We build man caves and hibernate with TV and video game consoles. We barbecue in the backyard alone. We spend time with our own families but don’t get to know other families in our neighborhoods. We read books (even the Bible) without every talking about what we read with others.
Sometimes attending one men’s retreat can help us break down some of our walls. We can remember what it was like spending time with other men and having fun. It can be particularly meaningful to spend the time with other Southeast Texas Christian men who are going through very similar walks to our own. They are struggling with how to be a Christian at work, how to be a Christian husband, how to raise their children to know and follow Christ. Everyone who sits next to us on Southeast Texas church pews looks like they have it all together. They seem confident and happy. Their wives seem happy and supportive. Their children seem to listen during the sermon. Talk to them though and you’ll find that no Southeast Texas man has it all figured out. Some struggle to pay the mortgage. Others are only one argument away from divorce. Many have children who don’t care about school, who sneak out of the house, or who are on drugs. They are all men though and they are all constantly learning. They have much to teach and can benefit from the little things we’ve learned along our journey.
It can be hard for even the most sincere Southeast Texas Christian man to get away for a men’s retreat. Our petrochemical plants and construction firms offer, even demand, lots of overtime – and no one has extra money these days. The grass is growing like crazy and that leaky sink isn’t likely to fix itself while we’re away at a men’s retreat.
The Sabine Neches Baptist Association (SNBA) has put together a really nice retreat for Southeast Texas Christian men on August 2&3.
First, it’s a “quick” retreat, meaning minimum time away from work, family, and yard work (mixed blessing?). Activities start Friday afternoon (you can check in as late as 6:30) and events wrap up at noon on Saturday. You’ll be able to return to life refreshed, closer to the Lord, and your wife may not even notice that you were gone.
The camp will beat at East Texas Baptist Encampment in Newton.
There will be sessions on the following topics:
- “Dare to be Different with an Open Window Commitment”
- “Dare to be Different with a Powerful Yet Submissive Commitment”
- “Dare to be different with a Christ-like Character and Commitment”
It won’t be all learning though – there will be opportunities for basketball, fishing, dominoes, swimming, volleyball, rifle/archery, table games, canoeing, skeet shooting, water slides, and both a high and low ropes course.
This covers the core interests of most Southeast Texas Christian men I know – and you’ll have other men to share them with. For most men, it has been a long time since we shot skeet (teal season is just around the corner – trust me, we all need the practice!) or played dominoes with men we aren’t related to.
You’ll even get a comedy show with popular Christian comedian Robert Burkhart.
When was the last time you had a “guys weekend”? When was the last time you met some new guys? Other Southeast Texas men with similar interests, goals, and who are in similar situations.
Chances are, this retreat will cover a large number of needs in your life:
- Christian instruction designed specifically for men
- Fellowship with other Southeast Texas Christian men
- The chance to make new friends
- A chance to get away from the stresses of the workplace and everyday life and to have fun
- The opportunity to laugh. Robert Burkhart is supposed to be very funny and I know personally some of the presenters can be hilarious.
- An affordable, guilt free opportunity to decompress, learn, and enjoy yourself.
East Texas Baptist Encampment has a long history of providing a quality camp experience for Southeast Texas Christian men, women, and children. They have a well designed camp, friendly staff, and put together great activities.
Being a man is hard work. Let other men help you by sharing their experiences.
You can get registration information online or from any of the many Southeast Texas churches who are members.
