This past weekend, 30-ish Kairos men returned to the Nantahala Outdoor Center for our annual Men’s Retreat. This was my second Men’s retreat, and just like last year, I left the mountains feeling restored, refreshed, and re-energized to tackle this new (school calendar) year. And based on my recent conversations, I believe many other Kairos men share these sentiments.
As always, the highlight of the weekend was simply getting to spend time with other men in our community. We caught up with old friends, made new friends, laughed, broke bread, and prayed together. Jeff Myers, of Roswell Presbyterian Church, delivered two powerful and convicting messages on temptation. Preaching from Matthew 4, when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jeff encouraged us to resist the all-too-common temptations of wealth, security, and prestige. On Sunday morning, we were able to process these messages all together as a group, share personal stories and struggles, and then return to the cross by receiving communion. It really was a great weekend.
I also had the privilege of inviting a friend (Field Asbury) this year and seeing how much he enjoyed the time with our Kairos community. Like many others we encounter on a regular basis, Field has expressed in the past a desire to find meaningful community. Field and his wife Holly may soon join us for church on a Sunday morning, but I thought the Men’s Retreat would be a great opportunity for Field to meet men from the Kairos community in a more intentional setting. It paid off. Field has repeatedly expressed how much he enjoyed getting to know everyone and spending some time away from the Atlanta hustle. Thank you to all who reached out to make him feel comfortable and welcomed this weekend.
And thank you to Joe and Drew for your leadership in making this Men’s retreat possible. I am already looking forward to next year.
-Brad Brizendine