“Men are born to lead!” was the rallying cry for the men who attended the Men’s Retreat for Rev. Derek Dunn’s and Jeremy Choy’s zones, held at the luxurious Sofitel Palm Golf Resort in Johor Bahru on 18 and 19 October.
It was a declaration of conviction that championed the divine call upon men to guide, guard and govern their families, community and nation.
Titled “Success that Matters”, the retreat was attended by 167 men from the two zones. It comprised four sessions focusing on the topics of having a purpose-driven lifestyle, leadership and communication in relationships, and building a life of intimacy with God.
Amidst these life-impacting sessions, the men also found time to fellowship and bond with each other through team-oriented games.
The guest speaker for the retreat was Michael Griffin, who serves as the CEO of Equipping Leaders for Asia, a Christian non-profit leadership and mentoring organization, which has affiliations to John C Maxwell’s EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services.
Michael spoke about the need for men to assume responsibility for the health and growth of the relationships in their life, in order to rise up to a position of leadership. This involves being proactive in drawing closer to Christ daily and being Christ-like in his conduct, both in his family and in the marketplace.
Said Michael, “All men are searching for significance. Society is teaching us that showing off our wealth leads to success. Why then do so many men achieve that success but still experience emptiness inside that has not been filled? It is because many men have had their achievement ladder leaning against the wrong wall.”
The only way to fulfilling this need, stressed Michael, is through “surrendering and relying on Jesus Christ to gain significance” in their lives, and this will lead them into a successful completion of the race of faith He has set for them.
Each session concluded with a ministry segment led by Pastor Derek, where the men were prayed for and ministered to.
Lim Teck Yong, one of the retreat’s organizers, stated that the retreat helped him “bring back the focus of finding a purpose in life through realigning himself according to God’s will.”
For urban men who are busy with work schedules, it is important to find opportunities to recharge, fellowship with cell group members and seek the face of God, all of which is essential to living a life of purpose in Him.
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| PHOTOS: Hartono Sutanto |
Said Eric Tan, one of the participants: “The retreat was really a good time for us to take a step back and re-evaluate issues in our lives. The most significant thing I learned was prioritizing my commitments. We always think that when we work long and hard, we are doing so for our family; but the truth is, we are neglecting them in the process.”
