Men's Retreat

Hey all just wanted to pass on to you a wonderful article written by Roy Stewart one of our church members and attenders of the retreat. I would tell you all about it except that I think that Roy does a much better job. Here you are I think you will enjoy.


"Seven Enjoy Religious Retreat in Mendocino Forest"

"Into the forest rode the seven men to attend the first-ever men’s retreat feted by the Stonyford Community Church. In an event conceived, organized, and managed by Pastor Kevin Weston, the retreat was held at a cabin in the Mendocino National Forest.

"At 10 a.m., on Friday, November 8, 2013, the seven men, in three pick-up trucks laden with firewood, food, and hymnals converged on the cabin for twenty-six hours of fellowship and study. Six of the men were Stonyfordians, headed by Pastor Kevin and including Frank Pendell, Frank Elliott, Paul Crabtree, Russ Coughran, and Roy Stewart. The seventh, Richard Knight, is from Elk Creek. The highlights of the retreat were twofold: First, were the conversations as they sat around a warm stove and got to know each other better. Second, was the entertaining enlightenment that was experienced through listening to renowned preachers sharing thought-provoking stories from their life and their missionary work. And also through the sobering slide-show commentary by Pastor Kevin on topics that included marriage, work, and the discipline needed to live a Christian lifestyle.

"The morning we headed into the forest high country was sunny and cool—perfect weather for our upcoming adventure. Upon arrival, the cabin was chilly, but the small wood-burning stove quickly warmed it up. The now-warm 600 square foot cabin proved perfect for our retreat. It was cozy and its main room was a near-

perfect conversation pit containing two three-cushion couches, two reclining-chairs, and a coffee table. After making ourselves comfortable, Kevin opened with a prayer, Paul shared a devotional message, and then we broke for a lunch of homemade chili. After lunch, Paul cranked up the generator so Kevin could show an inspirational message by Dr. David Gibbs. Dr. Gibbs is a lawyer and president of the Christian Law Association. He is an entertaining speaker who related stories about his grandfather, Earl Gibbs. Grandfather Earl was a self-made man. His formal education had stopped at the fifth grade, but his native intelligence and trust in God made him successful in life. He was a butcher who parlayed the butchering and selling of one steer into ten steers and then hundreds and thousands . In one humorous anecdote, Dr. Gibbs said that his grandfather always began his prayers by telling God his name. He would say, “Heavenly father this is Earl . . . .”He also said that he prayed often and credited God with whatever success he had made in his life. Theirs was a loving relationship, and Dr. Gibbs made that fact abundantly clear. We all enjoyed his talk so much, that we asked Kevin if he had any others. He had one more, and he shared it with us a few hours later.

"David Gibbs was a hard act to follow, but Kevin rose to the occasion. While his computer was still hot, he used it to present a Power-Point presentation emphasizing the importance of having God in our family, home, and work lives. Using quotes from the Scripture, allied with appropriate images, and with calls for discussion during and following each topic, he kept us interested and focused during his hour-long slideshow.

"After all this food for the soul, it was time to feed the body. Kevin, Paul and Frank Elliott broke out the barbeque grill and put on the hamburgers. Dinner was hamburgers, left-over chili, and a tempting variety of chips and dips. Along with dinner came much interesting conversation. All of us had fascinating tidbits to share from our childhood and on up to our present lives. Three of us had been in the military and shared experiences gained from far off places in Iceland, Europe and Asia. Others shared growing-up experiences in nearby places, such as Yuba City, Sacramento, Stonyford, and Glenn County. The conversation flowed so evenly that it was a while before there was a pause. When the pause occurred, Kevin stepped into the breach so ask if we were ready for another slideshow. We were. Kevin’s second Power-Point presentation was A Call to Action a motivation to the Modern Christian Man.

"The sun had long disappeared and bedtime had drawn nigh. The challenge now was where each of us was to bunk. It was surprisingly easy. Kevin spread a cushion on the main-room floor, Ross and Richard each took a couch, Frank Pendell setup a cot in the kitchen, Frank Elliott spread his sleeping bag in the loft, Roy took the bed in the loft, and Paul slept in his truck. And, also surprisingly, for six men sleeping in a barracks-like environment, the night passed quietly—no one snored.

"The morning broke clear and cold, with an ambient temperature in the 30s. The outside temperature was of no consequence—except, perhaps, to Paul—because the cabin was warm. Ross had kept the fire going throughout the night, and the window in the stove showed a bright orange. When our individual getting-up
were behind us, we were ready for breakfast. As a young man, Kevin had worked for the Cracker Barrel chain, so he appointed himself chief cook and bottle washer. It was a apt appointment. He stirred up a hearty meal of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Had they known, the Cracker Barrel would have been proud.

Photo By Roy Stewart

"Following breakfast, Kevin again took the floor with another spiritually laden lecture-and-slideshow . Next,
he posed the question to Paul to tell us something about his life that we did not know. When Paul finished, others continued until we had all had a say. It was a very interesting hour or so. When the talk petered out around eleven, Kevin suggested a last hour-long lecture by Otto Koning, a Dutch missionary in Indonesia. He regaled us with several stories about preaching the gospel to demon-believing warrior tribes in the New Guinea jungle. His dead-panned humor coupled with his delightful Dutch accent had us all laughing. While funny, his stories all contained deadly serious conclusions about God and His power to defeat Satan.

"The Dutchman left us with a smile and the noon hour told us it was time to clean-up and go home. With all sharing the load, repacking the trucks and cleaning and securing the cabin was quickly accomplished. By one o’clock we were headed back down the mountain and home. A good time was had by all, and we all
agreed that Retreats like this could become tradition."