Men of Action Retreat

        I attended a Men of Action (MOA) Retreat at Camp Dixie located north of Fayetteville, North Carolina.  The guest speaker, Jim Lafoon, is a prophet, who spoke words of encouragement and vision to the men.

            The vision of MOA is to take men from inaction to action to get them involved in the life and leadership of the local church. All too often men are so wrapped up in their careers that they don't have time for anything else. But their presence is needed.

            There are 3 Phases to MOA. Phase 1 is called Basic Training. The goal is to get every man on the same sheet of music, to standardize our vision and values. Each man will know what the priorities of the church are as they are described and discussed. Phase 2 is the mentoring stage. After a man has successfully completed the Basic Training he is asked to serve another man as an intern in a cell or ministry of his choice for one complete semester or 14 weeks. Phase 3 will be the launching stage. The MOA member will be expected to either continue to assist or lead a cell or small group. A certain amount of these men will be asked to stay and support MOA by being Basic Trainers. Knowing that time is critical factor; the goal is to get men trained and released as soon as possible. The mentoring stage will create a broad base of support and further training before men are released to lead.

            The retreat covered the following areas: 

1. Serving God:  Worship and Moral Purity
2. Serving Family:  Spiritual Leadership in the Home
3. Serving the Local Church: Understanding the Vision and Designed for Leadership
4. Serving my Brothers:  Being Mentored and Becoming a Mentor
5. Serving my Community:  Becoming a Man of Prayer and Committing to Share my Faith
6. Discovering my Destiny:  Identifying Spiritual Gifts and Finding my Place 

            After the Retreat, the speaker came to speak prophetic words into members’ lives at Manna, our church.  Mr. Lafoon called our family to the podium.  Well as you know, Sam and Justus were at their grandmother’s house in Lake Charles, but that did not stop him.

            Mr. Lafoon could not stop talking about the boys.  He said that those boys are miracles.  He said that God has set your family apart for a reason.  We are going to start a new legacy in our generation on both sides of the family.  Our family was going to break the cycle.  Samuel and Justus will be used by God.  He said to continue to grow them in the ways of the Lord.  Samuel will be the serious one and Justus will be the one to bring laughter and joy.  He said that Titus will be a leader among men.  God is going to renew a fire to know him more.  I, myself, am a worshiper.  I must continue to find my strength in his worship and learn to trust him more.  Oh yeah, he said to stop trying to leave Fayetteville.  It was a miracle that we came here and it’s going to take a miracle to get us leave.  So what does that tell ya!