Third Church Men’s Retreat

Adam’s Return: The communal journey towards cruciform (cross-shaped) masculinity

Friday, February 1: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 2: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fellowship Hall

Speakers: Bill Copeland and Derek Mondeau

In American society today, men have plenty of everything—money, sex, power, education—and many voices telling them how to be happy and successful. There are also voices telling them they are little more than sources of oppression in a world marked by the abuse of power. 

In this context, whether you are young or old, the question of what it means to be a man is confusing. Most men long for the support and nurture of other men to help in the journey toward masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience of God. But rarely do we get to actually experience what we long for.

During this retreat, Derek and Bill will use three things as a framework to explore your own masculinity, your own spirituality, and your own potential for leadership.

• The first is Scripture, in order to understand the masculine journey in the context of redemption.

• The second is Richard Rohr’s book Adam’s return, in order to understand how masculinity is embodied and bestowed in community.

• The third is Bill and Derek’s own story, and the story of men in our midst, in order to understand how men walking with one another, across generations, can lead to deep Gospel transformation.

As Rohr says, “Men are people, not gods. We need to confront suffering, loss, and death before we can live with cruciform wisdom and vision.” We hope this weekend will empower and equip us to become men of cruciform vision and cruciform wisdom.

About our speakers:

• Bill Copeland is the Pastor of Christ Community Church, Charlottesville Virginia. Bill is a former linebacker for UVA. Before entering the pastorate, Bill career in Christian education and the development of young men and women. He worked for one of the most well known Christian private schools — Stony Brook.  Derek says, “Bill is simply the best discipler of men, and particularly older men, that I know.”

• Derek Mondeau is Third Church’s Pastor of Discipleship and Parish Ministry.  After serving for 11 years with Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship on the campus of the University of Virginia, he then served as IV Area Director until 2017.  Derek and his wife Sue then came to Third to help lead and develop discipleship ministries and birth Third’s Parish ministry.

Cost: $50.00

The deadline to register is Wednesday, January 30.