Advancing by Retreats
Business partners Joe Haddad and Nick Dadas, along with Nick’s father George and Nick’s brother George, Jr., are the kind of men who shared spiritual resources with each other. They sought to learn, to grow, to expand their faith. But, they wanted something that offered more than the blogs, articles and coaching programs…something that would address several areas of their lives in relation to their faith.
They knew what areas of life that men needed to keep in check. They knew like-minded men who wanted to live up to their God-given potential, men who were willing to learn together. They knew people who could help them set a course.
In 2018, they launched a plan called Iron Sharpens Iron. (Based on Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” NASB)
The objectives
Focus on five areas: faith, family, faculty (gifting), fitness and finances.
Challenge men to make their faith the center of their lives, rather than a compartment for their Sunday morning worship or weekly Bible study. Make faith the hub of the wheel, not one of the spokes of a wheel.
Create an environment where each man could develop how the centrality of faith would play out in his life.
The plan
The central strategy revolved around quarterly 24-hour retreats (Friday noon to Saturday noon). They would use locations like a conference center and inn or a state park.
The four men put out feelers to find like-minded men, speakers with specific expertise and meeting locations. As soon as the first 15 men had signed on, they set some dates and ran with it.
The critical retreat elements
Their retreats, like most good retreats, have gifted speakers with challenging content. That was a given. These iron-sharpens-iron guys required some elements that would drive the content home.
Reflection – several pauses are built into the 24-hour period, giving men the time to think about the implications of a message, assess the course of their lives and apply needed adjustments. They knew that most men generally view reflection time as a luxury in their busy schedules. At the retreat, reflection would be a necessity.
Discussion – throughout the 24 hours, men are grouped by geographical areas to interact about their questions, discoveries and decisions.
Relationships –the vulnerability that emerged at the retreat would create a natural bridge for these men to connect outside the retreats.
The follow-up
There is not a highly organized plan outside the retreats. The attendees generate intentional meetings between the retreats on their own. Over time, some men join an early morning Bible study, work out together, or simply grab coffee to encourage each other.
A Facebook group has been established for the men to post entries.
A new website will be launched in 2019 (theisilife.com) to post interviews with past speakers and offer relevant resource material.
The results
The plan was to have men sign up for all four retreats for the year, but family and business schedules have made it difficult. There is a consistent core among the 30-35 men who make up most retreats. A total of 85 men came to the retreats in 2018.
Men are making significant decisions about their faith and their walk with God.
Craving deeper relationships than they typically find at work, men are becoming more intentional about developing the connections formed at the retreats. They are realizing the value of engaging other men in their personal journey.
God is stretching, building and using the four original planners like iron sharpens iron.
