What Really Happens at MAN CAMP? | Crossroads Church

in from the outside, first time, what you expected, what you think, what are you doing here? We're almost done. I know God's doing something across the world right now in the hearts of men, but like this is like tangible and from the first drive across the property, something's happening. From the first time we assembled up there in that tent, I would just call it the tent a meeting. This gold testament is like God was there waiting on men and they came expecting something. I don't know if I know what that means, but they shut up with that expectation and leaned in from moment one, note one, announcement one. I don't know. Do you feel it? I'll pick you back off that, like I just felt like the presence of God was already here. Yeah. You know, I slept well when I first got here, that was a big deal. And I think in worship, it was really cool. I've never seen in my entire life and I'm young, but I still travel the world and let worship all over the world and I've never seen men get together to get closer to the Lord or worship or sing, you know what I mean, just sing and cry and like actually I'm in counters of the Lord, actually experience and believe in healing, you know. So for me, it was just a big blessing. I came to pour out, but really, I mean, majority of the time I've been here, I've been poured into it. And so it's an experience I would want to relive every year, you know. I think Barris said it well. I don't know if he planned this thing, he said, "I've lived my whole life to finally find my people." Yeah. And I think that every man in there is going like, "I finally found the place where I belong." Arm and arm, shoulder, shoulder, shield the shield with other men running the same direction.

I do not have it all worked out, but this is the strongest, safest place I've ever felt like I can pursue. And I actually get to speak back to the voice that says, "You can't have it." It says, "It's not true because you just said I can't." I actually believe that now. Yeah. A lot of it was behind the scenes. I think being in this, the worship and hearing the word and all gathering together was just like the icing on the cake, but I think the community aspect of it, when you're just chilling around the campfire, talking to other men about life and its issues and also the good parts, you know. I feel like that's something that I've never seen and I would like to see more of and I'm just really grateful to have experienced it through Nankham. It's a different kind of guy who comes here. Like, was there anything you noticed, any through line, through the men who came in terms of what you think they're dealing with, what they want, what their joys are, or did you guys sense that? Because I'm having a hard time seeing it because all sizes, all nationalities, all ages, all economic strata, all interests, like campers here and there's like no camper, like first time ever. I'm trying to figure out what the through line is. Do you guys have any community, I think you can't find a place where it's specifically for men and the activities from the food to like what we talk about, you know, we talk about real life stuff and then we also pray with each other and it's a safe place and I think a lot of it is because of community. I think that's why people from all nationalities, shapes and sizes are coming to hang out, you know, for the most part. And then you get to have God and encounters, you know, it's the icing on the cake because the encounter had started before we even got to the tent, you know what I mean. Just even being around it is like an encounter, you know.

For me, we were walking just across the hillside and we just, look, there's no typical man camp man. I mean, there's not like, well, that's what they all look like. It's just so diverse and different, like old, young, you know, race, all that. It's like, no, no, no, but like we were pointing at the guy, like, what's that guy? Walking across that field by himself, like how much courage, desperation, whatever, he came here probably by himself. Like, who, who, who is that desperate to go? I got a question, something in my heart needs answered and I can't find it. I'll sign up and go camp in a field in Ohio, with men I don't know because maybe, maybe I find an answer on the side of that and then they do. But not only do they find that answer, they find it in the context of community. Like, you have set something up here. The guy gets all the credit, but he used, you have tapped into a nerve, a vein, a, a "My questions and my life are not reverent. They're not clean. They're not concise. Like, can I just be me here?" And then they chose that song, which is like the perfect setup song. Oh, absolutely. Every man there has heard, "God loves you." I don't know why it landed different. Well, I chose it before he told me about it. I chose it months ago. There's stuff in play here long before we showed up at this campground. Well, what I love, too, is we kind of came here to do a job, right? We're kind of almost on the clock. We got a roll, and we end up camping together, and we're genuine friends as a result of it, because what we shared, and what I love is that's replicated with the hundreds of campsites that are out there right now scattered across this ground. Guys have built genuine connections, and walked with each other, and laughed with each other, and sweated with each other, and I'm just thankful I've got to do that with you. And you did it without having a shower for a few days. How you doing, man? He bumped into the pond today, though. Oh, you're going to need a shower after the pond, though. You appreciate it. (laughing) [BLANK_AUDIO]