What I Learned at a Christian Man Camp for Jesus-Loving Dudes

I was told that He would come. We were a few hours into Man Camp—an evangelical men’s retreat in the Ohio River Valley—and this promise was part of the level setting that Tyler, our ball-capped and rosy-cheeked group leader, thought we needed to hear. “You shouldn’t expect to shift all your perspectives on life in 48 hours,” he said with the buoyant enthusiasm of a radio DJ. “But you should definitely expect God to show up.” I saw nods among the dozen and a half other faces lit by campfire. Our group consisted mostly of first-timers in their 20s and 30s from all over Ohio. Out in the darkness, there were nearly 2,700 other Jesus-loving dudes in 279 groups who’d come from as far as Mexico, Canada, and Ghana to camp on the 431-acre property. Due to the BYO-Everything nature of the weekend, most Man Campers looked like they’d just looted an adventure supply store: technical doodads, hunting knives, hiking boots, cargo pants, lots and lots of camo. Our group fit that mold, except that practically everyone but me wore a credit-card-sized cross around his neck that one of the guys had handmade from wood. Having been to other men’s retreats, I expected us to kick rocks around for hours before finally opening up, but we got right into it. As a hearty flame crackled beneath a tar-black sky, two men bonded over their wives’ miscarriages. Another told us wistfully that his long-estranged father had rebuffed his attempts to reconnect. The most chilling story came from a guy who, almost two years earlier, had lost three people to suicide, including his mother. “Holy crap,” someone said. Was there anymore whiskey to drink? [View in Browser]( [Men's Health]( [SHOP]( [MVP EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Alternate text] THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ [Alternate text] [He-Men and Holy Rollers]( [He-Men and Holy Rollers]( [I was told that He would come. We were a few hours into Man Camp—an evangelical men’s retreat in the Ohio River Valley—and this promise was part of the level setting that Tyler, our ball-capped and rosy-cheeked group leader, thought we needed to hear. “You shouldn’t expect to shift all your perspectives on life in 48 hours,” he said with the buoyant enthusiasm of a radio DJ. “But you should definitely expect God to show up.” I saw nods among the dozen and a half other faces lit by campfire. Our group consisted mostly of first-timers in their 20s and 30s from all over Ohio. Out in the darkness, there were nearly 2,700 other Jesus-loving dudes in 279 groups who’d come from as far as Mexico, Canada, and Ghana to camp on the 431-acre property. Due to the BYO-Everything nature of the weekend, most Man Campers looked like they’d just looted an adventure supply store: technical doodads, hunting knives, hiking boots, cargo pants, lots and lots of camo. Our group fit that mold, except that practically everyone but me wore a credit-card-sized cross around his neck that one of the guys had handmade from wood. Having been to other men’s retreats, I expected us to kick rocks around for hours before finally opening up, but we got right into it. As a hearty flame crackled beneath a tar-black sky, two men bonded over their wives’ miscarriages. Another told us wistfully that his long-estranged father had rebuffed his attempts to reconnect. The most chilling story came from a guy who, almost two years earlier, had lost three people to suicide, including his mother. “Holy crap,” someone said. Was there anymore whiskey to drink?]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Our Favorite JLab Travel Earbuds Are up to 25% Off Right Now]( [Our Favorite JLab Travel Earbuds Are up to 25% Off Right Now]( [Worry less about your earbuds by opting for a pair from JLab that you can buy for the price of a couple of burritos.]( [READ MORE]( [This 4-Week Workout Will Help You Build a Superhero Chest]( [This 4-Week Workout Will Help You Build a Superhero Chest]( [You'll need a cape after you finish this training plan.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Want a New Spring Wardrobe? Patagonia Has You Covered at 50% Off]( [Want a New Spring Wardrobe? Patagonia Has You Covered at 50% Off]( [Act fast, before these steals sell out.]( [READ MORE]( [What Vitamins Should Not Be Taken Together?]( [What Vitamins Should Not Be Taken Together?]( [Make the most out of your supplements by taking them correctly.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Get Ready for Warm Weather With Our Favorite Summer Footwear]( [Get Ready for Warm Weather With Our Favorite Summer Footwear]( [Find the kicks that will fit your summer style]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Jake Gyllenhaal Built His Ripped 'Road House' Abs With These Moves]( [Jake Gyllenhaal Built His Ripped 'Road House' Abs With These Moves]( [Trainer Jason Walsh breaks down the exercises that were the bedrock of the actor's intense training regimen.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] Shop Our Men's Health Favorites Dive into award-winners, editors' picks, and more, now in the Men's Health Shop. [Flybird
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