Just by taking a glance at the skeet shooting, flag football, video games, rock climbing and hiking, it is clear this place is suited for guys.
Camp McCall, South Carolina Baptist’s Royal Ambassador Camp, was recently occupied with nearly 90 collegiate men for the first Alpha Weekend, especially to encourage college-aged men to become spiritual leaders. The theme was based on Ephesians 6:10, which challenges believers to be strong in the Lord.
“Fewer young men are involved or are leaders in the church, and, recognizing that most Christian ministries don’t offer ministries which appeal to the heart and interests of many young men, the goal was to design a retreat that would appeal to young men and give a setting where guys could hear from God’s word in a more focused way,” said Chad Stillwell, strategist in the SCBC collegiate group.
“God showed me how few men are stepping up and leading,” said Stephen Pappas, a student at Winthrop Univeristy.
The two-day retreat included sessions on evangelism training, men’s discipleship and a special session on the book, “Every Young Man’s Battle.” There were five professions of faith during the weekend.
The competitive aspect of the weekend was one of the biggest draws.
“The events definitely made the weekend a lot of fun and also broke down the walls between other males,” said Bobby Wood, a student at the University of South Carolina.
The weekend challenged the young men to live a life of courage in their faith.
“Alpha Weekend was a good opportunity to get away from school and the distractions that come with it and be encouraged to live as a man of God in different areas of life,” said Pappas.