Contemporary retreat looks to the future

Photo by David L Adams

Along with the contemporary music and high-tech worship featured at this year's contemporary men's retreat, traditions like prayer, fellowship and spiritual seeking were still very much in evidence.    

LEESBURG — Tradition met the future at this year’s United Methodist Men’s (UMM) spiritual retreats with a first-ever contemporary weekend held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the men’s retreat ministry.
   
Nearly 600 men from across the Florida Conference gathered at the Life Enrichment Center in Leesburg Oct. 30-Nov. 1 to experience the new retreat.
   
Although leaders expected mostly young men to attend, the mixture of ages was similar to the other four men’s retreats. “The turnout surprised me because of the complete cross section of age groups,” UMM president Russ Tabbert said. “I expected only men age 45 and younger, but the average age was roughly 50. I’m not sure if it was curiosity, or they’re in tune with the contemporary music, or they just wanted to be here.”
   
Three Florida Conference pastors noted for their work with young adults, church planting and contemporary worship were the keynote speakers. The Revs. Jorge Acevedo, Max Wilkins and Dale Locke spoke on topics including passion, God-honoring dreams, prayer and discipleship, and used video clips and drama to accent their presentations. They also led a question and answer session dealing with ways to help traditional churches begin contemporary worship services.
   
Lester Rethwill said he was “thrilled” with the preaching. “The message they give is much more strongly put than in the churches of the old guard,” said the 75-year-old member of First United Methodist Church, Sanford.
   
Rethwill said the retreat was a learning experience. After five years of discussion, his church is on the verge of offering a more contemporary style of worship, which, he said, is “not necessarily all good or all bad.”
   
“We can get bogged down in traditions and forget the Gospel,” he said.
   
The 11-person praise team from Aloma United Methodist Church in Winter Park led the group in singing contemporary hymns and praise choruses, using computer-generated lyrics projected on a screen.
   
“I love it,” said Russell Moesly, who attended with friends from Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in West Palm Beach. “It’s a lot better than the traditional [retreats] for this time, age and season. The music is more of today…and gets you in the mood to hear the preaching.”
   
Plans are already underway to offer a contemporary retreat next year during the fourth weekend, Oct. 22-24, and will feature the same lineup of speakers.
   
The men’s group is also planning a contemporary weekend at the couples retreats and a new retreat for singles, held the first weekend after the men’s retreats in the year 2000.
   
“The church is in transition,” Tabbert said. “If we’re going to look down the road and see the church is going to be alive, we have to involve the younger generations. The old way is still working, but we have to provide a variety of opportunities.”

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