Thursday with Bob

Thursday was our last day with Bob. I left Louisville about 6:10 that evening and flew into Tulsa about 11:30PM. Then I drove to Enid and ended up getting home about 1:45AM Friday.

Thursday began with another great breakfast and then we moved into our last session that morning. Bob shared with us about longevity in ministry and how to protect yourself and make it through the hard times. There were many great things he said. He also gave us many leadership tidbits (as he did the whole retreat). At the end we shared what had most impacted us and then we spent time praying for each other. Bob went around the room and laid his hands on each man as we prayed for each other. It was very special. After that we packed and loaded.

Before the retreat began, Bob had mentioned a "post-retreat" activity for any that could stay for Thursday afternoon. My plane didn't leave till 6:10, so I got to participate before having to go to the airport. We went to Champions Pointe Golf Club and played a round of golf with Bob, Dick Sauer, and most of the guys from the retreat. It was great. We had a good time. Bob is a good golfer and plays a lot. He mentioned that it was a "release" for him throughout his ministry. It's a place to go and blow off some steam and get some perspective. Plus he mentioned that he'd golfed with a lot of men from the church through the years and that many "God appointments" had happened. It was a good time. The course was a Fuzzy Zoeller course and relatively new for south Indiana. It rained that morning but stopped about the time we teed off. It was wet and sloshy, but still a lot of fun.

After that Dick Sauer took me and Dan Holland (one of the other pastors there) to the airport. We were the guys flying out. Dan and I had a cup of coffee and said our goodbyes. It was a great week. I learned a lot and was very refreshed. Most of what I learned is definitely applicable to our context at Oakwood, so I'm glad to be equipped. I also have Bob's number and e-mail and he told us to stay in touch, sharing the good news and the bad with him.

All in all it was the best retreat/conference that I've ever attended. What a blessing from the Lord! In my next blog I hope to give some insights into what I learned and some things that impacted me.