When 30 men arrive for a retreat on men's spirituality early or on time, you know something good is on. And there is something going on for men at Calvary Baptist Church. One high point is the small groups of five or six men responding to the speaker's presentations, sharing some of their own concerns, and listening and responding to others in their group.

A recently disseminated survey is showing that men want to continue their search for spiritual underpinnings in their lives, to develop deeper friendships and to get a handle on what it means to be a man with spiritual and religious needs in our world where macho males seem to be the model.

What are men's issues today? We are aware of changing roles of men and women in our society, of the difficulties in marriages, of the challenges in raising families, of the turmoil and uncertainty in the workplace, of the media images of males and the societal messages that barrage our senses. Fortunately, our church is a place where difficult questions like this can be addressed. Calvary's focus on men's spirituality will provide some impetus for forming small groups and having a variety of opportunities to develop friendships and strengthen faith. In addition to an annual retreat, a Guys’ Group gets together monthly for casual discussion and spiritual exploration.