Oasis Ministries - Men4Directions
John French with his brothers in the M4D Program offered by Oasis Ministries
M4D (Men4Directions) is renewable year long program with Oasis Ministries intended to help men grow in faith, self-awareness, and spiritual wholeness. The same group of men meet four different times throughout the year focused on the metaphors and spiritual lessons of the calendar seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring) and the global directions (south, west, north, east). This coming year the retreat will be meeting at Camp Krislund in Madisonburg, PA, with the first gathering happening in mid-September.
Oasis Ministries was founded in Camp Hill, PA, in 1988, with a mission to offer ecumenical training programs in spiritual direction and contemplative prayer practices: deepening growth through spiritual companioning, day workshops, and retreat leadership. These training programs draw from the depths of Spirit revealed in many traditions, with the well of the contemplative Christian tradition providing the main source of the teachings. They also offer retreat nourishment and educational programs steeped in the experience of community for persons seeking refreshment, deepening and growth for their lives of service to, and presence in the world.
Roy Shirley, who will be leading the retreat, is a licensed professional counselor and a spiritual director. He completed his spiritual direction training in 2016 through Oasis Ministries. Roy is currently enrolled in The Living School for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM, where he is seeking to learn and help others deepen their engagement with God, their truest selves, and the world. He leads retreats and workshops related to understanding and embracing your unique story and for men’s topics related to male spirituality and their life journey. Roy was a participant in Men4Directions for two years.
My Personal Reflection: This was my first time through M4D. It was a phenomenal experience! In most retreats, you meet and interact with other men over only a few days, but in this experience, the same group of men (9 men in my case) meet and interact over the course of a year. These weekends, and the interactions in-between, become a highlight of this past year, and a place where I could truly be myself—and still be loved! I recommend this experience to any man wanting to explore what spiritual wholeness and maturity look like. I am seriously considering doing M4D again this year! — John French
