The 19th Annual Men's Retreat

Vocation and Identity

September 17-19, 2027

Camp Croix
1945 Gold Star Rd
Danbury, WI 54830
campcroix.org

Can we human beings truly be “identity crafters”? Can we craft our own identity? Can we craft our own truth, morality, and/or meaning? In this study we will ask and answer that question with a “No!”. We will then see how our justification by Christ alone and our callings (vocations) help form us to be free in Christ instead of carrying the impossible burden of crafting our own identity, meaning, truth, and morality.

Speaker: Prof. Michael Berg

Dr. Michael Berg

Rev. Dr. Michael Berg teaches at Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is the author of Vocation: the Setting for Human Flourishing (1517), The Baptismal Life (Northwestern), On Any Given Sunday (1517) and Peter: Theologian of the Cross (Northwestern). He co-hosts the podcast Let the Bird Fly! He is married to Amanda and together they have three daughters.

Pricing & Registration

Register online Invite a friend
Early-bird
(through August 19)		 After August 19
Full weekend $125 $150
Full weekend (Student) $75 $75

Includes: Meals (Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast), lodging and camp access (two nights), and instructional materials.

If you have any questions, contact Camp Croix by calling (715) 575-1266 or emailing info@campcroix.org.

Draft Agenda

Friday, September 17

Plan to arrive any time after 2pm for laid back fellowship time at camp. Check in at the lodge when you arrive.

Before 5:30pm Fellowship and Camp time
5:30pm - 7:30p Dinner is served! (If you can’t arrive before 7:30p, we’ll save some food for you!)
8pm Welcome and Devotion

Saturday, September 18

8am Breakfast and Fellowship
9am Session One

Ultimate versus Penultimate. Two tragedies occur when we ask a Penultimate Gift to perform an Ultimate Task. First, we will be disappointed in the outcome, and we will ruin the gift along the way.
Mid-morning Break
Session Two

Formation and Worship. Every single person worships and every single person is formed by countless factors. Taking a liturgical audit will help us see how we are formed and malformed. Along the way we will find our false gods.
12 noon Lunch
1pm Session Three

Seeking Righteousness. We human beings are righteous seekers. The problem is that we seek righteousness by law instead of understanding that righteousness is always a gift. This changes the way we look at our vocations.
Mid-afternoon Break
Session Four

Vocation and Identity. God sets us free from and free for. In our vocations, he lifts us to a startling degree. The burden of identity crafting weighs heavy on our young men (and everybody else too!). We can lift that burden by naming the problem and by providing the only true solution to the problem.
4pm Fellowship, e.g. Camp time, cornhole tournament, archery, fishing…
7pm Dinner
Vespers, Bonfire/Optional Hymn Sing, and free time

Sunday, September 19

7:30am Breakfast
8:30am Session Five
10am Wrap-up / 2028 Planning
After 10:30am Fellowship and Camp time, stay as long as you like!

Location: Camp Croix

The Men’s Retreat is held at Camp Croix in Danbury WI, just a little over two hours northeast of the Twin Cities. Supported by WELS churches, surrounded by 160 acres of forest, and boasting 2,100 feet of lakeshore along Lake Rooney, Camp Croix hosts six weeks of Bible Camp for youth and teens, summer and winter family camps, various retreats for men and women, conferences, and other events throughout the year. See the full calendar and learn more at campcroix.org.

For weekend retreaters, sleeping accommodations include the lodge and four-bunk cabins. There are also a number of spots for RVs with power and water connections. Please let us know if you would like to bring a camper or other RV. Boats are also welcome, and can be accommodated with the available docks.

Packing list

  • Bible
  • Comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing for both indoor and outdoor activities
  • Personal toiletries and towels
  • Bedding - Cabins have twin mattresses, and lodge rooms have full mattresses. Be sure to bring appropriately sized sheets and comforter (or sleeping bag) and a pillow. You will be emailed with lodging assignments.
  • Some of the provided activities will be cornhole boards, horseshoes, cards, canoes, sporting equipment, and more. Please feel free to bring any of your favorite games or equipment to enjoy the weekend.
  • All meals will be provided. You may bring any snacks or beverages (alcoholic or otherwise).

While all are welcome, this retreat is designed for the adult men of WELS/ELS churches. Fathers are encouraged to bring their sons 16 years or older.