In ten days I'm flying to Italy to lead a men's retreat for some priests. My question: What should it look like in a post-Covid world?

Men have a lot to process, but so many of us need help processing it. We want to have more friends, but struggle to be a good friend.

I'd love to get your advice. What are the components of a good retreat? We will be in the mountains in Isernia. Here are elements that we're including:

Hiking

Good food & drinks

Sharing in small groups

Facilitated discussion

Guys - have you ever experienced a good men's retreat? What made it good?

We've seen such great conferences for women, but what about for men? Back in the day, Promise Keepers was a big deal. They would fill stadiums with men. I remember Stand In the Gap - I joined hundreds of thousands of men filling the Washington DC Mall. We sang and speakers talked.

The main thing seemed to be seeing that many God-fearing men in one place. I remember walking along the Mall and chancing upon an old friend from high school who had since become a Christian.

John Eldredge has a retreat for small groups of men in Colorado.

The best retreats I've been a part of have been in places where guys could clear their heads of the noise and confusion in their lives. Some retreats have included too much teaching. Creating space for guys to share their lives seems to help.

What are your thoughts?