Men’s Retreat
OCTOBER 17-18 // THE REFUGE
All Westmeade men, 10th grade and older, are invited to attend the 2025 Westmeade Men’s Retreat. This year’s retreat will be held right here on the campus of Westmeade. We’ll set up the gym like barracks (BYOBed). We’ll have times of worship in the Refuge with leaders Rick Hagans, Kenny Young, and Corey Bonds. We’ll enjoy meals together in the Fellowship Hall. And we’ll have an outing together on Friday night. The cost of the retreat is $50 per person.
RETREAT LEADERS
Rick Hagans
Harvest Evangelism was founded in 1985 by Rick Hagans after returning to Alabama after working for David Wilkerson and his ministry World Challenge. In the beginning, Rick’s vision was to create a Christian ‘Coffee House’ which could be a safe place for the community’s residents to find a safe space, hear the gospel be presented, and be discipled. But after a while, it was found that many people who heard and accepted the gospel here had nowhere to go. Some even took the back off the stand-alone arcade games in the coffee house to sleep inside at night. It was also at this time that Rick was taking men home to live with him, his wife, and then, one child in their small trailer. This gave birth to His Place, the ministry of Harvest Evangelism which offers men a one-year Christian recovery center where men are offered gospel-centered discipleship along with various other things that aid them in not only defeating their life-controlling addictions but helping them turn into contributing members of society and the Church.
During the 90s Rick became disheartened by the seemingly emotional manipulation and short-lasting effect of summer church camps where he had been regularly preaching. So one year instead of preaching a summer camp at the beach he took a team to Mexico to work with the poor and destitute in the U.S.-Mexico border town of Reynosa. Since then Harvest Evangelism has taken over 10,000 people down to Mexico for short-term mission trips to work with local missionaries and an orphanage that was started by Rick Hagans and a partner in Mexico in 1998. Harvest Evangelism Missions has also been able to take mission teams to other countries in Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
After a few years of having His Place in operation Rick, and his wife Kim, once again began welcoming people in need into their homes. This time around they opened their home to women in need of a safe place to be and grow. This was the start of Hosanna Home. Hosanna Home, like His Place, is a one-year Christian recovery home that allows women, and their children up to age 12, to overcome their addictions while being immersed in gospel-centered discipleship.
With all these ministries, Harvest Evangelism began Harvest Thrift Store in 2000 to help with the financial cost of caring for all the people involved in the ministries. Through the years the store has grown to be able to provide a portion of the annual budget of Harvest Evangelism.
Kenny Young
Kenny is a product of the ministry of His Place where he now serves as Director. Kenny has witnessed over and over again the power of the gospel and the grace of God.
Corey Bonds
Corey is the Minister of Music at Westmeade Baptist Church in Decatur, AL. Corey’s gifting in music, combined with a pastoral calling and the heart of a discipler, make him unique in the area of ministry through music. Before coming to Westmeade, Corey was Director of Bands at Campbellsville University in Kentucky, while also serving a local church as Minister of Music. Corey and his wife, Katherine, have three sons – Paxton, Parker, and Price.
