God's Great Outdoors

This interview takes place during a Fisher’s of Men Retreat at Rushing Wind Retreat Center in Ontario, Canada. The guest Jeff Swan reveals how skeptical he was the first year attending, as his church group had labeled the event a “mission’s trip”. He thought “Yeah, it’s really all about fishing, I’m sure!” But, did he discover how wrong he was and how God spoke to both he and his wife, the first year they attended. Jeff also reflects the importance of being the kind of man or women that God wants us to be.

Gerry visits with an old friend from Christian radio, Mark Looy, who was for many years the voice and commentary that introduced Ken Ham’s radio program from Answers of Genesis. Mark was in Vandalia, Ohio speaking at a men’s prayer breakfast to share about this apologetic ministry that focuses on the importance of the first book in the Bible. Mark shared about the ministry’s founding and the importance of the Creation Museum that is located in Petersburg, Kentucky.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure Gerry is visiting with Jim Butler in Pennsylvania’s scenic Appalachian mountains. Jim and his wife Barbra run Strath an De Farm, which in Celtic means “God’s Valley.” The beautiful forest setting is the location for annual summer father and son retreats that are designed to make lasting memories in the lives of those who attend each year. Jim shares about the numerous activities that the men and boys join together in with the goal of deepening the family bond and one’s personal relationship with the Creator God. Also Jim relates to Gerry how his anger with God was broken down by Christian couples just being themselves when he and wife Barb were first married.

On this week’s radio program, Gerry is at a "Trail To Adventure!" pastor & layman teaching conference in Farmington, New York. He’s visiting with one of the pastors from the church, Ben Beauchemin at Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes that is hosting this evangelistic outdoor outreach ministry conference. Ben shares how he got involved in the outdoors and the fond memories he has of those times and his dad. He explains how after he joined the Marine Corps that he became an alcoholic, bringing havoc on his marriage. But, how God in his mercy through Christian radio brought him to his knees and changed his life, giving him the desire to do whatever it takes to grow closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

This week Gerry is in North Augusta, Georgia at the Sweetwater Baptist Church, where they conducted a Trail to Adventure! Pastor and Laymen Conference on how to do outdoor ministry. Gerry is joined by Dr. Bill Brown who teaches through the online program at Liberty University. Bill formerly taught at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he taught Evangelism and Church Planting. Through Bill’s personal years of being a pastor in Alaska, and the things that he learned on how to reach men, he relates these strategies to Gerry and the listeners. Growing up in an outdoor family, and experiencing the numerous outdoor interests that men from his congregation desired to do, allowed him to formulate a plan and program to reach the unchurched in the community where one lives. Dr. Bill Brown shares how on some Sundays, he had more men in his church as a pastor in Alaska then women, which is unheard of in most churches because he geared up for men!

On this week’s program Gerry hooks up with Steve Chapman in Nashville, TN to discuss Steve’s new book “A Look at Life From a River Bank”. The two reflect on Steve’s first book that focused towards outdoorsmen of a similar title called “A Look at Life From a Deer Stand.” The book was first released in 1996 and is still going off of bookstore shelves as it has been reprinted numerous times. This book clearly addressed a desire by many women who wanted something that directed the reader to their love of the outdoors and specifically hunting, but also had spiritual impact and would change lives. Steve also discusses how important outdoor ministry can be in reaching the man and the impact that it can have on the family. As much as Steve loves hunting, and fishing, the hope for these books is to make trophies of grace for the Creator God Jesus Christ.

On this week’s program, Gerry visits with Russ Miller who is the founder of the Creation, Evolution & Science Ministries. The two talk about the battle that rages over this topic and the scientific facts that point to our Creator God speaking our world and the universe into existence as stated in the Bible. Russ guides tours in Arizona’s Grand Canyon and shows from the rock and fossil records evidence that backs up what his ministry presents. These adventures are not only great fun for the family, but certainly groups travel from across the country every year to join Russ and be a part of these fact-finding trips. Besides this interview’s discussion on Creation and how God has everything in control, the two talk about the struggles that come to all ministries that stand on the Word of God and refute what world science and opinion has to say. It was during one of these incredibly low times that Russ Miller asked God to make Himself clear in his mind that he was really doing God’s will in educating and equipping others through the ministry of Creation, Evolution & Science Ministries. This interview shares a time through Russ’s outdoor adventures when God clearly showed His love and support for him and his life’s direction.

At the Mathews Dealership Show in the Dells of Wisconsin Corinne Bundy, visits with Gerry and tells about her job at Mathews, Inc. Wearing several hats that include handling all of the business’s websites, social pages, and media promotion. As a little girl she helped her dad in their family-owned outdoor business and learned to be pretty good at counting worms that were sold to people looking for fishing bait. Later, Corrine started selling archery products, including bows, and also was shooting herself in the archery lanes at the family store. Her skill brought her to a place where she received a scholarship to a Texas university with her archery and shot on a team in both the USA and overseas. Today, Corinne’s office is adorned with a very large black bear on the wall which brings to mind fond memories and she tells the story of how she and her dad went on the bear hunt where Corrine harvested this Wisconsin bruin.

The inventor of Scentlock, scent eliminating products and clothing, Greg Sesselmann is the guest on this week’s program visiting with Gerry at the Archery Trade Association Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Greg shares about growing up in a family that loved spending time in the out of doors. They would camp at most of the places they went to in their home state of Michigan and camping actually made up 80% of what the family did together on their outings. Whether it was a fishing or hunting adventure, the cooking of what was harvested was a major part of the time and interaction around the campfire. Grey had all of his guns stolen out of a car when he was a young man and so only having his recurve bow, the family started to focus on deer hunting with archery equipment way back in the early startup of this style of recreation. It was the need to get closer to the deer that Greg, being an engineer working with filtration systems, thought how carbon could eliminate human odor too. This is what started his experimentation in the business of Scentlock. He gives God the credit in his life and reflects on hard times and the valleys he has gone through, that allowed him increased joy when on the mountain tops. 

This week’s interview is with Monte Browning, who happened to be one of the speakers at a Trail To Adventure! conference in north Augusta, South Carolina. Monte shares of growing up without a father and experiencing at the church he attended men and families that did not include him in any of the things that they did as family. This even included the desire to be able to hunt and fish, which he had to try to learn to do on his own. Eventually the lack of interest in who he was caused him to leave the church. Growing to be a man he began to have opportunity to bow hunt all across the world. He has placed his adventures and photographs into a coffee table-style book titled “Bow Hunting” subtitled “A Passion for Life”.  In deciding to finally do the book, he prayed about it, asking God if he should even write it. Having started to attend church again as an adult he decided that he would make this a project that would give God the glory.