God's Great Outdoors

On the Trail To Adventure! photographing mountains, fields, streams, seashores, and much more is the topic with this week's guest Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley shares how he got involved in photography to include even developing all of his own photographs which are featured on just about all of the In Touch Ministry's items available to the public. He tells how awestruck he is by God's creation and by the memories surrounding the photos. Dr. Stanley also tells of his early years of fishing, hunting, and shooting, but how the absence of a father in his life to do these things with were clearly remembered in later years when he was a man. He offers to the audience that they may not think that taking a youngster fishing that has no father figure is a big deal, but he assures them that it is and how it can leave a lasting impact for eternity.

On this week's Trail to Adventure! Gerry‘s in Bemidji, Minnesota to speak at a men’s ministry event hosted by the radio station, Your QFM and BAMM. (Bemidji Area Men’s Ministry) While there in the area he connected with Kent Fraser. He’d met Kent at a mission’s conference in Ohio in the mid 90s. Kent and his wife Kim had come to speak at Gerry’s church as they’d just starting to minister to Native Americans in Edmonton, Alberta. During that encounter the two men somehow discovered they’d both lived in Maryland and had another connection too. Gerry’s high school photography teacher later became Kent’s principal, when Mr. Bill Russell changed schools. The connections continued as Kent now travels to capture radio interviews across North America for a radio program like Gerry does. Kent works with a ministry called “Without Reservation.” The ministries radio show is titled, THE STORY TELLER, as Native Americans share their life’s story on the program of how Jesus Christ saved them by HIS blood on the cross! Kent also relates the mercy and grace God showed his family in a plane crash on their travels!

In this week’s Trail To Adventure! while on his way to an event in Alabama, Nashville, Tennessee was the stop for this interview and radio program. Gerry rendezvous with an old friend who was one of the very first interviews back when GGO radio started airing in 1996, Steve Chapman of Steve & Annie Chapman Family Ministries and Music Producers. The two men talk about the couple’s early life, marriage, and movement toward the ministry that they do today. Steve also discusses a number of the books they have written and he has done focusing on outdoorsmen to draw them closer to the Creator God as they spend time in the Creation. This interview includes a history of, “A Look At Life From A Deer Stand.” The men also discuss Steve having written a more recent, but similar style book for the angler titled, “A Look At Life From A River Bank.”

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! we’re in the land of ten thousand lakes, as Gerry is passing through Virginia, a city in the Minnesota, He visits with Joel Hasz in the area of the famous Boundary Waters. Joel has taken his love of canoeing adventures and those experiences and he’s written the different exploits into chapters, tying them to lessons from God’s Word, titled, No Wonder They Call It God's Country! Writes Gerry, “I believe Joel Hasz has written a book most will find easy to relate to. The analogies of viewing God’s Word to camping, time spent on extended trips, plus experiencing unknown adventures, is beautifully unfolded as one journeys through the pages. With more than half of the folks recreating in God’s Creation, I see his work as having use for individuals and groups, desiring a closer relationship with the Creator Jesus Christ.

This Trail To Adventure! program is a re-airing, in honor of the passing of Ron Lindner into his Heavenly Reward on December 1st, 2020. Gerry is in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota as God’s Great Outdoors wraps up one of their conferences on the “How To” of outdoor outreaches such as Game Dinners. Gerry is joined by Ron Lindner of Lindner Media Studio’s and he shares with Gerry about the history of how he and his Brother Al’s years in the fishing industry, and television production of their outdoor shows. Ron tells of a number of experiences that have happened through the years and how in looking back, the Lindner family can see God’s hand and direction in all of these endeavors. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 is the theme of this interview and the family’s journey, including an event that occurred with TV that could have affected their business future, but God is faithful.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Gerry is visiting with Dr. Richard Swenson in Wisconsin and the two are talking about Intelligent Design. The truth is there is more of a chance mathematically that your car happened by accident over hundreds of millions of years, then just your eyeballs having evolved and how they work with your entire body? This is just one of the things that Dr. Richard Swenson shares in the interview with Gerry as they discuss this topic and Dr. Swenson’s book, “More Than Meets the Eye”. Having taught surgery at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, and having minored in physics, this interview is jam-packed with information that declares that we have a Creator God. Perhaps the most listened to interview aired by GGO in the 20+ years we’ve been broadcasting.

On this week's Trail To Adventure! program, Dale Karch, of 3 Rivers Archery, a traditional archery supply company located in Ashley, Indiana, is joined by his son Johnny. Dale shares with Gerry about how he, his wife Sandy, plus the family came about buying the business. Dale started building custom bows in his garage to sell in their home state of Wisconsin, and others shooting the simple stick and string type bows enjoyed by traditional archers. Discovering that 3 Rivers Archery was for sale, Dale and his wife looked at how they could acquire this business and make it something that the entire family could get involved in. With God’s direction they accomplished this goal. Truly a family affair that’s grown their relationships and is making memories for today and for all eternity, Johnny has now taking over the reins of the business as his parents have passed the baton onto him with their retirement!

On this Trail To Adventure! Dr. Tom Rakow, the founder of The Christian Deer Hunters Association and Gerry visit together discussing the numerous outdoor ministries that have come about over the years. The idea is to provide Christians looking to reach others who enjoy time in God's creation with the tools to aid in the ability to help win them to receive Jesus Christ as their Creator God. Tom shares about how The Christian Deer Hunters Association got started and how he never expected it to be what it is today. Tom also tells how he began writing books, and today despite the fact that he flunked English several times in school, with his family’s aid he has written a number of books that are helping Christians reach out to their unsaved friends and relatives with true stories on fishing and hunting. Tom’s books can be given to loved one’s to share the Creator with them in the Creation they love spending time in!

On this week's Trail To Adventure! Gerry’s with Craig Johnson in Laramie, Wyoming. Craig tells how reading a copy of Gerry's book "Hunting Blunders and The One That Got Away!" was a part of the chain of events that led him to Christ. Craig shares how despite his difficult years growing up, including teenage alcoholism, everything was great in his later years. But then, Craig started to question why he was alive or even here? This subject so troubled him that he was seriously considering suicide if he didn't get the answer, so he asked God to make Himself known to him the way He wants to be known. This led to a series of events that brought Craig to Christ and he became incredibly active in sharing the Gospel through outdoor outreach as he grew in Christ. A radio program that will help you to be sure!

On this Trail To Adventure! Gerry visits with Steve Chapman in Nashville, TN as the two reflect on Steve’s first book “A Look at Life From a Deer Stand”, released back in 1996, yet is still going off of bookstore shelves as it has been reprinted many times. This book is meeting the need of women who wanted something for their male loved ones actively involved in the outdoors, (specifically hunting) but which also had a 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. Steve hopes his new book “A Look at Life From a River Bank” will also help more men become trophies of grace for the Creator God Jesus Christ. A book that has been used by the Holy Spirit change lives for eternity!