“What are you all doing out here?”
We get that question a lot while out on the trail with groups. For some reason 15 people backpacking through the wilderness or canyoneering through Utah invites questions. If you have participated in one of our experiences lately you have heard us talk about our “Two Outcomes”. The two outcomes are simply the two goals we have for every activity we do They are simple, yet powerful.
Make Disciples and Train Leaders
It would be easy to mistake us for an outdoor company but the core of what we do is making disciples and training leaders. We do that in many ways and through many different forms. Sometimes it is backpacking, sometimes it is car camping, canyoneering or even making movies. Everything we do is to Make Disciples and Train Leaders. We are more than just outdoor adventures and backpacking trips.
We believe there are four main elements to growing in Discipleship and Leadership. We call this the “4 Paths”. We make sure anything we do to make disciples and train leaders use these 4 Paths. All of our programs are designed around these 4 elements.
Grow
Everything we do gives people a chance to grow in their faith and abilities. Personal growth is an important part of discipleship, leadership and maturity. We must grow in many aspects of our lives and relationships in order to not become stagnant and stale.
Connect
We seek to connect people to God, God’s creation, other people, and one’s own journey. It is easy in todays worlds to have lots of online friends but to still be lonely and lack true community. We seek to give everyone an opportunity to connect with real people, face to face as well as to connect with God, God’s purpose for your life and with Gods creation, nature.
Experience
We believe every activity or teaching should be filled with a chance to experience God and the power of God’s creation. We seek to give everyone a chance to connect with the creator of the universe. By experiencing Gods love, authentic community, and Gods creation, we can better understand how to live joyful and fulfilling lives. The path is long but the journey is short when we travel with others.
Challenge
We challenge spiritual and physical norms in order to get our faith, mind, and bodies out of stagnation. Learning to personally challenge ourselves by setting goals, learning new skills and pushing ourselves to grow, teaches us how to continually grow, discover and develop as leaders, disciples and humans.
Our Mission Statement is:
Transform lives and pierce hearts by God’s presence and power as experienced by the grandeur of his creation.
This simply means, we try our best in all that we do to help people grow, connect, experience and challenge their faith. We make disciples and train leaders in many ways and through various activities. Sometimes it is through backpacking or hiking programs, others times it is through our yearly curriculum and discipleship tools or free online resources to help them on the journey. In all things we seek to help others grow into the people God calls them to be.
If you have been one of the 35,000+ people who have joined us in the past 46 years, we would love to hear more about how Wilderness Trek changed your life and helped you grow. Make sure and leave a comment or drop us a line at info@wildernesstrek.org