Ministry Minutes - CO is Not Your Father's Ministry

We were featured in the Colonial Ministry Minutes, a short clip that is shown prior to the beginning of each service. Normally it is a missionary or some traditional work the church does. Not us renegades.....

Click on the link below to see Fishing, Knife making, Archery (Center Shot Ministries)

Colonial Outdoors

The article by Amy Justice posted on the Colonial Website (click to go there)reads like this:

Some of the most renowned fishermen in history were among Jesus’ first disciples. When He gave them His command in Matthew, He gave them a purpose beyond making a living or feeding themselves and their families. He wanted them to share the Good News of His saving grace.

That purpose fits Colonial’s year-old Outdoors Ministry. When Ed Strickland, a life-long angler, decided to combine his love of the outdoors—especially fishing—with reaching fellow outdoorsmen with the Gospel, he approached Pastor Mike Malpass and soon a new ministry was created.

Those involved in Colonial Outdoors enjoy hunting and fishing—and they are committed to reaching a seldom considered, un-reached people group . . . the American hunter or fisherman. Manny Montoya, Chris Crum, Mike Hayes and other committed outdoorsmen have been busy creating new opportunities to engage outdoorsmen at Colonial. But, they know their mission field is really out in the fields and streams all around us where sportsmen who would never consider coming to church gather.

To better reach them, Colonial outdoorsmen traveled hundreds of miles to the National Wildlife Turkey Federation convention in Tennessee where they joined with other like-minded men to hand out more than 20,000 DVDs with turkey hunting tips and the Gospel. They have also traveled to West Virginia to receive training needed to organize an archery education program at Colonial; and, they’ve worked tireless hours to organize a local fishing tournament, hosted by Colonial that drew anglers from around the state. Our outdoorsmen are busy!

Colonial Outdoors also holds a weekly Bible study attended by 12-15 men. Manny Montoya recently held a knife-making workshop. There have also been classes on hunter safety, fly tying and taxidermy.

Monday, June 14, Chris Crum kicked-off the third Colonial archery class based on the Centershot Ministry program that includes training on International Target Style Archery for kids 10-15 years old accompanied by a parent. There are 20 people registered for the current class, many who do not regularly attend Colonial. Wayne McGrath and his eleven-year-old son, Will, are part of the class and are eager to learn archery for the first time. Twelve-year-old Alyssa Quackenbush and her Dad, Paul, have tried archery through the YMCA Guides and Princesses Program and are looking forward to honing their skills.

Last turkey season Ed and Chris went turkey hunting. Chris is a veteran turkey hunter; it was Ed’s first time turkey hunting. Chris coached and encouraged Ed on their early-morning trip and Ed was able to take his first tom. “What makes this first turkey special is that Chris is not just a hunting buddy; he’s a brother in Christ. He’s a co-laborer in ministry and servant of our Lord,” said Ed.

If you’re an outdoorsman or know someone who is, check out Colonial Outdoors at colonialoutdoors.blogspot.com for information on up-coming events. Be sure to check out the video attached to this story to see Colonial outdoorsmen in action!