United States
ROP List
Outdoor ministry programs, camps and organizations that offer outdoor leadership training and/or adventure camping opportunities.
US Recommended Outdoor Programs
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Found 66 Results
WayForward Adventures
WHY I RECOMMEND WAYFORWARD ADVENTURES WayForward Adventures is a Gospel-centered outdoor program that focuses on multi-day expeditions to draw adults into closer relationships with Jesus. WAYFORWARD ADVENTURE’S MISSION WayForward Adventures empower individuals through outdoor adventure to identify how they are wired and who God has made them to be. BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW WAYFORWARD […]
Whitecap Kayak
WHY I RECOMMEND WHITECAP KAYAK Whitecap Kayak intentionally uses kayaking as a way to disciple youth into leaders, not only on the water but in their faith. They take advantage of kayaking to give youth an experiential understanding of leadership. WHITECAP KAYAK’S MISSION Guide Training to Develop Christ-like Leaders BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW WHITECAP […]
Wilderness Trek
WHY I RECOMMEND WILDERNESS TREK Wilderness Trek leads faith-based backpacking expeditions that are designed to challenge and grow its participants. They have successfully been leading trips for 45 years. WILDERNESS TREK’S MISSION Our Mission: Transform lives and pierce hearts by God’s presence and power as experienced in the grandeur of His creation. Our Vision: Wilderness […]
Sand to Stone
WHY I RECOMMEND SAND TO STONE Sand to Stone uses wilderness adventure as a key element in helping father’s disciple their sons into Gospel oriented men who strive to live out their lives the way God designed them to. Their focus is unique in that they serve father-son relationships only. SAND TO STONE’S MISSION Provide […]
Sonlight Christian Camp
WHY I RECOMMEND SONLIGHT CHRISTIAN CAMP For over 40 years Sonlight Christian Camp has been taking young people on expeditionary wilderness trips in southern Colorado so that they can have a chance to know God and who He created them to be, Faithful leadership has been committed to the camp’s vision in order to provide […]
Westminster Backcountry
WHY I RECOMMEND WESTMINSTER BACKCOUNTRY Westminster Backcountry has a successful implementation of church-based wilderness ministry. They effectively use the outdoors for discipleship and helping young people discover who they are in Christ. WESTMINSTER BACKCOUNTRY’S MISSION Westminster Backcountry is a discipleship ministry that aims to introduce young people to Jesus Christ and help them grow in […]
Ascend Outdoor Adventures
WHY I RECOMMEND ASCEND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Ascend Outdoor Adventures uses the outdoors to facilitate experiential learning, point people to Christ, and disciple Christ followers. They follow the rhythm of Jesus in the Bible: retreat, then return to minister to the community. ASCEND OUTDOOR ADVENTURES’ MISSION Ascend Outdoor Adventures is a 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry and […]
Journey Gap Year
WHY I RECOMMEND THE JOURNEY GAP YEAR Jesus modeled a method of discipleship that included extensive time with his disciples and a pattern of retreat into the wilderness. The Journey Gap Year effectively follows this model of discipleship through adventure in their 8 month program. Christian leaders rise up from this program to replicate more […]
Seeds Wilderness Therapy
United States | Colorado, Wilderness Therapy Programs
WHY I RECOMMEND SEEDS WILDERNESS THERAPY Teenagers who are at risk or who are struggling carry heavy burdens. It can even take years of counseling to cope with many of their challenges. Wilderness experiences provide an uninterrupted space for intensive Gospel-centered counseling that can bring hope and healing to their life. Seed Wilderness Therapy uniquely […]
Venture Off
VENTURE OFF’S MISSION We exist to cultivate lifelong servant leaders, united as a team to become more like Christ and strive to build skills that empower students to live adventurously in God’s creation. BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW VENTURE OFF GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS Venture Off was created as a summer extension to the […]
Montreat College Outdoor Education
United States | Higher Education, North Carolina
MONTREAT COLLEGE’S OUTDOOR EDUCATION MISSION Our program emphasizes outdoor skills, leadership training, and environmental knowledge, giving students the training and experience necessary to lead adventure activities, wilderness trips, team building, and environmental awareness from a biblical worldview. BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW MONTREAT COLLEGE OUTDOOR EDUCATION GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS First launched in 1976, […]
Thrive Adventures
United States | Colorado, Maine, North Carolina
THRIVE ADVENTURES’ MISSION Vision: A Culture Transformed by Grace and Truth // Mission: Investing in Communities to Know Christ and Live Like Him BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW THRIVE ADVENTURES GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS Thrive Adventures was launched in the Fall of 2018 by a group of folks who formerly worked together for Lifelines, […]
Voice of Wilderness
WHY I RECOMMEND VOICE OF WILDERNESS Operating since the 1970s, Voice of Wilderness has a highly experienced and educated guide staff that excel in Christian outdoor adventure facilitation. Their expeditionary trips effectively bring the gospel and spiritual growth to a wide variety of people including youth, men, women, couples and more. They offer unique trips […]
Darren Patterson Christian Academy
DARREN PATTERSON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY’S MISSION Inspiring a love of learning in students through joyful, rigorous, Christ-centered educational experiences. BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW DPCA GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS DPCA is a PreK-8th, Christian, Expeditionary Learning school located in Buena Vista, Colorado. Using the surrounding mountains as a venue for academic, character, and spiritual development, […]
Trail Life USA
United States | South Carolina
TRAIL LIFE USA’S MISSION Our Mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. BRIEF HISTORY OF TRAIL LIFE USA GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS Trail Life USA has been a program decades in the making. In the opening decade of the […]
Camp Cedarbrook in the Adirondacks
CAMP CEDARBROOK’S MISSION Reach and disciple girls for Christ BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW CAMP CEDARBROOK IN THE ADIRONDACKS GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS We are proud to say we have had 53 years of camping in the Adirondacks. That’s 53 summers of impacting the lives of girls and inspiring them to live God-centered lives. […]
Spruce Lake Wilderness Camp
SPRUCE LAKE WILDERNESS CAMP’S MISSION Pointing people towards Christ BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW SPRUCE LAKE WILDERNESS CAMP GOT STARTED AND WHY IT EXISTS Spruce Lake was founded in 1963 as an overnight wilderness summer camp. In 1995 our offsite Expeditions program began and has been running strong ever since. Our goal is to take campers […]
BCH Wilderness Programs
United States | North Carolina
Baptist Children’s Homes’ offers residential wilderness camps for school-aged boys and girls. Cameron Boys Camp and Camp Duncan for Girls provide behavioral change for children in a highly structured, wilderness environment. The Camps offer the freedom of being outdoors and the structure of small groups with constant, caring supervision. Children live in group of ten with three counselors, called “Chiefs”. With […]
Ravencrest Chalet
Ravencrest Chalet’s Vision Engage people to know Christ through his Word, through Relationships, and through the outdoors. Brief History of How Ravencrest Chalet Got Started and Why It Exists Ravencrest Chalet is part of Torchbearers International, which was founded by Major Ian Thomas, whose ministry began in England after WWII as an outreach […]
Wilderness Ranch
Located in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, Wilderness Ranch provides kids and leaders with an opportunity to get away from the distractions of the city and encounter God in ways they can’t back home. With a long and storied history, their 6-day backpacking trips will provide kids with a chance to hike through some […]
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Check out the most recent Blog Posts:
How to Share the Gospel Using God’s Creation
Guest blogger, Claire Lemp shares excellent strategies for question 7 of the How to Start a Wilderness Ministry: Top 20 Questions: How do I effectively share the Gospel using the outdoors? There’s no more natural place to talk about Jesus than the outdoors. Outdoor...
Where Can I Find Christian Outdoor Leadership Training?
In the last post of this How to Start a Wilderness Ministry: Top 20 Questions series, we looked at recommended skills for facilitating outdoor ministry. Feeling like you may need to sweep up on some skills? I will highlight some of my recommended outdoor programs...
What Skills Do You Need to Facilitate Effective Wilderness Experiences?
In this Top 20 Questions: How to Start a Wilderness Ministry series, we have answered questions relating to ministry foundations, casting vision (exposure), and recruiting staff. Now it is time to think about training. What skills will you and your staff need in order...
