As we continue this series on How to Start a Wilderness Ministry: Top 20 Questions, Paul Wingfield from WMI gives some excellent insight to our 4th question: How do I find staff and/or guides for wilderness ministry?
At this point, as you have been reflecting on your first steps toward starting your wilderness ministry and sharing this vision with your leaders, what’s next? The next logical step is to find people to help you safely and effectively lead these young people in the backcountry. We will spend the next couple of paragraphs exploring what to look for in your potential staff or guides.
Heart Skills or Technical Skills first?
A very common mistake that most leaders will make is to search out all of the “outdoorsy” people within their congregation or community, however, I would warn against that being your first quality to look for. While this seems to be the most logical thing to do at first, it doesn’t always mean that they will be a good leader. I am reminded of what the Lord spoke to Samuel when looking to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to replace Saul as King.
“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD. But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:6-7
It’s far easier to look for people who have the technical skills first. That means less training that you have to do and the quicker you can start planning backcountry trips with students, right? But, are you only concerned with the technical skills of your leaders and not their heart skills? After all, technical skills can be taught to anyone, but heart skills are only shaped by the inward work of the Holy Spirit. A pastor friend once told me this as he was walking with me through starting a wilderness ministry in my church: “If you want to have a successful backcountry ministry, you must have a thriving frontcountry ministry.”
Photo by Paul Wingfield
Healthy Back-Country Ministries Require Thriving Front-Country Ministry
Some leaders you approach will be super passionate and excited about the backcountry, but not so sure about the frontcountry commitment. If these leaders are unable to commit to walking with students in a disciple-making relationship in the city, the wilderness will ultimately have no impact. The wilderness experience is meant to carry over and be utilized in the communities in which we live, work and play. The relationships and community built in the wilderness need to be nurtured and nourished in the city. When looking for these leaders you must first begin like Jesus, who through much prayer and guidance from the Father made his selection of a few men to reach the many. These men were regular, blue-collar men of their day. He spent the next 3 ½ years laying his life down for them so that they might fully understand what it took to lead others. In the same way that Jesus laid his life down for those he led, He asked them to go and do the same (John 15). Look for men and women who are willing to pay nothing less than that same price. Dr. Robert Coleman, the author of The Master Plan of Evangelism, once said this:
“But if we can’t begin at the top, then let us begin where we are and train a few of the lowly to become the great. And let us remember, too, that one does not have to have the prestige of the world in order to be greatly used in the Kingdom of God. Anyone who is willing to follow Christ can become a mighty influence upon the world providing, of course, this person has the proper training himself.”
If you can’t find capable men and women already in leadership positions, then do what Jesus did and develop the few to go reach the many. You can never go wrong with this strategy.
Reflection Questions:
1. What kind of commitment do you expect of these potential leaders, both in the backcountry and frontcountry?
2. Are you committed to walking with these leaders and encouraging them in their personal walk with Jesus no matter what or how long it takes?
3. How could you structure trainings to equip leaders in both technical skills AND heart skills?
For more support on how to recruit and retain volunteers, check out my post about this on my youth leader blog, ashleydenton.com.
Paul Wingfield is on staff with Wilderness Ministry Institute and works with local youth leaders to develop outdoor ministry on the East Coast.
