How does the Bible define a good Christian family?
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Psalm 127:1a
What’s the potential value and benefits that the outdoors can bring to your children as they grow?
Spiritual transformation
Over 100 times in the Bible the text explicitly identifies lives being changed as a result of a wilderness journey. Noah, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all spent 40 days in wilderness environments. Catalytic growth can lead people into a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, God has used the solitude and simplicity of wilderness settings to transform lives.
Leadership development
Wilderness environments provide an ideal setting to develop leadership skills through the progression of education, modeling, observation, evaluation, and application. kids will learn to submit to leadership, establish leadership, and express leadership. They can learn the fundamentals of Biblical leadership while forming skills and abilities that help them lead others toward achieving common goals. Teach the kids leadership techniques, attitudes, and behavior while emphasizing integrity and communication skills. Identify the gifts, talents, and potential weaknesses of each child and then mentor them, helping develop their ability as a leader and understanding of Biblical leadership principles.
Authentic community
Cell phones, text messaging, email, and social media make people feel like they are connected. However, this communication is often shallow and banal, leaving most people feeling lonely and isolated. While American culture promotes individualism, God created people to live within authentic community. Most of the Apostle Paul’s commands are plural in the ancient Greek; we can only be fully obedient to God within the context of community. We grow most in spiritual maturity in the context of community, not as individuals. Healthy leaders too, are built within community and lead within the context of community. It is within community that people can minister to one another, receive from one another, and hold each other accountable. Iron sharpens iron. Planned outdoor activities provide profound opportunities to unplug from technology, let facades fall, and learn what authentic Christian community can look like. Moms and dads can incorporate specific community-building or team-building experiences into any course or outing planned.
Character formation
Character is not just how a person acts; it includes a person’s thoughts, motives, and attitudes. SROM courses foster integration of academic learning, spiritual formation, and leadership competencies. The course contexts require living outside of comfort zones, overcoming trials and challenges, self-discipline, and facing individual fears – each of which contribute to dependence upon God, and the interdependence of the students and their instructors. Encounters with God and facing challenges both individually and within community will foster growth in healthy relationships, trust, emotional maturity, and personal integrity. Accountability is also central to character formation and effective leadership. Christian character is not trying on our own to “do the right thing.” True character development consists of awareness and a growing formation of the image of Christ within the lives of people. People with character live as examples worthy of following. Plan and expect the family’s outdoor experiences to lead to character development.
Skill acquisition
Give the children instruction covering a large amount of technical skills and techniques for living in the backcountry. Depending on the goals of any planned outdoor activity, kids may learn backpacking, climbing, mountaineering, Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and practices, high altitude physiology, nutrition, cooking, hygiene, and other topics.
Hard skills that can be taught and practiced include backpacking, basic rock climbing craft and technique, belaying, lead and sport climbing technique, rappelling, rock anchors and hardware, crack climbing, friction climbing, multi-pitch climbing, self belay and self arrest with an ice axe, German and French snow climbing technique with crampons, snow descent techniques, snow anchors and hardware, roped snow travel, mountaineering, and backcountry fishing.
In addition to the skills mentioned above, kids on any backpacking course will be taught:
- Packing their backpacks
- Food preparation and backcountry cooking using stoves and fires
- Reading maps and using a compass
- Route finding and campsite selection
- Leave No Trace principles and Biblical creation stewardship