When their 13-year-old son suggested the idea of an outdoor church, Aux-Lieutenants Neil and Jennifer Thompson, corps officers at Vernon Community Church, B.C., knew it was just what their community needed.

“We discovered a group of people at the corps who enjoyed adventure and outdoor activities, but they already had their own equipment,” says Aux-Lieutenant Neil. “Those who couldn’t afford equipment, such as bikes and snowshoes, were left out.”

To meet this need and provide for those who lacked access to the appropriate gear, Vernon Community Church applied for an innovation grant from territorial headquarters to launch their new initiative, HOH (House of Hope) Adventure—an outdoor ministry experience meant to integrate corps members, community and family services clients and Pathway of Hope participants in ministry and fellowship.

“The main goal of HOH Adventure is to have this integration and provide the equipment so that everybody can take part,” says Aux-Lieutenant Jennifer.

In August 2021, Vernon Community Church received approval and funding of $25,000 from the innovation grant committee to launch HOH Adventure.

An Idea Comes to Life

Like Jesus’ sermon on the mount, HOH Adventure began with the idea of a congregation hiking the alpine landscape of Vernon for a church service up a mountain. From this, a greater plan for outdoor ministry developed.

“We started to ask ourselves what it might look like for us to encounter and experience God outdoors together while doing something that’s so different from the traditional church context,” explains Aux-Lieutenant Jennifer. And though the spark for the idea began before the pandemic, the necessity of outdoor gatherings due to indoor restrictions gave new importance to the project, and the territorial call for innovation grant proposals in early 2021 rebirthed the initiative.

“The innovation grant has provided the funding and resources that we needed to get some of those important pieces of equipment. We’ve purchased 18 pairs of snowshoes and we’ve been on a couple of snowshoeing adventures now on the local mountain,” says Aux-Lieutenant Neil. The first snowshoeing event, which took place in January, had 24 people in attendance. “It’s been a means of connection at a time when people couldn’t connect in person.”

Adventure for All

HOH Adventure has purchased two electric bikes, four mountain bikes and seven stand-up paddleboards to explore new adventures on local bike trails and lakes this summer.

“I think our goal now is to think about who we can invite from the community. HOH Adventure is not just designed for the people in our corps. We’ve had a couple people bring along friends already. It’s been great to make connections,” says Aux-Lieutenant Jennifer, who plans to make HOH Adventure a means of outreach in Vernon.

 

With no financial barriers to participation, the plan is to bring together people from all walks of life, both from within the congregation and the local community. And with participants ranging from four years old to 70, HOH Adventure aims to be an intergenerational ministry for all ages and abilities.

HOH Adventure offers varying adventure levels to remain inclusive and accessible. “We want to provide something for everyone. Sometimes an outing might look like a simple walk along a walking path or a more intense hike. Other times it may be a bonfire in a backyard so everybody can participate,” says Aux-Lieutenant Jennifer.

Among these participants is Nicole Stensrude, congregation member, and her two daughters, Paige and Laura, who have attended the fall and winter HOH Adventure excursions. “Getting outside and exploring is such a blessing and quite the undertaking with small children,” says Stensrude. “Having a group of church friends who are welcoming and supportive has meant a lot to me and helped both my girls and me make deeper connections with others in the church.

“Having access to equipment like snowshoes was freeing and helpful. It allowed my family to experience something we had never considered doing before.”

Like Stensrude, congregant Michael Gilliland felt embraced by God and the community while participating in HOH Adventure. “It’s a great way to visit in a fun environment with people that you may normally only see on a Sunday morning,” he says. “In Vernon, we’re blessed to live in an area that seems to have it all, from mountains, vineyards, waterfalls, orchards and lakes. With scenery like that, it’s easy to see that God is an amazing artist.”

Exploring Creation

Aux-Lieutenants Thompson begin each HOH Adventure excursion with a passage of Scripture before challenging the group to try and find God in nature, to absorb their surroundings, to look at and admire the land, and to experience God and his creation. At the end, they invite participants to share what they may have felt or experienced.

“We want to be intentional but not intimidating,” explains Aux-Lieutenant Neil.

“We are trying to make the spiritual aspect of HOH Adventure experiential. We want people to encounter God in creation and to encounter him during their fellowship and relationship-building with one another.”

To learn more about the territory’s innovation grant program and the ministries it supports, click here.

Photos: Aux-Lt Neil Thompson