In The News

Adrenaline for Sale-
Are Extreme Adventures all Show and no Grow?

Wouldn't your kids do just as well—perhaps better—serving in a soup kitchen rather than rappelling in the Rockies? What's so spiritual about walking through a forest; can't you just hit the woods outside of town? Isn't the extreme stuff just good for adrenaline rushes? That has nothing to do with actual ministry, right?

Jeff Edmondson, a youth pastor at New Beginnings Church of the Nazarene in Lee's Summit, Missouri, disagrees. "There's just something about talking a kid through a scary situation, having that kid depend totally on your confidence in his abilities and your encouragement to get him through it that makes an indelible impression on him," says Jeff. "I've used extreme sports and the adrenaline rush of it all to open the doorway of spiritual issues to seemingly closed kids."

Anything can be spiritual, says Mike Coradetti, a youth pastor in Naperville, Illinois. "I tend to think that mini-golf can be valuable spiritually. If a person views it as kairos—a time set apart by God for a particular occurrence, namely that of connecting with kids on a personal level. I don't subscribe to the idea that something has to result in a Bible study or object lesson to be spiritual." He adds, "One of the most meaningful ministry memories of my career was spent with five guys in a Krispy Kreme at 3:30 a.m. after a midnight showing of Lord of the Rings. I left my Bible in the car, but that doughnut shop was holy ground that morning."

So, can a whitewater river also be holy ground? There are more organizations marketing adventure activities like these to church groups than ever before. The leaders in some of these organizations maintain that they aren't just selling adrenaline experiences. Many believe that they're ministering to youth groups, often including the youth workers as well.

"We do a straight outdoor-adventure program that is aimed directly at the spiritual growth of the youth group," says Randy Velker with Confrontation Point, which offers wilderness activities like spelunking, climbing, hiking, rappelling, and whitewater rafting. "It is in reality a mission trip to the members of the youth group. It is about growth and sanctification in a supportive Christian environment. Youth leaders and youth are stretched and challenged. They are pushed out of their comfort zones in a safe environment."

Not in Kansas Anymore

An adventure youth camp may run $250 per kid for a week. Adding the expenses of traveling can bring a pretty stiff price tag, especially for families with more than one participant. Great value can come, though, in getting away from your own backyard—the old American Graffiti adage that sometimes you need to get away from home to find yourself.

"Any break in the routine of youth will move them from their comfort zones to an area where they can step outside of the routine and examine that routine," says Randy Velker. "It doesn't have to be far or exotic, but a change of routine is necessary. Even if that trip is done only a couple of hours from normal life."

Cory Scheer is with Noah's Ark Whitewater Rafting Co. and Adventure Program, which offers whitewater rafting, rock climbing and rappelling, backpacking, canoeing, and adventure trips. He adds, "The programming we provide allows groups to be removed from their normal, everyday setting and be challenged in their faith in a setting unlike any other. Whether it's braving class 3-4 rapids, rappelling off a 70-foot cliff, or standing on top of one of Colorado's 54 14,000 foot peaks, the kids are challenged."

Eye Candy and More

Many of the leaders quickly point out that the adventures aren't an end unto themselves, but a means to an end. "We use the adrenaline activities to provide a platform to go deeper," says Cory Scheer. "We want the students to be challenged in not only the outdoor activities, but also in their faith."

Lori Nellist of New Frontiers says that the adrenaline activities can be used as eye-candy to attract the teens. "The students usually want to come to our activities because they are experiential and therefore exciting," she explains. "The teens aren't listening to a spoken message; they are experiencing an activity and getting the message from a facilitated discussion about the experience. It appeals to the postmodern kids because it's community or group oriented, it's based primarily on things they feel or experience, and they discover the learning themselves."

Randy Velker feels adrenaline challenges hit at the very core of where teens are today. "I think that the youth of today are desperate for authentic living. They strive for things they know are real. They are grasping for absolutes in a world that has told them none exist. They are drawn to risk, to danger, to excitement." He points out that in outdoor adventures, teens come face to face with the real absolutes of nature—absolutes they either accept, or defy and face the embarrassing or dangerous consequences.

"What's enticing is correctly analyzing a risky situation and handling it correctly so that everyone involved is safe," Velker says. "That's why so many are drawn to the adrenaline outdoor adventure sports. You are constantly dealing with actual risk, as opposed to the edge-less nature of modern society. We as humans need to know our decisions matter. To use our skill and our decision-making abilities to accurately diagnose and survive the risk gives a thrill."

"This generation wants authentic life—not antiseptic, germ-free, prepackaged, pre-chewed, safe activities. We need to contextualize and speak the language so that they understand Christ's message as an answer to their search for authentic, risk-filled existence. The joys and the dangers encountered in the wilderness are ways to do just that."

Growing Together, Growing Alone

When teens are challenged physically with new experiences, they tend to be challenged mentally. And Noah's Ark, Confrontation Point, and New Frontiers make sure the kids are challenged spiritually.

"Our staff is equipped to lead discussion, provide Bible Studies, and relate biblical truth to the outdoor adventure experiences the teens encounter," Scheer explains.

"We see what we do as a much deeper and broader experience that often spans a gap between the spoken or written word and the action of the activity," Nellist adds. "Everything we do is tied together."

"If you look at Christ and his teaching style you constantly see him creating dissonance in his listeners," says Velker. "You see Christ sticking his finger right into their sacred cows and probing around. You see him challenging the leaders on their basic religious and moral assumptions. In order for true learning to occur, there has to be a stretching of our 'map of reality,' as M. Scott Peck would put it. This stretching occurs only if we are confronted with experiences that allow us to look at our worldview in a fresh way. The act of taking people out of their comfort zones makes them revisit their map and see if it truly does correspond to reality."

Besides individual spiritual and character growth, as corporations have learned, adventure activities can help groups learn to join forces internally. "Adventure trips can be great opportunities for spiritual growth, as well as just a lot of fun," Mike Coradetti says. "Anything that requires struggle and teamwork—rappelling, spelunking, climbing, rafting, etc.—can result in some tremendous group building, and can serve as a catalyst for bringing a group incredibly close. But many activities like these also can be used to relate to our spiritual lives."

What are some of the specific individual and group benefits? Cory Scheer spells out that adventure activities teach teens trust, teamwork, problem solving, and dependence through rappelling, rock and peak climbing, and navigating through the rapids. Teens learn service as they help each other on the trails. Community and fellowship are highlighted as they share unique experiences together. They enjoy specific and intentional times of prayer (and probably many times of personal, impromptu prayer during the physical challenges). And the teens have times for reflection as they tramp the trails, or take, as Cory describes, "Time alone for several hours in a high mountain meadow or next to an alpine lake."

On the other hand, as well as bringing kids close to God through challenge, Jeff Edmondson feels extreme adventures can be used to show kids that excitement isn't enough. "In these days, where extreme sports are becoming more normalized and kids are being told they must have the rush to feel alive, adventure programming is also a great way to show kids that even extreme sports are spiritually unfulfilling," Jeff explains. "The rush goes away and physically putting their lives on the line isn't really the answer to being alive. Putting their spiritual lives on the line with Jesus is. Nothing better to wake up a struggling kid to reality than that."

Since One Size Doesn't Fit All

The adventure programming organizations come in several different flavors. Some offer a program that they run and you simply take your kids. They plan the whole adventure, including the spiritual challenges. Others work with you, providing the activities, and maybe providing some spiritual guidance, while you and your youth workers do most of the ministry.

In Confrontation Point's "Mystery Trip" program, the youth group has no idea what kind of activities they'll do each day—whether an adventure activity like caving or rock climbing, or a service project like working with the homeless. "The mystery theme is tied together with daily lessons on some of the classic spiritual disciplines, and how those apply to us today," Velker explains. The organization also provides daily debriefings and worship each evening that tie in with the activities of the day.

On the other hand, Lori Nellist and New Frontiers work with the leaders, creating activities to go with the group's themes or purposes. "If the pastor is bringing a message on love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then we stage a vehicle accident, late in the evening when they think their adventure is done."

"Spring Hill Alpha Expeditions provide some great opportunities for this kind of thing," says Mike Coradetti. "You charter their teams to lead your group on a trip—a different activity each day. They provide the base camp, equipment, and food. You show up and have a great week. Each evening, they lead your group in a debriefing where your group can discuss the day, and they skillfully lead each day's events to thoughts of the divine. Your own leaders take it from there. Best of both worlds."

And Don't Forget…

If you're considering taking your youth group on an extreme adventure, make sure you discuss the details with the organizations you're considering. Get their promo materials online, or at the exhibit hall at the National Youth Worker's Convention. Tell them your needs and desires. Want your teens to go deeper individually? Want them to learn to work together? Have a specific theme you'd like followed? Let the organizations' representatives know. And ask for references; most will have satisfied youth pastors' names and numbers at hand.

As with anything else in life, cheaper may not be best. "The cost of a wilderness trip should be directly proportionate to the experience and qualifications of the leaders," says Velker. "The more risky the activities, the more experience and qualifications the leaders need to have. For safer activities, experience and qualifications may be less important. You should expect to pay more for people qualified to lead you into riskier scenarios."

Velker also reminds youth workers that anytime they go beyond the very safest activities, they need to think about insurance, contingency plans, and first aid qualifications. "For the more extreme trips you should look for a guide with Wilderness First Responder certification," he says.

Some of the extreme adrenaline adventures will definitely create a lifetime memory. And they have the potential to truly change the direction of a teen's future. But don't forget to go beyond the end of the adventure. If you're going to have an extreme adventure, Gerrard Fess, youth pastor at Mechanicsville, Virginia, advises, "As with anything, follow-up and cultivating the mountain top experience is what is needed, the same as when you go to a convention or retreat. Allow time for the activity to sink in, and for follow-up."

When you've made your decision to tackle an extreme adventure, make sure you plan well ahead of time; available times fill up fast. Another benefit of planning ahead of time is that you'll have more time for fundraising activities. Because these adventures tend to bond groups together, and because they tend to provide illustrations for a long time afterwards, you'll want as many of your group to go as possible. So plan up front to help teens raise the needed funds.

Providing an adrenaline adventure for your kids may take a lot of hard work and pre-planning on your part. But the benefits may be broader than those alpine fields and deeper than those mountain lakes. They may just last a lifetime.

Jeanette Gardner Littleton has spent more than a decade as a youth worker and teen Bible quiz coach and is a freelance writer and editor from Kansas City. She's written more than 3000 articles, and her recently released book When Your Child Goes Astray: Help and Hope from Parents Who've Been There.

The above author bio was current as of the date this article was published.

© 2003 Youth Specialties