One of our goals for 2023 was to embrace God’s vision of expansion and new opportunities for Kicking Bear Ministries! We shared this vision with our leadership team over the winter and added a component of training champions within the ministry so that we could reach even more families with our evangelism camps. Father’s Day weekend was a great example of how God is equipping Kicking Bear teammates to increase the opportunities and regions for our evangelism camps. Check out the diversity of these four camps that all happened on one weekend in June!
4 Points Kicking Bear Camp, Pampa, TX
By Kevin Bonnar
Cal and Becca Ferguson and their family have been hosting the 4 Points camp for over 15 years. It has been incredible to see how the ministry work of camp has really impacted this small town in Texas and all the great families who attend camp year after year. Campers are treated to an archery coarse with over 30 targets, a Kicking Bear tough course, train rides, fishing, bb guns, tomahawks, and when the Texas heat fires up a big ole water fight and much, much more! This year’s camp was another great one with 20 salvation and 12 baptisms, there was so much to celebrate! Check out more about the 4 Points Camp and the story of how the Fergusons got involved with Kicking Bear here: The Pampa News. And stay connected with the Pampa Camp @ 4 Points Kicking Bear Camp.
Camp Send-A-Kid, Holmen, WI
By Kevin Bonnar
Kicking Bear has an amazing opportunity to partner with the folks from the Boy Scouts of America-Gateway Area Council at Camp Send-A-Kid up in Wisconsin for many years now. This camp invites local kiddos up for a real deal camp experience, complete with tent sleeping, camp food and songs and all kinds of outdoor fun. This year Kicking Bear headed up for two days and taught kiddos archery, tomahawk throwing, field games, tug of war and even had a marshmallow fight! Pastor Kevin was able to give a message to campers and we are just so thankful for this annual partnership. Learn more here Camp Send-A-Kid.
Ontario, WI Kicking Bear Camp
By Ray Howell
It is so amazing to witness God, revealing his vision right before your eyes! Many years ago, God gave a vision on a three-year plan with all the new camps starting for Kicking Bear. The plan goes like this. The first year we are there to equip them not only with extra volunteers, but also all the equipment. The second year we help equip them and bring in new volunteers from their area. The third year they are on their own and we come just to observe, and make sure everything is done right. This year was the third year for Ontario Wisconsin. Again, we witnessed God take the whole community and turn it into the most awesome Kicking Bear Adventure camp, right in the middle of town. They close off all the streets to the middle of town and this huge area was turned into a big KB camp. When I got there, they told me they didn’t need any help just go have fun. So I did, I started a water fight. It was incredible to witness all these warriors for Christ step up to change kids lives in their community through their service. All the fun, Archery, Tomahawks, BB guns, tug-of-war gunny sack races, etc. It was all done just the way the KB handbook shows. After supper more games and later a marshmallow fight broke out, everyone was hooting and laughing, and having fun. What a blast!
Later Pastor Chris used the life bow from Genesis, to share the gospel. As everyone listened so quietly you could have heard a pin drop in that crowd. Following the message the Salvation poem was prayed with all the kids and adults alike. What an incredible sound to hear, as the crowd was saying the prayer out loud together. There were many decisions for Christ! I had tears in my eyes the whole day witnessing God’s victory, pulling kids off the streets and letting them know that no matter what their troubles are God has a purpose for them, and that purpose is for good!
Huge thank you to Pastor Bruce from Grace Community Church and all the awesome volunteers that did an amazing job taking the reigns and providing Ontario with an awesome camp experience!
Whitetail Habitat Solutions Kicking Bear Event, Minnesota
By Ray Howell
We had an awesome Father’s Day at the Whitetail Habitat Solutions camp hosted by Jeff Sturgis and his fiance’ Jen. Jeff and Jen are incredible people who want to make a difference in communities and in kid’s lives by getting them off the streets and introducing them to the outdoors and all God’s creation has to offer. Even though it rained that day we never stopped with all the fun and games. Jen is also just a big kid! Archery in the woods while it’s raining was really awesome! While the kiddos were shooting bows Jeff took folks out and showed them how to manage their properties for big deer. I had the opportunity to share my testimony and let people know that God is working in their life also. It is amazing to see people like Jeff and Jan who take the time and step out of their everyday busy lives to help others. There were lots of prizes donated by their sponsors, along with all the food you could eat. Not only did we have lots of fun, but Whitetail Habitat Solutions was also helping us raise funds so we can keep impacting more communities and families. God is amazing and we are very thankful!
Check out more here about Whitetail Habitat Solutions.
