ABILITY – When you go outdoors what are you able to do? Can you parachute out of an airplane, ski down a steep mountain slope, climb the face of a shear granite mountain or be the next celebrity athlete in whatever extreme adventure stunt Red Bull sponsors next? It’s all daring, even bucket list compelling. But, most of us are likely content with challenges that simply push the edge of our own envelope, like hiking a little further, a bit higher, going faster and pushing harder. We use and develop our bodies and continue to expand our potential with God-given ability that we’re blessed to have – and often take for granted. But God is eager to take you beyond living cautiously, even content, to the best that He has for you. Ability – it’s something we all have. It’s skill, talent and capacity. Read the Bible and you’ll see that God gives ability to you, not to play it safe but to use it well. So pray and start planning now for your next hike. A hike that’ll stretch your ability in some God-sized ways. Here’s how Luke5Adventures can help you go hiking with those who can’t hike.
LUKE WHO ADVENTURES?
The Mason, Ohio based non-profit ministry Luke5Adventures was founded by Kevin Schwieger in 2019 with a vision to create a global fellowship of friends to help those impacted by disability to experience the love of Christ through outdoor adventure.Shortly after a particularly amazing adventure Kevin, an avid hiker, met Debi who was confined to a wheelchair. He wanted to share the experience with her but realized it would be insensitive, He explains that God used his meeting with Debi to “orchestrate” a deep realization within him. He says, “My spirit began to shout, ‘This is NOT cool. I must figure out some way of enabling Debi, and so many thousands in her circumstances, to experience God’s amazing nature’”.
Like Kevin most hikers (and likely you too) have the physical ability to hike wherever you want to go as often as you want. But, we have a greater ability in Christ. The ability to be obedient, serve and make a spiritual connection with those who can’t hike.
The inspiration for this ministry came from the Bible Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5. It recounts the story of a group of friends who took their paralytic friend to go see Jesus. The house where Jesus was speaking was so crowded that they could not get in. That didn’t stop them. They found the ability to do more and were determined to enable their friend to see something amazing. They carried him to the roof, cut the thatch away, and lowered him down through the hole in the roof to see Jesus!
Schwieger pictured in his mind’s eye, groups of friends by the hundreds, discovering their God-given ability to be a friend in a similar way.
Through the use of a uniquely engineered chair-cycle, which Luke5Adventures calls a Rosie, they (and you) can make new friends with fellow hikers who have a disability. You can help them see places and things that would be impossible for them to see alone. Not figuratively impossible, but, literally impossible.
THE CHAIR GETS ‘EM THERE BUT THEY DO THE JOURNEY WITH A SHERPA – YOU!
There are 2 kinds of people on a Luke5Adventure: The hiker – the person who rides in the Rosie and the sherpa – a volunteer in a team of 4-12 volunteers.
Volunteer to be a sherpa
You may be wondering what you’ll do, how you’ll do it and if you even have the ability to volunteer. But if you respond to God’s calling with a heart to serve, there’s a place in this ministry for you. The Lead Sherpa will provide you with training. Watch the sherpa orientation video to learn more about being a sherpa.
Look beyond the skills and the job duties. Get ready for a new experience in hiking. This is hiking on a whole new level. When you make Christ central to your outdoor lifestyle, God fully transforms that lifestyle. No longer is hiking just about what you see and do. It becomes a way to serve God and others, experience deeper communion and fellowship, spiritually mature, and be the hands, feet and body of Christ to shape eternity as God intends.
There are 3 ways you can go hiking with those who can’t hike. The Solo Hike, Group Hike and Hike Of A Lifetime each have different levels of time, involvement, challenges, experiences and more.
THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR HIKING JOURNEY
So what’s next? What can you do? Be sure to watch the videos here and go through the Luke5Adventures website. Yes, you can follow them on social media too BUT you know already that there’s a big difference between virtually observing the trail and getting out on it. Time to pray! Don’t just talk to God – – – Listen. Then act. Get started by being a first time volunteer sherpa. And then, volunteer again.
Now, elevate the potential to new heights. You already know where all the good hikes are near you. Share those trails by hiking with those who can’t hike. Contact the Luke5Adventures team to start a new Luke5Adventures chapter in your area.
THE SHOUT! CHALLENGE…
Here at Shout! OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE we know there are all kinds of groups that make and keep Christ central to their outdoor lifestyle and many more who do the same in fitness, gardening and travel. We think all of you can combine Luke5Adventures with your lifestyle passions to create even greater collaborative dimensions to the work God is doing.
What’s that look like? Who knows? It could be a Luke5Adventure at New River Gorge National Park paired with river rafting or rock climbing. Maybe it’s a Luke5Adventure that leads to both the hiker and volunteers helping in a community garden along the Pacific Crest Trail. Perhaps it’s a Luke5Adventure that goes to Europe to take a pilgrimage along the ancient path of the Camino de Santiago.
Can you envision such things? Could you be the tool God uses to make it happen? Do you have the ability? We’re confident you do. And when you do be sure to tell us about it because our community will join with you and Shout!
