Call of outdoors

points men to God

‘Cross Trackers’ aims to reach those

not always comfortable in the church

    SANDY — Some men settle into their church pews each week for meaningful worship, but for many other men — especially here in the Northwest – the Great Outdoors is really the only place they can comfortably focus on God.
    Those are the men that Todd Hoffman wants to reach for Christ.
    More than a year ago, Hoffman, 39, who lives with his wife and three children at the private Sandy River Airport, established Cross Trackers, a ministry to men who may not be inclined to attend church but who are drawn to hunting, fishing and other outdoor pursuits. Or, they may be willing to attend church, and keep their families there, but want to commune “with guys of the same cut,” Hoffman explained.
    From modest beginnings during its first year — developing an initial mailing list of about 130 men — the ministry now seems poised to explode beyond the Northwest. A Facebook group related to the ministry now has about 1,600 friends involved from coast to coast, with several clubs ready to be launched nationally. Locally, a Portland metro westside Cross Trackers group of about 30 men has been formed in the Scholls area.
   “I think we’re re-energizing a base that’s been gone from church,” Hoffman said. I think a men’s movement has begun.” He said many men have “just plain been hurt” by churches. “They’re not against the idea, but they have had some bad experiences that left a lasting impression on them,” he said.
    Hoffman is quick to say that the ministry is not anti-church by any means, but it is eager to help educate churches on how to reach a segment of society that, for whatever reason, doesn’t fit into the traditional church mold. Hoffman attends Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring.
   “We are with tough issues like any church,” he said. “I have been welcomed there with all of my faults and being rough around the edges. Harvest Christian, Church on the Mountain, and Orient Baptist, along with Good Shepherd and East Hill (Foursquare) are figuring out what we are doing.
   “We are putting a place together in between the lost sportsman and church. A place you can bring your friend, too, with dirt on his hands.
   “You see, I’m a sinner, I call things the way they are and have made lots of mistakes in my life. The difference with this ministry is that no one is on the pedestal; we are broken like anyone that comes through our door. God’s grace is sufficient for me and He gave me a vision to reach out to men in a real way, not some uninspiring men’s breakfast or what have you; there’s something better for men ”
    Hoffman’s ministry grew partly out of his own past dissatisfaction with other churches and partly out of his own strong identification with the outdoors.
   “I realized that there’s a whole bunch of guys who are hurting at church or hurting in their marriages,” he said. “There’s got to be a place for these guys.”
    Last year, Hoffman got the ministry going by putting out an inquiry on the classified ads web site craigslist.com. He got about 50 responses from men who were looking for outdoor-oriented fellowship and fun.
    “I couldn’t believe how many guys came out of the woodwork,” he said.
    Hoffman also checked with churches in that end of Clackamas County, and found that not one had a specific men’s ministry. “There is a huge need,” he said.
    Hoffman and a team of four other men coordinate the ministry’s varied activities. During the first year, they have included fishing trips for sturgeon, tuna and salmon; a shad fishing outing for kids, and a trap shoot. It also sponsored a workshop on proper gun use and a talk by nationally known Blacktail deer hunter Boyd Iverson.
   “Larry Jones (of Jones Calls), Scott Haugen (Game Chasers), Rufus Lutig (South Africa Safari Hunts), and many other speakers have graced our doors,” he said.
    Handgun and safety classes are also held along with boat inspections in conjunction with Clackamas County.
    A Bible study developed by Wild at Heart author John Eldridge and presented by fishing guide John Ball is offered alongside the main events, and many men have asked Christ into their hearts or rededicated their lives to Christ. Hoffman also blogs to 1,600 men three times a week.
Hoffman said there are lots of hurting men throughout the United States and this men’s movement is picking up steam, growing at a nice clip.
   “Many of my Facebook guys are young, in high school, I’m guessing about 300 of them, and they really are soaking up biblical principles. They just need a quick answer to a question, something they can’t get at home sometimes,” he said
    But beyond the outdoor fun, perhaps the biggest value of the ministry, said  Hoffman, is that it gives men a place where they are free to share about the ups and downs in their lives — and thus discover that Christian guys can be genuine and caring — like brothers.
   “It’s a place you can bring your buddy to and be around Christian guys,” he said. “We don’t preach, but we do show our heart.”
    For more information, go to www.crosstrackers.com or the Cross-Trackers group at facebook.com, or phone Hoffman at 503-928-2090.