RUGGED CROSS OUTDOORS Making A Difference In The Lives of Outdoor Enthusiast April 2010 Volume 2, Issue 4 Rugged Cross Outdoors, 1733 N. 9 th Street, Sheboygan, WI 53081 Phone: 989-600-0747, E-mail address: info@ruggedcrossoutdoors.org Livin The Dream RCO hopes that all of you enjoyed the wonderful holiday of Easter. After all, without the resurrection of Jesus there would be no Christianity. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:17 if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. You see, the resurrection is at the very core of the Christian faith. Without it, we might as well walk away from these beliefs. Scholars have provided Evidence showing that Jesus did in fact die on the cross. It shows that Jesus was indeed buried in a tomb. The evidence also shows that Jesus was not in the tomb on the third day. Yes, the very tomb that was guarded and would have been impossible for one man to open on his own. It also shows that there were a number of accounts in which different people saw Jesus alive after he was put to death. Despite this evidence, the Devil is fast at work to create in our minds elusions of discrepancies that lead to confusion and doubt. He does all he can to turn you away from the one and only Savior. He works so hard to do this because he really knows the ultimate truth that Jesus is indeed the way, the truth and the light. He wants to keep you from that truth. Oh, he is so crafty and it saddens us at RCO because so many are being persuaded to turn their backs on God! By RCO Executive Directors So, was the tomb really empty? Did Jesus really rise up from the dead on the third day? If you look closely, you will see that indeed He did! He is alive! He is alive! If the validity of the resurrection is something that you struggle with and it is keeping you from accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please take us up on this challenge: Obtain the book, The Case for Easter written by Lee Strobel and read it. Mr. Strobel interviews many scholars as he goes on his own personal quest to continue to provide evidence for Christianity. It is a short but wonderful and insightful read filled with compelling evidence that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead and is alive and well as our Lord and Savior. Lee Strobel says, Of INSIDE THIS ISSUE Livin The Dream 1 WMGS Spiritual Hunt 1 Glimpse of Eden 2 Spring Schedule 5 Photos 6 Prayer Requests & Financial status 7 the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity. Happy reading! WMGS Spiritual Hunt By Andy Kaminski, Executive Director The Buckeye State (Ohio) is fast becoming one of the top areas to pursue mature trophy whitetails within the United States. Workin Man s Guide Service owned and operated by Shane Montgomery and his Family (Kathy, Katie, Ryan, Kyle and Taylor) is located right in the heart of Ohio s big buck country! The RCO team has been hunting and filming there over the last 4 years and I can promise you that you will not find this kind of quality whitetail or turkey hunt at a workin man s price anywhere else! This year Shane put together a 3-day spiritual hunt running Thursday through Saturday. The plan was to hunt during the day and then get together in the evening after supper for a time of fun and fellowship. Thursday night we met at Shane s house where I was able to share the vision of Rugged Cross Outdoors with the group. I did this by showing a short RCO video and then shared with them the six avenues of ministry that make up RCO. I also shared with them the condensed version of how God brought me into the plan of RCO and encouraged everyone there to seek God s plan for their life no matter what stage of life their in right now. Please see Spiritual Hunt on page 3 In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 1:1
Page 2 Glimpse of Eden By Jeff Wilcox, Ministry Leader It was late September of 2006 when my son Shane, grandson Kody and myself where standing on a mountain top called Ski Slope outside of Douglas, Wyoming. It was a beautiful fall day, the sun was shining and there was a nice cool fall breeze with a trace scent of Aspen and Ponderosa pine in the air. As we stood there resting on our longbows deep in thought, we took in all the majesty of the scenery around us. We were simply awe struck with the great beauty God had blessed us with. Livin The Dream It seemed like time stood still for the next few minutes as the three of us where intoxicated with the presence of God. Even my eight year old grandson was overwhelmed by God s greatness. I know Kody wasn t quite sure of exactly all he was feeling, but I could tell by the smile on his face and the gleam in his eye he too knew we were in the very presences of our creator. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God s work from beginning to end). At that point we knew exactly what the writer of Ecclesiastes was saying. All the cares, worries and struggles we had in this world seemed to just melt away and became totally non-existent, gone, and wiped cleaned. It was totally liberating. I remember when my son finally broke the silence of that moment saying to me, You know Dad, sometimes the best things in this life are totally free. Truer words could not have been spoken. As I stood there totally engulfed in the glory of God, I remember thinking about how beautiful this is. Wondering just how beautiful it had to of been in the garden before the fall of man. If what I am looking at now escapes words of description for its splendor, I don t have a prayer trying to perceive the beauty Eden must have displayed. It was easy to understand what the Apostle Paul was saying in Romans that man will know God exists by the very nature around him. (Romans 1:20 For ever since the world was created; people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God). That is exactly what I was thinking as I stared out over these vast valleys filled with God s splendor. Our heavenly Father has supplied us with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.) Father God has made us complete, full, not wanting or needing through His son Jesus Please see Glimpse of Eden on page 4 Faith, Hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love Cor. 13:13
Livin The Dream Spiritual Hunt from page 1 On Friday night, we moved the fellowship outside. Shane's neighbor, Stan built an outdoor pavilion with a fire pit next to it that is perfect for this type of gathering. Stan even built a small chapel behind his house and a couple of small cabins to go with it. The speaker for the evening was Jim Morrison from PA. Jim is a friend of Anthony Infante, one of our ministry leaders, who was also attending this hunt. Jim shared a little bit about his testimony and how important family is to us and God. Anthony stood up when Jim had finished and asked the group this question, "Who is the ultimate hunter?" The correct answer is Satan! He is always hunting for our souls and uses various forms of deception to lure us into sin. Anthony said, "just like we as hunters use game calls, decoys, and different scents to lure a deer or turkey into shooting range so we can kill it, Satan to uses the things of this world like drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, ect to lure us in and destroy our souls." What a true and profound statement! When we find ourselves being lured in by Satan s temptations, like Jesus in Matthew chapter 4, we must stand up to Satan in the name of the Lord and resist his temptations no matter what form they come in. Everyone had a great time and 99% of the hunters in camp that week attended both nights of fellowship. Praise the Lord!!! In camp that week were three groups of hunters from Pennsylvania: Anthony, Jim and Pat were in one group. Loyd, Mike, Aaron and his wife in another and Dick, Randy, Dustin, Dana and Wade in the third group. Also in camp was A.J. Snively who came all the way from Ontario, Canada. My brother Tom and nephew J.T. came down from Michigan to share in the hunt also. The hunting was awesome! On Thursday night Mike from PA harvested a heavy 130-140 class 8 point. I took the camera along on the recovery effort and was able to capture it on film for use in Shane's promo DVD. Pat from PA put an arrow into a nice Page 3 10 point on Friday morning, but unfortunately the shot was off the mark and after tracking it most of the afternoon we were unable to recover it. Pat was of course disappointed and so was I; it's hard to lose a nice buck like that. Things like this happen when hunting with a bow or gun and it's unfortunate when it does, but we made the best effort we could in trying to recover the animal and that's all you can do. I guess one positive thing about it is the fact that I laid down what I think is some of the coolest whitetail footage I have ever filmed to date. Pat is a hilarious guy and absolutely loves the Lord. He had me rolling around laughing the whole three days! There's talk going around of a future hunt with Pat, Anthony, Jim and some of the RCO gang; I can t wait for that one! My nephew topped off the hunt Friday night with taking his first buck ever! A very nice mid 120 class 9 point. This was his third year at Shane's place and after a couple of cases of buck fever he finally put it all together and got the job done! The great thing about this hunt was the fact that his dad was the one behind the camera filming the whole thing. Tom said he did not know if J.T. was shaking more before he shot the arrow or after! Its trips like this that just gets me so fired up when I look back at them. This is what Rugged Cross Outdoors is all about! Getting to meet new people, sitting around the fire sharing the Gospel after spending a day in His creation, sharing the highs and lows of this sport, laughing with one another and dad's spending time a field with their sons or daughters! Great stuff man! I am blessed beyond belief to be part of all of this! Please see Spiritual Hunt on page 4
Page 4 Glimpse of Eden from page 2 Livin The Dream (Colossians 2:9 & 10 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.) Father God has made us heirs to His kingdom, all this and more, just for us, for you and for me. The most amazing part--the cost to us is free! We don t have to pay one cent, all we have to do is believe and receive! Or we can doubt and do without, but why? I hope and pray that you are one of those that believe and receive everything that accompanies salvation. However, if for whatever reason you have not made the decision to believe Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of your life why not do so today, why not right now where you sit? Just believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and receive ALL He has in store for you. Once you understand how much the Father loves you; once you get a glimpse of Eden; why would you settle for thorns and thistles? May God be the lamp onto your feet and the light on to your path! Jeff Wilcox, Ministry Leader Spiritual Hunt from page 3 We are in the planning stages with Shane to put together another spiritual hunt next fall and based on how things went last fall it s going to a blast! If you are interested in joining us on the spiritual hunt this coming fall or booking another date to hunt with Workin Man s Guide Service contact Shane Montgomery at 740-767-3080. You will not be disappointed! I have heard numerous people over the last couple of years say that hunting trophy whitetails and long beards is becoming a rich man s sport. Sadly, for the most part, I would agree with that statement. However, when you book a hunt with Workin Man s Guide Service you will soon find out that chasing the buck of your dreams at an affordable price can still be done! God Bless and good hunting! Andy I am the way, the truth and the life John 14:6
Livin The Dream Page 5 Schedule April 23-25 25 PA, Youth Turkey hunt MI, Youth Turkey hunt June 11-13 13 May 17 Rugged Cross Outdoors will be in South Bend, IN. at the LeSea Broadcasting station. We will be guests on the Harvest show. This is going to be a great opportunity to share with millions of people the vision and mission of Rugged Cross Outdoors. Generally speaking, the program airs at 9 AM (ET) then is replayed at 10pm and 2 AM check your local listings to confirm. They have North American coverage of approx. 46 million homes via DirecTV ch. 367, twelve LeSEA stations, cable, and syndication around the country. There Middle East Television (METV) satellite reaches 73 million homes in Israel and 15 surrounding nations on channel 24 on cable to Israel. Far East Television (FETV) airs LeSEA Broadcasting to approximately 4.3 billion people in Asia, Australia, all of Europe and Africa. There European coverage is 78 million homes with the Wonderful Network, and 8 million homes in Argentina on Canal Luz. They also transmit on 5 shortwave stations to 1 billion shortwave radios on the planet. RCO Executive Directors Andy Kaminski and Jim Duflo will join forces with Truth In Nature, Jeff & Carrie Davis. Truth in Nature focuses on the single parent children of metro Atlanta, GA. Primarily based in the West Georgia area, the target communities of Douglas, Paulding, Carroll, Cobb, Haralson, and Polk counties are there main area of concentration. Eventually they would like to expand to the entire metro area and then on to the state. We know that God has great plans in store for this ministry and we trust Him to lead them and us in the right direction for the future. We will be camping and striped bass fishing at Lake Lanier. Camp out June 11th will include dinner with devotional and praise music by campfire. The North Georgia Striper Club will be taking the children out on Saturday the 12th for some exciting striped bass fishing on Lake Lanier. www.truthinnature.org for more information. June 24-26 26 Big Ticket Festival, Gaylord, MI. If you love music, fellowship, sun, Extreme Sports, food, speakers and just a great time with the family. Join Rugged Cross Outdoors at the Big Ticket Festival. Look for more information in the May newsletter. And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison Gen. 27:3
WMGS Trophies Page 6 Livin The Dream Craig from New Hampshire. With a nice South Eastern Ohio buck Daryl & Bob from PA with some nice bucks. Guide Kyle Montgomery in the center. Mike from Pennsylvania with a tall heavy buck. Eric from New York. Guide Ryan Another buck goes down with WMGS. Pete from New York. Matt from Maryland with his trophy & Guide Ryan Book your next hunt with WMGS and you could be going home these!! with a trophy like one of these 740767740-767 -3080 Tell Shane RCO sent you. Another Mike from Pennsylvania is going home with a trophy. Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation Mark 16:15
Livin The Dream Prayer & Praise Report Prayer for a safe, fun and successful turkey season. Praise God the Web site is coming together with new videos, information and events. Pray for our travels as we head out to PA, and MI for spring Turkey. Praise God for a wonderful time at Fire Up and for a successful hog hunt. Keep these people in your prayers: Tara W., Phillip M. and Brent O. Page 7 Next Month: Fire UP 2010- Jim Duflo Youth & Hogs- Jeff Wilcox More photos from the field Looking Ahead: Planning and preparation for summer events. Spending time with family and friends. Waiting on the Lord for direction. Web Page News! We have been very busy over the past month, pulling together mission trip schedules, television appearance schedules, and event schedules. We also have been working on updating our web site so you can now watch our videos from our web page. Just go to the Webisode page and enjoy. Check back regularly for updates and new videos. Send us a photo of you doing something great and fun in the Outdoors! Financial Report Jan-March 10 April-June 10 July-Sept 10 Oct-Dec 10 YTD Total Actual $ $ $ $ $ 2010 Budget $17,140 $17,140 $17,140 $17,140 $68,560.00 * $178,011 $178,011 $178,011 $178,011 $712,044 *Overall financial requirements needed to operate this ministry on a full time basis. Making A Difference In The Lives Of Outdoor Enthusiasts
Rugged Cross Outdoors is a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization that serves as the platform for our ministry Mission trips to the Woods, Lakes, Fields and Streams! The organization was created to fulfill the ultimate plan that God has instilled in our hearts to to go out into the outdoor world and share the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are committed to Glorifying Jesus Christ using what He has created to spread the Word of God, while at the same time encouraging fellowship amongst outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. Rugged Cross Outdoors also wholeheartedly values the next generation our youth! In order for us to ensure God s Kingdom will continue to advance as well as preserve the wonderful sport of hunting, we must reach out to everyone--adults, people with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses, the poor and less fortunate, and especially our youth! The Rugged Cross Outdoors team engages in a multitude of ministry activities that support this overall mission. These ministries include our Outfitter Outreach, Youth Outreach, Speaking Ministry, People with Disabilities and Life Threatening Illnesses Ministry, our Outdoor Media Ministry, and our Venison Donation Ministry. For more information on each ministry avenue, please check us out on our webpage www.ruggedcrossoutdoors.org and click on the about us section. We re on the Web! Visit us at: www.ruggedcrossoutdoors.org & Join our Facebook group Rugged Cross Outdoors 1733 N. 9 th Street Sheboygan, WI 53081 Rugged Cross Outdoors Gift Card Please accept my one time tax-deductible gift in support of Rugged Cross Outdoors! $1,000 $500 $250 $100 Other My employer will match my gift. (Please include matching gift form with returns) Monthly Gift $200 $100 $75 $50 $25 $5 Other $ (Please notify Rugged Cross Outdoors should you want to discontinue monthly donations) A Christian Outdoor Ministry Method of payment: Check Credit Card: Discover Visa MasterCard American Express Check #: Credit Card #: Credit Security Code #: Expiration MM/YY: / Name: Address: Phone: City: State: Zip: Zip: Signature: Date: I would like more information concerning how I can help Rugged Cross Outdoors through: Hunting Property/Equipment Gifts Prayer You can also give by clicking www.ruggedcrossoutdoors.org and look for the Please make checks payable to Rugged Cross Outdoors logo to donate.