Look closely between the thick, bushy trees along Detroit Street in Xenia, Ohio, and one might catch a glimpse of a brave soul decked out in a helmet and attached to a cable, walking gingerly like a tight rope walker from one wooden post to another 40 feet above the ground.

Once concealed mysteriously behind those trees, Athletes in Action’s Challenge Course is no longer a hidden secret.

AIA purposely uses the platform of sport to tell athletes and coaches about Jesus, but with the addition of the course near the organization’s headquarters building, those outside the athletic community can now potentially hear that same message.

Since April 2004 when the course opened, over 3,400 people have used the facilities. Last year in 2007 within a six-month period, 357 people heard a spiritual message or received a Real People, Real Faith booklet (which includes faith stories of coaches and athletes), 264 heard a clear presentation of the gospel, and 142 indicated they prayed and received Christ.

Ultimately, AIA’s purpose to house a challenge course runs parallel to the ministry’s motivation for changed lives, and numbers from May to November 2007 reflect that.

“Most of the time the changes we see in the lives of challenge course participants take on more forms than just spiritual change,” says Debbie F., director of the AIA Challenge Course. “Some are emotional changes like overcoming personal fears. Others are relational, like when they learn to be a better communicator or to respect other people’s ideas and opinions.”

A challenge course is a general title given to a collection of activities designed for the encouragement of team building, cooperation and communication. Participating in challenge course activities also enriches one’s mental, physical, social and emotional capabilities.

While many participants do, in fact, use the course in the context of a sports team, various other groups regularly use the facilities: corporations, youth groups, college classes and student council groups. One family used the course this past fall to celebrate their daughter’s 13th birthday with a group of her closest friends.

The challenge course provides the opportunity for any party, no matter the size, gender or type of group, to interact in a fun and entertaining way.

“Time and time again, groups begin to open up to each other more than they would in a normal setting,” says Debbie. “This opens individuals up to learn about themselves and team members.”

Groups have two options when putting their challenge course adventure together. The low course is comprised of nine different elements that are no more than 12 feet above the ground. Each group is given specific tasks to complete on various elements that encourage team members to work together to achieve success.

The low course facilitates team-building, developing problem-solving skills, and improving communication and trust.

The high course consists of a double-decker module with 17 elements suspended 25 – 40 feet from the ground. Constructed of aircraft cable, logs and synthetic rope, the high course is instrumental in overcoming fears, building faith, encouraging others, and motivating individuals to step out of comfort zones.

“I learned a lot about getting out of my comfort zone and that you can take risks and still have fun,” says one teenager who went through both the high and low course with 99 of her classmates from a Dayton-area school this past May.

Another student liked the feeling of working and accomplishing a task as a team. “I liked the feeling of working and accomplishing a task as a team.” 

Since many groups who use the challenge course are not affiliated with AIA or a particular church, the opportunity to communicate some—or all—aspects of the gospel can be challenging. However, various groups show enough interest in spiritual things that Debbie is able to at least relay parts of the gospel message.

“I ask non-Christian groups if I can share a spiritual truth at the end of our time,” says Debbie. “Some groups are open, some are not. Sometimes I can hand out Real People, Real Faith booklets or other materials.”

Between 2006 and 2007, AIA saw a 40 percent increase in utilization of the challenge course. Those numbers are continually expected to rise because of marketing strategies as well as increased usage of the fields at the AIA Sports Complex. The most popular group to use the facility continues to be AIA-related teams that travel around the world to do mission work.

Full names of Athletes in Action staff members have been withheld to protect those serving in religious-sensitive countries.

Photos:

Top: A view of the high course

Middle: Participants work together on the high course

Bottom: A group of junior high school students attempt to balance the "whale watch" on the low course.