Cross Trail Outfitters
A youth hunting and fishing club building godly
leaders and preserving our outdoor heritage
CTO's mission is to guide the next generation to Christ through the outdoors.
BY JENNIE ROSIO
B E A CON E D I TO R
Screen time.
If you have teenagers or will soon,
these two words are cringeworthy. Many
research studies link teen depression,
relational difficulties and much more
with too much screen time.
It’s become part of growing up. How
to solve it is the real question.
Kevin Potts of Cross Trail Outfitters
lives out the answer. More than half of
Kevin’s days in 2018 were spent under the
sun and stars. CTO’s goal is to “equip
youth to passionately pursue a lifetime of
service to Jesus Christ and fellowship
with Him through the outdoors.”
Kevin, based in Bexar County, is CTO’s
state director. Few opportunities make
him happier than bringing kids to a lake
to teach them how cast a fishing rod, or
to a circle around a campfire where
anyone can ask honest questions and
find answers in the Bible. He’s seen plenty
of evidence in 2018 that this ministry is
providing joy in the lives of young people
hunting for love, meaning and purpose.
CTO volunteers, and youth ranging from
ages seven to 20, have seen 155 game
animals harvested, and hooked over 800
fish in 2018. Best of all, the groups’ loving
interactions have proven them to be
fishers of men. There were 45 decisions
for Christ just last year.
Kevin credits these transformations
to the Holy Spirit, whom he encountered
13 years ago, when CTO was formed by
founder Mike Arnold. Kevin remembers
his first night there: “Just sitting around
the campfire and listening to these kids
engage, and seeing how the Holy Spirit
truly moved them was very uplifting to
see. The questions of the day were, ‘Who
are you?’ and ‘Why are you here?’ The
questions moved me.” But he could not
answer the questions for himself.
“I tried. I just could not.”
The “question of the day”– a staple in
the CTO ministry – continued to trail
after Kevin for three more years. “I knew
I had a purpose in life. But I didn’t know
what the purpose
was.” And then, he
says, “I discovered
there was a purpose
for me – that God
does have a plan for
me. And I never knew
it was ministry!”
The CTO ministry
has grown, now
operating in nine
states. Most of the
members and visitors
CTO’s goal: to
equip youth to
passionately
pursue a lifetime
of service to
Jesus Christ and
fellowship with
Him through the
outdoors.
are boys, but there have been opportunities
more recently for girls, too.
Once or twice a month, each CTO
chapter meets to teach a hunting skill.
These skills nights bait the hook of
“ We believe in giving back to our community.
Especially to ministries like CTO that are building
a solid foundation in
Christ for the future leaders
of our city and nation. The
use of the outdoors, away
from the noise of their
phone, provides the perfect
atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to go to work.
Many boys, perhaps for the first time, will hear
God’s voice and there is nothing that will
compare to that.“ Spike Blevins
Owner, Christian Brothers Automotive - Helotes
Kevin Potts (left) guided Nick Smith (right) to harvest
a management buck in 2017 on a CTO youth hunt
weekend trip.
7 www.saBeacon.com February 2019
/www.saBeacon.com