GTD IS SEEKING BANQUET EVENT SPONSORS... WOWWWW, WE ALREADY HAVE TWO!!!!

  
As we RELAUNCH GTD into the next 30 years of ministry we are doing some new cool things... one of those things is seeking out BANQUET EVENT SPONSORS who will sponsor different aspects of OUR MOST IMPORTANT EVENT OF THE YEAR (our Annual Banquet)!! I've only mentioned it to about 30 people, and before I could get the post up advertising it 2 FAMILIES HAVE ALREADY SPONSORED 2 OF THE ASPECTS!!!! Praise the Lord 🙌 🙌 🙌.... WE HAVE THE BEST DONORS & SUPPORTERS 👏 👏 👏 !!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you AWESOME SUPPORTERS!!!!!! Recognitions forthcoming!!!

(FYI: All Event & Table Sponsors will be recognized on the back of our new GTD T-Shirts as well as at the Annual Banquet.)

Here are the 4 categories of Event Sponsors:

1) $10,000 LEGACY DONOR MATCH SPONSOR:
GTD is seeking a donor (or group of donors) that will issue a $10,000 Donor Match Challenge and match all donations to GTD dollar for dollar up to $10,000 (or more) cumulatively.

2) $5,000 DINNER SPONSOR: [COMPLETED!!]
GTD is seeking a $5000 Dinner Sponsor who will cover all the costs for our Annual Banquet dinner catered by Carrabba’s for up to 250 people plus drinks, desserts, etc

3) $3,000 T-SHIRT SPONSOR:
GTD is seeking a $3000 T-Shirt Sponsor who will cover the cost of buying & printing 250 GTD T-Shirts with the NEW GTD logo on the front and all of our Sponsors recognized on the back. All Banquet attendees receive a free shirt!

4) $2,000 VENUE SPONSOR: [COMPLETED!!]
GTD is seeking a $2000 Venue Sponsor who will cover the cost of our Annual Banquet Venue rental fees, insurance, AV personnel, new water pitchers, new centerpieces, etc

To become an ANNUAL BANQUET Event Sponsor simply complete the RSVP on the link below!! God is up to something special!!!!

Annual Banquet RSVP link

Annual Banquet info & donation link

Fundraising Tracking link

 

 

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A BIG THANK YOU to...

  

A BIG THANK YOU to the awesome crew that came out for our 2 hour Work Day this past Saturday!! My mind is blown by how much progress and work can get done in only 2 hours by awesome people!! Love the Body of Christ! Thank you awesome people!!

Next 2 hour Work Days are Sept 26th & Oct 17th 😀

 

 

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OUR 5th TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026 IS STREETMAN LAW - MORGAN STREETMAN!!

  
Thank you so much to Morgan Streetman of STREETMAN LAW for being our fifth Table Sponsor of 2026!! Morgan Streetman is as faithful and consistent of a supporter to our ministry as it gets! Year in and year out Morgan & Streetman Law sponsors a table for our Annual Banquet and supports our mission & vision throughout the rest of the year. He has not only been a faithful supporter and a vital help during our caregiving years, he has also been a close friend and encourager as well as a participant on our Costa Rica Mission Trip, Swamp Thing Backpacking Trip, IGNITE Retreat, LIQUID Paddling Event, & countless other GTD events. He is the most honest & authentic attorney you will ever meet. We are so blessed to have STREETMAN LAW'S support, and we encourage everyone to check out his website & services!!

"With over 20 years of litigation experience, AV-rated excellence, and a track record of winning complex cases, Morgan Streetman delivers results you can trust. Based in Tampa and Miami, serving clients statewide.

Super Lawyers is a designation of top-rated practicing attorneys selected through extensive evaluation. He was awarded this distinction for 2020 – 2025.

He is also AV-rated and consistently recognized for excellence by his peers. Former Chair of the Trial and Litigation Board. He is proud to serve as a Director of the Hillsborough County Bar Association."

STREETMAN LAW:
website: https://www.streetmanlaw.com/
phone: 813-227-8689
email: hello@streemanlanlaw.com

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To learn more about & support Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) and/or become a Banquet Sponsor as well as follow our faith journey of raising $130,000 click on the links below:

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

 

 

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OUR 4th TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026 IS INSPECTED HOME & COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSPECTIONS - JASON & SARAH HEBERT!!!

  
Our profound thanks to Jason & Sarah Hebert of INSPECTED HOME & COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INSPECTIONS for being our fourth Table Sponsor of 2026!! Jason, Sarah, and their kids have been amazing friends, volunteers, participants, & Ministry Partners for several years! They are the cream of the crop! Whenever GTD has a need they are first in line to help out, volunteer, & donate to the cause. I don't know how they do all that they do. They operate INSPECTED - a fantastic Home & Commercial Property Inspection business based in the Tampa Bay area. We are so blessed to have the the Hebert's support, and we encourage everyone to check out her website, Instagram, & Facebook Page!!!

"Buying in Tampa Bay? Get a clear, buyer-focused inspection before you commit — full home, Florida 4-point, wind mitigation, and pool checks when you need them. St. Petersburg–based since 2007. InterNACHI® Certified / CPI®. Licensed & insured in Florida. We work for you, not the sale.

Full home inspections plus the Florida-specific reports insurance companies ask for — scheduled around your inspection period.

Buying or leasing retail, office, warehouse, multi-family or restaurant space? We inspect the building systems that drive your due-diligence decision — roof, structure, electrical service, HVAC, plumbing, life safety and site drainage — and deliver a photo report on your closing timeline."

INSPECTED (Jason & Sarah Hebert)
727-291-3322
https://inspectedfl.com/
inspectedfl@gmail.com
6355 23rd Lane N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Mon – Fri: 8AM – 10PM

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To learn more about & support Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) and/or become a Banquet Sponsor as well as follow our faith journey of raising $130,000 click on the links below:

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

 

 

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OUR 3rd TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026 IS THE MOST JOYFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD - KATIE CLEARY!!!

  
It's with deep gratitude that we thank the most joyful girl in the world - Katie Cleary - for being our third Table Sponsor of 2026!! Katie started going on GTD adventures with her youth group when she was in middle school, and hasn't stopped going every year since. She now teaches high school students and coaches the swim team in Lakeland, Florida. Katie and her mom Katherine are two of the greatest volunteers our ministry has ever had (and that's saying a lot because we have been blessed with so many amazing volunteers). Katie and her mom volunteer every summer to help us supply God-awesome adventures to our participants. They are fan favorites... everyone loves Katherine & Katie!! Katie is one of the most adventurous people I know whether it's swinging from thousand foot cliffs in Utah to hiking the Camino de Santiago trail in Portugal this young lady lives an abundant life in Christ with a constant joy that effortlessly oozes out of her. We are so blessed to have her on our team, and have her generous support. Katie actually started donating to GTD when she was a teenager... that says everything about her generous spirit. She donates her time, talent, & treasure to Jesus by serving GTD and helping make our programs possible. Thank you so much Katie for all you do to bless this ministry and the people we serve!! We are a better ministry because of you & your mom!

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To learn more about & support Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) and/or become a Banquet Sponsor as well as follow our faith journey of raising $130,000 click on the links below:

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

 

 

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ASKING FOR VOLUNTEERS NEXT SATURDAY FOR 2 HOURS AT "THE PROJECTS" (GTD's Headquarters... AKA: my house)

   
I want to thank, honor, & glorify God that my drive, motivation, strong mindedness, & determination have 80% returned. God has been healing that which broke inside of me after the loss of our awesome parents combined with 5+ years of hard Caregiving & way overextending myself. I'm not 100%, but I'm not negative 20% like I was 1 year ago ready to quit everything and planning my Prodigal Son path. God saved my soul when I was 8 years old, and He rescued my wayward heart & mind a year ago and started me on a path from Survival to Revival. He can transform our waywardness into our good as he excavates our pride and increases our humility which is the conduit by which His Spirit works. What the enemy intended for harm, God makes it backfire into our good & God's glory. All that to say, "I'm back baby!!", and we are picking back up on all "The Projects" here at GTD Central Command (aka: my house). It has taken me 7 years to get a few months of work done. It was so discouraging, overwhelming, & paralyzing to be surrounded by so many projects that needed immediate attention, but have no energy or time or pathway to do anything but grow deeper and deeper into depression. As awful as it was I'm so glad I now know how debilitating deep depression is, and now I'm better equipped to empathize, understand, and pray for my fellow soldiers in the battlefield of life. Anyways, every month we are going to have a 2 hour Work Day at "The Projects" and keep making progress on the GTD Headquarters. The Trail Life kids showed us last month that a handful of people can make a big impact in only 2 hours!! We have lots of construction projects (drywall, insulation, flooring, lighting, painting, moving cabinets, etc, etc, etc), and I could use plenty of help. That's probably been my biggest hindrance in 30 years of ministry... I didn't ask for help most of the time. My Mom and I had this terrible mindset that we feel like we are inconveniencing people if we ask for help. I have found that is the wrong perspective. Many people are actually honored to be asked to help, and I've often robbed people of the opportunity to help in life changing Christ-centered ministry that enriches our lives as we serve and care for our participants. So now, at age 55, I'm learning to be a good asker. It feels very awkward when you inherently believe you are interrupting & disrupting people's lives. But I'm learning that's only true when you ask someone like me who is already over committed to too many things. But for many people they want to help be part of something bigger than themselves. So I'm learning to ask. And in doing so I punch the devil in the throat because he knows this unleashes the Body of Christ to do good works that God has already prepared in advance for us to do. If you would like to help us do some work at "The Projects" we would love your help! You can sign up on our sign-up link below. Thank you in advance, and glory to God in the highest!!

Upcoming Work Days at GTD's "The Projects"
August 22 (9am-11am)
September 26 (9am-11am)
October 17 (9am-11am)

Work Day sign-up link for next Saturday (Aug 22)

 

 

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OUR 2nd TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026 IS "HAPPY GOAT ADVENTURES - STACY ALAN"!!!

  
Thank you so much to Stacy Alan of Happy Goat Adventures for being our second Table Sponsor of 2026!! Right after we opened up the banquet "pen" Happy Goat Adventures "herd" about the opportunity to sponsor a table and they "bucked" their way over to our website to pluck down some "doe" to quickly supported our ministry!! All "kidding" aside, Stacy has not only been one of our greatest volunteers & staff of all time he is also the G.O.A.T. of making puns!! I guess you could say he is a very "punny" guy lol! Two of the most frequent & common questions we get from our participants are, "Is Stacy going on this trip?!?!" and "Is he bringing a goat???". Stacy has added so much to our ministry for nearly 20 years, and he is a fan favorite!! Everybody loves Stacy, and he pours his time, talent, & treasure into making GTD a God-awesome ministry. In addition to volunteering for our ministry and being a full time General Contractor Stacy also founded and operates Happy Goat Adventures based out of central Florida. If you are looking for one of the most unique adventures that includes goats then you have to sign up for one of their events!! We highly recommend doing a Happy Goat Adventure event! Check out their website and social media links below!

"Happy Goat Adventures specializes in unique Adventures and events around central Florida like Paddle Board Tours, Goat Yoga, Movie Nights, Birthday Parties, and Theraputic Animal Sessions. You'll have a fun experience with us and our YouTube famous goats."

Happy Goat Adventures
website
youtube
facebook page
instagram

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To learn more about & support Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) and/or become a Banquet Sponsor as well as follow our faith journey of raising $130,000 click on the links below:

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

 

 

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OUR FIRST TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026 IS "THE COASTAL AGENT - BRITTANY NORMAN"!!!

  
Our profound thanks to Brittany Norman, The Coastal Agent for being our first Table Sponsor of 2026!! As soon as we opened up the sponsorship link 2 weeks ago she immediately supported our ministry!! Brittany & her husband Sam along with their 3 daughters recently attended our Family Adventure Trip with Calvary Church of Clearwater, and it was so fun & encouraging to watch them adventure together as a fun-loving, Jesus-loving, all-weather family. One of my favorite moments from that trip was looking up in the middle of a torrential downpour and seeing their whole family playing Frisbee in the heavy rain 🌧. That one moment sums up this family - unconquerable bright attitudes! Brittany slid over Turtleback Falls with us as a college student, and now she returned to slide over it again with her whole family! We are so blessed to have the Norman's support, and we encourage everyone to check out her website, Instagram, & Facebook Page!!!

"A Pinellas County native, Brittany brings an insider’s perspective and local market knowledge that only a lifelong resident can provide. With over a decade of experience in real estate investing, home improvement and digital marketing, she is dedicated to delivering honest, personalized support every step of the way, whether you’re a first time homebuyer or seasoned home seller."

Brittany Norman, The Coastal Agent
Local Pinellas Realtor
727-688-0241
www.TheCoastalAgentFL.com
Facebook.com/coastalagentfl
Instagram.com/thecoastalagent

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To learn more about & support Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) and/or become a Banquet Sponsor as well as follow our faith journey of raising $130,000 click on the links below:

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

 

 

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GTD'S PUBLIC COSTA RICA MISSION TRIP IS COMING BACK JUNE 12-19, 2027!!!

  

IT'S BAAAAAAACK!! We are going back to Costa Rica for our annual "open to the public" Mission Trip!! We used to do this trip every year pre-Covid & pre-Caregiving, and now we are in healthy spot to return! Our official trip dates are June 12-19, 2027 (8 days: Saturday thru Saturday). Cost is $1300 per person plus airfare. The first 12 people to register and pay by Sept 30, 2026 gets an early-bird discount of $100 off your trip plus $100 "GTD Dollars" to go towards any future GTD event. Early bird registrations help us lock in rates, dates, & everything great =). Our mission will include construction projects, service projects, children's outreach, community outreaches, and at least two authentic Costa Rican adventures as well as a cultural tour 🇨🇷 . You won't believe what God will do in you & through you on a mission trip, and our experience in this area of Costa Rica has been life changing for many people who go. Website & registration links are under construction with the goal of having it active by the end of August. Pura Vida!!!

 

 

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1 MONTH TILL GO VERTICAL (SEPT 5-9)!! ...JOIN GTD OVER LABOR DAY HOLIDAY FOR THIS EPIC ADVENTURE!

  
Looking for one last God-awesome adventure to close out the 2026 summer?!?! Look no further! Join GTD over the Labor Day holiday for an exciting adventure of rock climbing & rappelling in the mountains of northeastern Georgia. This is our last big adventure priced at our 30th anniversary price of only $30!! You can't stay home for less money than that!!

For details about & registration for GO VERTICAL click on this link

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996! CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!

 

 

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4 TABLES SPONSORED IN 4 DAYS!! PTL!!!! ....THANK YOU AWESOME DONORS!!!

 
Wow, what a great start to our Annual Banquet campaign... 4 tables sponsored in 4 days and $2200 already raised👏 👏 👏

THANK! YOU! AWESOME! DONORS!!! Glory to God!!

Table Sponsor recognition forthcoming 😀

Follow our fundraising faith journey & updates on our blogsite!

Fundraising Tracker

Annual Banquet Details & RSVP

Next Available Public Event:
Go Vertical Rock Climbing Trip (Sept 5-9)

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!

 

 

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JAG WILL BE ANNOUNCING EACH OF OUR BANQUET SPONSORS THIS YEAR!

  
In honor of our 2 greatest supporters of GTD - my Mom & Dad (Jerry & Ann Garner "JAG") - we will have them announce each Banquet Sponsor (from Heaven lol). This will be our first banquet without both of their physical presence there, but we know they are cheering us on from Heaven. This ministry would not exist without them! Through the years they poured so much love, encouragement, & support into me, GTD, and especially our Annual Banquet. They loved being a part of our most important event of the year, and this is one small way we can honor their role and legacy in GTD. Thank you Mom & Dad for everything you did to make this ministry possible!! We honor you and celebrate your ongoing impact! Let the JAG BANQUET SPONSOR ALERTS begin!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

 

 

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HAPPY MONDAY! ...YOU CAN FOLLOW OUR 2026 FUNDRAISING JOURNEY ON OUR BLOGSITE =)

  
Our new starting date for our annual end-of-the-year fundraising drive officially changed from starting each year on Sept 1st to now starting each year on August 1st so that it no longer conflicts with Thanksgiving & Christmas family time. To accomplish this I made the no-brainer executive decision to permanently move our Annual Banquet from Nov/Dec each year to October each year. We are making all kinds of little & big improvements and adjustments like this as we reflect on our first 30 years of ministry and RELAUNCH GTD into our next 30 years of ministry!! One of our goals is to simply get better and better at what we do. This time frame change will make Thanksgiving & Christmas time more family-focused instead of fundraising-focused. And with that change GTD just got better!! So here's a screenshot of our August 1st FUNDRAISING TRACKER starting point... it has already increased over the weekend PTL!! Use the link below to follow our fundraising faith journey!! Thank you in advance for all your prayer support and encouragement as we strive to seek God first as we raise $130,000+ over the next few months! Thank you to all our AWESOME SUPPORTERS!!!!

FUNDRAISING TRACKER link

 

 

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WHO WANTS TO BE OUR FIRST TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026!!

WHO WANTS TO BE OUR FIRST TABLE SPONSOR OF 2026!!

We have permanently moved our Annual Banquet 1 month earlier to October so it no longer conflicts with Thanksgiving & Christmas family time yayyyyy!! Soooooo that means our annual official fundraising starts 1 month earlier toooooooo (which happens to be today)!!

Our goal is to raise $130,000 in 6 months (Aug 1 - Jan 31) thru our Annual Banquet event!! We are so excited about all that God is doing to RELAUNCH GTD INTO THE NEXT 30 YEARS!! God is up to something very special!

Who wants to get things started by being our FIRST Table Sponsor of 2026 (and take the first step of helping us hit our goal of 25 Table Sponsors)!! All Table Sponsors receive 10 tickets to our Annual Banquet on October 20th which includes dinner for you and your guests catered by Carrabba's! Table Sponsorships start at $250... the higher your sponsorship the more you receive!!

Click on our Annual Banquet website for more details as well as to sponsor a table and RSVP for the event!!

Click here for our Annual Banquet website.

SAVE THE DATE: This year's Annual Banquet is on October 20th (that's a Tuesday night from 6:30p - 9:00p) at the beautiful Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center in Pinellas Park, Florida!

We can't wait to celebrate at this event!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!

 

 

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WHAT A DIFFERENCE GOD CAN MAKE IN ONLY A YEAR!

 
Wow, what a difference a year makes... or more accurately said, "Wow, what a difference God can make in a year!" Last year I had nothing else to give. This year I'm overflowing. Last year I was burying myself with my Dad. This year God is raising me up from the ashes. Last year I had to cancel our Annual Banquet because I had hit rock bottom. This year we are relaunching our Annual Banquet because I'm standing on The Rock! Last year I was a train wreck. This year God promoted me to train conductor! Last year I was a dumpster fire. This year I'm back on fire for God's call on my life! Last year I was preparing to shut down the ministry at 30 years. This year God is launching the ministry into the next 30 years! Last year the enemy was digging my grave. This year I'm dancing on top of that grave! Last year I was Peter in the courtyard listening to the rooster crow. This year I'm Peter at Pentecost watching the Spirit flow! Last year it was over. This year we have only just begun! Join us on October 20th to see what the devil was trying so hard to stop, but God preserved "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS"!

SO SAVE THE DATE!! ...GTD's ANNUAL BANQUET IS OCTOBER 20th AT THE PINELLAS PARK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AS WE RELAUNCH THIS MINISTRY INTO THE NEXT 30 YEARS!

 

 

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JOIN US FOR FOR OUR LAST PUBLIC EVENT OF GTD's 2026 SUMMER OF FUN >>> GO VERTICAL (SEPT 5-9)!!

  
Looking for one last God-awesome adventure to close out the 2026 summer?!?! Look no further! Join GTD over the Labor Day holiday for an exciting adventure of rock climbing & rappelling in the mountains of northeastern Georgia. This is our last big adventure priced at our 30th anniversary price of only $30!! You can't stay home for less money than that!!

For details about & registration for GO VERTICAL click on this link.

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996! CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!

 

 

THANK YOU DANIEL & TRAIL LIFE TROOP 901!!!

  
This morning 10 year old Daniel earned his Timberline Award for Trail Life by successfully organizing a Troop Service Project to help serve a nonprofit organization (in this case, GTD). He did a fantastic job!! In only 2 hours Troop 901 painted our equipment storage container (with 2 coats of paint!), cut up and discarded 7 trash cans & 1 truck load full of tree limbs & branches, painted 20 planks (to be used on an upcoming project), & weedeated high grass around the back perimeter! They did in 2 hours what it would have taken me or Carson 2 days to do! Wow, what a blessing to our ministry!! Our friend Nate Zeitler said that we should call my home / GTD headquarters "The Projects" because we have so many projects that need to be completed hahaha!! I love that name! So, moving forward, the GTD Headquarters will be affectionately known as "The Projects". I live in The Projects lol. I work in The Projects lol. We are in the midst of planning several Work Days for the next 10 months to tackle many of the projects in The Projects. If you have a group that would like to volunteer for a God-awesome nonprofit organization (or if you are an individual looking to volunteer a half day or many half days) we would love your help! GTD is an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that qualifies for many school's & group's required annual volunteer hours and we would be blessed & honored to host you for a work project just like young Daniel organized!! Congratulations and thank you so much Daniel and Trail Life Troop 901 for blessing & impacting our ministry in such a stellar way! We respect and are inspired by your love of Jesus, country, & others! God bless you guys!!

To learn more about our local Trail Life Troop 901 check out their Facebook Page here.
 

 

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20 WEEKS WITHOUT MISSING A WORKOUT... LOL, DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES!

   
I've never made it thru a summer of Adventure Trips without eventually "falling off the wagon" with my workouts, my nutrition, sound sleep, or believe or not quality daily devotions. It actually makes sense when you think about it. We work 16 hour days running event after event. The days are often fast paced with high physical, mental, & emotional demand. The human body gets fatigued, and consistency can easily go out the window. If you have ever gone on action packed vacation and tried to have consistent quality workouts, nutrition, sleep, & daily devotions you may have experienced that it's really hard to stay on top of it away from your structure. That's what happens to me almost every summer. Even though we have daily devotions on the trips I'm often fighting the preoccupation of thinking through every detail of the day we are leading up. In addition, in the privacy of my home, I like to actively pray as I walk & talk to God & worship Him (I call it prayer pacing). If you were to see me through the windows you would probably think I'm schizophrenic or that I've totally lost it. I'd feel way to awkward walking around camp talking & signing out loud while other people were trying to have some stillness so they can pray & read the Word. Anyways, it's super challenging to stay consistent while on the road. But this time I've doubled down on my discipline while easing up on how I define a quality workout, devotion, nutrition, & sleep habits while traveling. My goal this summer is to "maintain the gains"... to do at least the minimal needed to not go backwards. Then after the summer is over I can pick up where I left off before the summer started instead of starting all over again because I didn't maintain. Anyways, this may sound pretty basic or trivial, but for me it's a major breakthrough if I can pull it off. I haven't missed a workout (or regular quality devotions, good sleep, & decent nutrition) in 20 weeks PTL, and my new adjustments seem to be the perfect strategy that has eluded me for 30 years of summers. This day was leg day (yes, I do workout my legs even though they don't look like it hahaha... somebody has to make the chickens feel validated lol) so I pieced together a squat & calf raising weight set out of a tree limb & propane tanks hahaha! I guess you could say, "No (pro)pain, no gain!". I do have a gym bag full of resistance bands that I usually use, but this day I wanted to switch it up lol. Going from survival to revival 1 workout & 1 day at a time. Getting back to my old drive, motivation, & passion for life =) . Thank You Jesus!!

 

 

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GTD IS A MINISTRY "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS"

  
One thing I keep being reminded every GTD event is that Christ-centered outdoor recreation ministries are needed now more than ever. I can't even begin to tell you the impact that God is making when we take a break from the high paced, high stress, high pressure, heavily technologically saturated "concrete jungle" and go into God's amazing playground to combine play, nature, camping, healthy risk taking, adventure, physical activity, being outside your comfort zone, togetherness, teamwork, purposeful daily tasks, an intentional balanced & Christ-centered daily agenda, campfires, doing hard things, sharing highlights of the day, reading God's Word, talking to God, worshipping God, putting the phone down and actually engaging with the people you're with, making pizza quesadillas (I had to throw that in), & most importantly (this is the real force multiplier) - honoring & seeking God first. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's! life! changing!... it's trajectory changing... it resets, refreshes, renews, & revitalizes in jaw-dropping ways. It's the perfect environment for God to do a great work in & through you. I know this personally from 30 years of witnessing the impacts. I also know this from my own personal experience because God kept renewing & reviving me thru GTD trips over the past 5+ of the hardest years of my life. So I'm not just the "director", I'm also the participant and the recipient. As I see the stark contrast from the peacefulness & fulfillment found in the setting I just described versus the road raging and oftentimes hopeless, heartless, & ruthless "man-made" setting that brings young people to epidemic levels of suicide, rage, & disorders I think to myself the words of Mordecai to Queen Esther when God used her to save the Jewish people, "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"(Esther 4:14). I'm convinced that GTD is the precise ministry "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS". Not to sound overly dramatic, but as I look around at a generation of kids, youths, & young adults addicted to brain rotting technology that oftentimes leaves them hopeless, lonely, afraid of everything, & sometimes even as dumb as a box of rocks (such as a lack of common sense or even able to do basic math without a calculator or unable to find a location without a map app that they have driven to numerous times) then I realize this ministry (GTD) was built by God "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS". We have completed 30 years of ministry, and now God is RELAUNCHING us into the next 30 years "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS". Don't underestimate what God can do in your life & soul when you get outside with a Christ-centered outdoor adventure ministry!

(*this is a screenshot of a text message from a new participant and a new friend that joined us on a recent GTD event. Glory to God!)

Thank youuuuu soooooo much to all our supporters and volunteers and prayer warriors that make life change thru Jesus possible!! You share in the fruit because you shared in tilling the ground!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996! CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!

 

 

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GLOW IS MORE THAN SOLD OUT... IT'S "OVERBOOKED"!!!

  
We've had such an overwhelming response to our GLOW Bioluminescent Nite Paddle scheduled for August that we increased our maximum participation from 30 to 40!! Thankfully God has blessed us with a lot of kayaks, paddleboards, & amazing volunteers so we are able to squeeze in 10 more people =). PTL!! Can't wait for this event! The SUMMER OF FUN continues!!

Next Public Event: GO VERTICAL Rock Climbing & Rappelling Trip (Sept 5-9, 2027) near Toccoa, GA... click this link for details.

 

 

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3 MONTHS TILL GTD's RELAUNCH! ...GTD RELAUNCH COMING OCT 20th!!!

  
Celebrating 30 years of God-awesome outdoor adventure ministry (1996-2026) PTL!!! Aaaaaaaaand we are RELAUNCHING GTD into our next 30 years of ministry on October 20th!!! SAVE THE DATE >>> GTD'S ANNUAL BANQUET IS ONLY 3 MONTHS AWAY =)

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!

 

 

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FAMILY CAMP'S FINAL FULL DAY ENDS WITH A HUMAN AVALANCHE!!

  
The families of Calvary Church of Clearwater packed a lot into their last full day of camp including a whole lot of fun sliding down the iconic local attraction - Sliding Rock of Pisgah National Forest. Pictured here are some of the kids that attended this year's event and they became closer friends as they did so many fun adventures together such as this human avalanche "train" sliding down a waterfall! All the kids were fantastic! We never heard a single complaint, argument, or disruption the entire 5 days together (even though we encountered a lot of rain)! These kids were in their element... away from the over saturation of brain rot technology and into the healthy saturation of playing in God's amazing playground!! Their imaginations and playfulness were unleashed! We are already looking forward to Family Camp 2027!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!!
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!

 

 

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BONDING THRU ADVENTURE & JESUS!! ...CALVARY FAMILY CAMP 2026 > TURTLEBACK FALLS DAY!!

  
It's so awesome how quickly God can build deeper bonds in families thru the love & joy of Jesus and the "bonding adhesion" of adventuring together! Yesterday's adventure was hiking 3.5 miles (round trip) & sliding over a fUntastic waterfall in NC! Both kids & adults loved it as they did it together ❤️. And to top things off, my amazing cousins - Dana & Martha - joined us for the day! It was a really good day 😀

 

 

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NEXT TRIP!! ...OUR ANNUAL CALVARY CHURCH ADVENTURE TRIP FOR FAMILIES IS OFF TO A TUBULAR START!

  
Just as SLAMMED was ending our next group was arriving! Calvary Church of Clearwater is kicking off their 7th annual Adventure Trip for Families with a totally tubular start!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!!

 

 

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SLAMMED 2026 WAS UNFORGETTABLE!!

  
God blessed us so much over the course of 5 days!! We made a year's worth of memories in just a few days! Thank You Jesus!!!

 

 

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CARSON TAKES THE DRIVER'S SEAT! ...SLAMMED 2026 HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!

  
Carson is leading up his first ever GTD Adventure Trip, and he's doing a great job! He's making 90% of the decisions from camp layout to daily agenda to navigating stormy conditions to meal selection!! We usually let the group set up their tents & cots, but he instructed us to set them up for the participants before they arrive yesterday... all the participants really appreciated that! Tonight he is leading up a new GTD meal of Mexican chicken quesadillas! We are all loving the decisions he's making!! Passing the torch as we relaunch GTD into our next 30 years of ministry!!!

 

 

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30 YEARS OF SLAMMED STARTS TODAY!!

 
Made it to NC... hitching up and heading to camp!! =)

 

 

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

We returned a few days ago from our Costa Rica Mission Trip with the Zeal School of Ministry (ZSOM) students of Calvary Chapel Fellowship! They got so much done as they encouraged & blessed so many people... there is so much to share!! More posts to come! But now Carson & I are on a flight to North Carolina to run back-to-back Adventure Trips!! God is up to something special!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome Adventures Since 1996!
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MINISTRY!!

 

 

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5.30am FLIGHT TO COSTA RICA!

  
Looking forward to a God-awesome Mission Trip this week!! Joining up with Laurie & Carson today... team arrives tomorrow. Pura Vida!!

 

 

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FREDRICK JAMES!! ...GTD's ANNUAL TAXES COMPLETED!!

  

For the first time in many years our annual corporate taxes have been filed well before our extension deadline of Nov 15th. Our profound THANKS and deep APPRECIATION to our amazing accountants - Fredrick James Accounting - for volunteering their services each year to bless GTD with the completion and submission of our corporate tax filings with the IRS!! They save us about $5000 per year!! They can't complete the forms until I have completed all the bookkeeping from the previous year which is something that I'm historically waaaaay behind on (especially during the caregiving years) which means we usually aren't filing our tax forms until right before the extension deadline in mid Nov. However, this year we are about 5 months ahead of the game PTL!! Lord willing, that's something I aim to stay on top of so that we stay ahead of the game going into our next 30 years of ministry!! Any way you slice it - whether I'm early, on time, or super late - Fredrick James is always on top of it! They not only "go the distance" for GTD... they actually go the extra mile!! God bless you guys! 

(And on a side note, if you're looking for a top notch accountant & consultant for your business I highly recommend FJA!!)

Fredrick James Accounting:

Website: https://www.fredrickjames.com/

Phone: (727 ) 474-0922

 

 

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COSTA RICA 🇨🇷 BOUND!!

 

Laurie & Carson are on their way to Costa Rica to prep for our mission team... this is Carson's first time going to CR =). I (Doug) will join them on Saturday, and our mission team (ZSOM from Calvary Chapel Fellowship) arrives on Tuesday. Thank you in advance to all of our prayer partners out there for praying for spiritual impact, God to be greatly glorified, & our daily safety. Pura Vida!!!

 

 

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