Merry CHRISTmas from GTD!

Wishing you & your family an adventurous God-awesome Jesus-filled Christmas season!!

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WE DID IT!!! ...HE DID IT!!! ....GTD RAISES $100,000!!! .....IN ONLY 2 MONTHS!!!

We only needed $3750 to hit 100k... God doubled that by blessing us with a $7500 donation from a local charitable foundation to propel us past 103k!!!!

Speechless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the fundraising world this is the equivalent of a Superbowl championship season!

Thank YOU Jesus!! Thank you Donors!! This is supernatural! ALL GLORY TO GOD!!!!

Current Funds Raised = $103,752!!!!

Who wants to go for $104,000!?!?

If you would like to PILE ON to our record breaking fundraising amount we still have 2 more weeks to add to this the tally!

THANK YOU GENEROUS SUPPORTERS FOR LAUNCHING GTD INTO 2020!!!!!!

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To PILE ON TO THIS TALLY and invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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To follow our Fundraising Tracker CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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WE'VE PASSED THE $96K MILE MARKER!!!

OVER THE WEEKEND WE PASSED THE $96,252 MILE MARKER!
...ONLY $3748 TO GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

This is such a God thing!!

Thank You Jesus for PHENOMENAL SUPPORTERS!!!!

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." - 2 Chronicles 16:9

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ALL ABOARD!!
We've got more room on The Miracle Express so jump on board and enjoy the ride!!
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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/payments-donations.html
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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ALL ABOARD THE MIRACLE EXPRESS!! ..WE JUST STEAMED THRU THE $95,000 MILE MARKER!

ALL ABOARD THE MIRACLE EXPRESS!!
..WE JUST STEAMED THRU THE $95,000 MILE MARKER!
...ONLY $4948 TO GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

We are blessed with THE BEST SUPPORTERS!!!

Thank You Lord for such INCREDIBLE DONORS!!!!

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." - 2 Chronicles 16:9

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ALL ABOARD!!
We've got more room on The Miracle Express so jump on board and enjoy the ride!!
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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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WE ARE ONLY $203 AWAY FROM $95,000!!

WE ARE ONLY $203 AWAY FROM $95,000!!
...WHO WANTS TO PUSH US OVER THE 95k LINE?!?!

God continues to rock our world with the amazing generosity of our supporters as we pursue our quest of raising $100,000 by the end of December.

Here's our individual goals & current standings:

GOAL 1: Raise $50,000 in one-time donations.
...Currently we've received $45,647 in one-time donations!!
....That leaves us with ONLY $4353 left to go!!!

GOAL 2: Raise $50,000 in monthly pledges for 2020.
...Currently we've received $49,150 in monthly pledges!!
....That leaves us with ONLY $850 ($71/month) left to go!!!

TOTAL GOAL: Raise $100,000 by the end of December.
...Currently we've raised $94,797 in donations & pledges!!
....That leaves us with ONLY $5,203 left to go!!!

These are all GTD records! This is unprecedented!! We are in uncharted territory!!

Who wants to help push us over the goal line?!?!

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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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To follow our Fundraising Tracker CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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80+ Thank You Letters sent out today to THE BEST DONORS IN THE WORLD!!!

80+ Thank You Letters sent out today to THE BEST DONORS IN THE WORLD!!!

"Thank You" isn't a big enough word to express the depth of gratitude in our hearts for our supporters!!

They are a small but mighty army of generosity warriors and God is using them more than they may know.

Thank you soooooo much!!!

God bless you!!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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DONATE YOUR UNUSED KAYAK(S) TO GTD!

Another great way to support GTD is by donating items that we need to accomplish our mission. One of those current items are kayaks. As we enhance our focus on local adventure opportunities in the Tampa Bay area one of our top needs is to transition from canoeing to kayaking.

Canoes are a bit archaic in modern terms, and more importantly, unsafe for paddling on anything beyond protected flat water... which excludes us from paddling on any coastal waters most of the time. Coastal waters make up 90% of the paddling opportunities in the Tampa Bay area.

Believe it or not, the most dangerous activity that we've provided for the past 20+ years is canoeing on coastal waterways. Canoes flip over very easily because, among other things, canoe seats are elevated to make paddling possible. This elevation creates a high center of gravity. Any slight movement the wrong way and the canoers become swimmers very quickly. Add choppy conditions, cool water, weaker upper body strength (to get back into the canoe), as well as inexperience and you have a dangerous life threatening situation in the blink of an eye. We've seen it too many times over the past 20 years.

The solution is kayaking. It's much more comfortable to most people. There is a low center of gravity and oftentimes a wider base which makes flipping out much harder and very rare compared to canoeing. While canoeing tends to be more frustrating to the average paddler kayaking tends to be more enjoyable. Kayaks are easily more desirable to most people than canoeing. That's important because desire oftentimes drives participation. Low desire = low participation.

GTD is currently acquiring a variety of quality kayaks: recreational, fishing, and touring kayaks. Both sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks. Both single and tandem kayaks. Our goal is to have enough kayaks to take 50+ paddlers out at a time. That allows us to accommodate large youth groups, church staffs, businesses, and high school class trips. And the variety of types of kayaks allows us to offer a variety of different trips & courses: recreational, overnight, short & long distance, fishing outings, and more.

This is something we've been wanting to do for the past 23 years (since the beginning of GTD) and it looks like now is the right timing for us as we head into our 24th year of ministry.

Currently we have about 15 kayaks. Let us know if you have a kayak you want to donate. Many times people purchase kayaks and end up not using them like they thought they would. They oftentimes sit in the garage collecting dust for years. GTD can use that kayak if you would like to donate it!

Also, we are finding great used kayaks for sale at an average price of under $200! Many times these are kayaks that were originally purchased for over $500 and have great add-on's such as fishing rod holders, paddles, and life jackets included in the price which saves us more money because we don't have to go purchase those things separately.

Donating a kayak (or other needed item) to GTD is another GREAT WAY to support this ministry! Let us know if you would like to donate a kayak =)

Thank you!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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WE JUST PASSED THE $94,000 MILE MARKER! ...ONLY $5988 TO GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

WE JUST PASSED THE $94,000 MILE MARKER!
...ONLY $5988 TO GOOOOOOOOOO!!!
.....ALL ABOARD THE MIRACLE EXPRESS!!

It's a God thing! It's not because of a fundraising strategy or game plan... just the opposite... it's ALL GOD!

All we are doing is sharing about what God is doing and inviting people to jump on the train =)

We are just along for the ride!

It's much more enjoyable, fun, & exciting with Jesus as our Train Conductor =)

Thank You Lord for our AMAZING supporters!!!!

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." - 2 Chronicles 16:9

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ALL ABOARD!!
We've got more room on The Miracle Express locomotive so jump on board and enjoy the ride!!
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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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THANK YOU!!!

We are with BIRDDOG (aka: my incredible Mom) working on our Thank You notes for all the awesome donors that have generously invested in this ministry! It's been just over 2 weeks since they rocked our world!! Awesome Donors, you are launching us into our 24th year of ministry!!!! Thank you soooooo much for your selfless support of GTD!

WE LOVE YOU!!!


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100 MILE PERIMETER PADDLE RECON! ...WHO WANTS TO JOIN ME!?!?

This is a local adventure I came up with 6 years ago, but had to set it on the back burner (with about 200 other adventure ideas floating around in my head). But this may be the right timing to revisit this idea as GTD begins to expand our "backyard footprint".

We travel all over out-of-town to take people to amazing destinations, but we also live surrounded by some of the most sought after destinations in the world - Pinellas County Beaches! We have several adventure opportunities right here in our own backyard that millions of people flock to all year long. They're already coming to us so we need to master this area and develop GTD's comprehensive selection of Pinellas County based adventure opportunities.

One of those possible adventures is a 5-day 100 mile perimeter paddle challenge around the peninsula of Pinellas County (wow, that's a lot of p's). Theirs many different ways to do this with a variety of accommodations (island camping, hotels, resorts, host families, etc). It can also be done in sections over a period of time for our one-day adventurers and weekend warriors.

I'm hopeful to recon this in the next 2 months if anyone wants to join me for a day or 2 or 5!! Let me know what you think =)

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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LOOKING FOR AN EXTREME ADVENTURE?!?! ...WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED! ....SWAMP THING IS BACK! (JAN 25-26, 2020)

SWAMP THING IS BACK! (JAN 25-26, 2020)

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ABOUT GTD'S SWAMP THING BACKPACKING TRIP:

Swamp Thing is a weekend Christ-centered backpacking journey into one of North America's unsung wild places - the Everglades of south Florida. The Big Cypress Swamp is a spectacular, rugged, rare, subtropical landscape experienced by very few adventurous souls each year. It is hauntingly beautiful. And it is enormous, covering 2400 square miles.

GTD's Swamp Thing is a 8 mile out-and-back (4 miles each day) hike through the fresh water swamp that flows into the Everglades. We will trek in 3 miles and camp for 1 night on a small pineland island which is surrounded by an endless river of grass, cypress trees, and marsh swamps. During our time we will explore some of the rarest terrain in the world. About 75% of our hiking trail is through swamp water measuring from ankle to knee deep.

This is an adventurous and challenging hike that will cause a sense of wonder and praise deep within your soul as you see the creative genius of an Almighty God. Each day we will start the morning with personal devotions and at night we will spend some time focusing on a Biblical topic. Only through God's amazing power can the grunge of a swamp be used to refresh your soul. Come and see why adventurers haven't experienced anything until they've experienced The Swamp Thing.

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FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO REGISTER CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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MONUMENTAL!!! ...$93,352 RAISED SO FAR!!! ....ONLY $6,648 TO GOOOOOOO!!!

Wow! God is doing a great work!!

On Giving Tuesday God blessed us with over $1000 in one-time donations through Facebook as well as 4 returning Monthly Partners for the next 12 months!! That propelled us from $89,000 to over $93,000!!!

That's MONUMENTAL!

We only have $6,648 to go to hit our quest of raising $100,000 by the end of December!!

There's still plenty of room on the Miracle Express so jump on board and be a part of this locomotive size miracle that God is performing one amazing donation at a time!

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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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To follow our Fundraising Tracker CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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IT'S GIVING TUESDAY!! ....WE ONLY NEED $1,000 TO HIT 90K!!!!

IT'S GIVING TUESDAY!!
...STARTING AT 8am FACEBOOK MATCHES THE FIRST $7,000,000 OF DONATIONS!!
....WE ONLY NEED $1,000 TO HIT 90K!!!!

Click this link to donate to GTD and help us reach our quest of raising $100k by the end of December!!!

#GivingTuesday GTD Donation Link


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HAPPY THANKSGIVING! - FROM THE GTD CREW =)

We hope your Thanksgiving holiday is full of turkey, dressing, gravy, sweet potato soufflé, pumpkin pie, family, friends, and gratefulness! We have sooooooooooooo much to be thankful for!!

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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PAINTBALL EQUIPMENT DONATED TO GTD! ...THANK YOU SO MUCH PASTOR ART DYKSTRA!!!

Your donations make a difference! One of our recent equipment donations that we are absolutely thrilled about is from Pastor Art Dykstra of Feather Sound Church in Clearwater, Florida.

Art used to have a paintball ministry and generously decided to donate all of his paintball equipment (paintball guns, masks, CO2 tanks, and much more) to GTD!! There's enough equipment for 20+ people!

We are stoked!!

Thank you Art for your generous donation to GTD and for all the fun times that lie ahead for our participants!! We will be lighting people up with paintballs in Jesus name hahaha!

Your donations make a difference!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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WE PASSED THE $89,000 MARK YESTERDAY!!

WE PASSED THE $89,000 MARK YESTERDAY!!
...THANK YOU ASTOUNDING DONORS! GLORY TO GOD!!
....ONLY 11K LEFT TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

God is doing a great work! (drop the mic)

"LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." - Isaiah 26:12

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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/payments-donations.html
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To follow our Fundraising Tracker CLICK HERE: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/fundraising-tracking.html
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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YESTERDAY WE HIT $88,000!!! (THANK YOU JESUS!) ...ONLY 12K LEFT TO GO BY THE END OF DEC!!!!!!!

YESTERDAY WE HIT $88,000!!!
...THANK YOU JESUS!
.....ONLY 12K LEFT TO GO BY DEC 31 !!!!!!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21

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To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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LAST NIGHT WE PASSED THE $87,000 MILESTONE! ...ONLY 13K TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

LAST NIGHT WE PASSED THE $87,000 MILESTONE!
...ONLY 13K TO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Have you ever seen or been a part of a miracle?

Have you ever witnessed the supernatural power of God?

You are now! That's what's going on right now!

God is doing a great work in GTD and our faith is booming!

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." - 2 Chronicles 16:9

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ALL ABOARD!!
We've got more room on The Miracle Express locomotive so jump on board and enjoy the ride!!
--------------------------
To invest in GTD by making a one-time donation and/or become a monthly partner CLICK HERE
--------------------------

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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$86,000 RAISED!! ...ONLY 14K LEFT TO GO!!!

$86,000 RAISED!! ...ONLY 14K LEFT TO GO!!!
...CHECK OUT THIS YEAR'S GIFTS FOR WHEN YOU DONATE!!
....INCLUDING A VERY COOL GTD CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT!!!!

The more you donate, the more we want to give you in appreciation for your generous support as well as for you to promote, remember, & pray for this ministry.

Last year we raised $50,000 by the end of the night of our Annual Banquet. We went on to raise an additional $32,000 by the end of the year (praise the Lord!!)...

...This year God blessed us with a record setting $86,000 raised by the end of the night of our Annual Banquet (glory to God!!)... That leaves us with ONLY $14,000 left to go to hit our $100,000 quest by the end of Dec!!

God is doing a special work!! We are speechless (well almost haha!) at all that God is doing and the outpouring of support we've received from our TERRIFIC GOD-AWESOME SUPPORTERS!!!

WE'RE ALMOST THERE... 14k more to go to hit our goal! Who wants to help put us over the top!!

Special Thanks to Tina Maddalena for the AWESOME CUSTOM GTD CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS!!! Aaaaaaand special thanks to Jason Lazzaro Graphic Designs for our AMAZING GTD T-SHIRT DESIGNS!!!

Click here to donate or become a monthly partner (or both!)

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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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CHECK OUT THE PICS FROM OUR SPECIAL NIGHT!

CHECK OUT THE PICS FROM OUR SPECIAL NIGHT!
...SPECIAL THANKS TO AUSTIN SPICER OF SPICER PRODUCTIONS FOR THESE GREAT PICTURES!

(CLICK HERE to see all 70+ pictures on our online photo album!)

There were so many special moments including the presentation of:

2 "LEGACY Awards"
   - Ted & Mel Henter
   - Jerry & Ann Garner (JAG)


4 "JAG Awards"
   - Jeff & Taylor Buckel
   - Carson Vescovi (youngest recipient ever!)
   - Brad Beohler (out of state)
   - Anonymous - JTM


7 "7 PILLAR Awards"
   - Anonymous - JD
   - Anonymous - HHF
   - Anonymous - DMW
   - Anonymous - MRD
   - Ted & Mel Henter
   - Anonymous - JTM
   - Jeff & Taylor Buckel


6 "Extra Mile Awards"
   - Stacy Meunier
   - Katherine Cleary
   - Katie Cleary
   - Todd Baker-Rooney
   - Erin Hegedus
   - Tito Carreno (absent)

=================================

Fantastic job & special thanks to:
   - Banquet Coordinator: Laurie Finger
   - Venue Provider: Central Park Performing Arts Center
   - Caterer: Carrabba's
   - Emcee: Morgan Streetman
   - Board of Directors: Rob, Elissa, Morgan, Adam, Heather, Jason, Fred, Crystal, Noel, Jeanette, & me (Doug)
   - Volunteers: Our Board of Directors plus Mom, Dad, Traci, Carson, Erin, The Smiths, Austin, Todd, Sarah, Stacy, Jennifer, Stan, The Heberts, and other awesome people!
   - And our 22 Table Sponsors, 150+ Guests, & Amazing Donors!

=================================


THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! GOD BLESS YOU!


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DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! ...OUR CURRENT FUNDRAISING TOTAL ISSSSSSSSSSSSSS... $86,000 IN 1 MONTH !!!!!!!! A NEW GTD RECORD !!!!!!!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!  ...OUR CURRENT
FUNDRAISING TOTAL ISSSSSSSSSSSSSS... $86,000 IN 1 MONTH !!!!!!!!

A NEW GTD RECORD!!!!!!!

We pre-raised $40,000 going into last night's Annual Banquet where our amazing supporters contributed (as well as pledged) an additional $46,000 !!!!!!!!

That's miraculous!!!!!!

We are floored by the level of support our incredible donors have supplied. We know that God is at work! We can't raise this level of support in our own power... it's a total God thing! And we are blessed beyond words just to watch all that God is doing.

From the bottom of our hearts, and on behalf of this ministry, THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of our guests, donors, table sponsors, monthly partners, volunteers, participants, encouragers, and prayer warriors!!! God is working through you to impact a lot of youth!!

We had a great time last night! We had amazing help, the venue looked awesome, Morgan did great job emceeing, we were ready for the early birds, we started on time, we had plenty of delicious food, we had a great turnout, we were able to see - thank - and hug many supporters, great highlight videos, quality awards, great donor gifts, nice goodie bags, a great donation response, and a bunch of other positives. So many things to celebrate!

And that only leaves us with 14k remaining to hit our $100,000 quest by the end of the year!!

WOW, we are blown away!!!! Our deepest thanks and gratitude to everyone!

Pictures and more recaps to follow =)


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OUR GREATEST VIDEO EVER!! ...CHECK IT OUT!

OUR GREATEST VIDEO EVER!!
...CHECK IT OUT!

It's Banquet Day which means the premiere of our newest GTD highlight video!! Hands down, our greatest video ever!

Here's a glimpse of a typical GTD Summer Adventure Trip in God's amazing playground... Enjoy!

Special thanks to Carson Vescovi & Austin Spicer for this instant classic!!!!!!


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BECOME A GTD MONTHLY PARTNER FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS!!

ONE GREAT WAY TO HELP LAUNCH GTD INTO OUR 24TH YEAR OF MINISTRY IS BY...
...BECOMING A MONTHLY PARTNER FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS!!


ADOPT GTD FOR 1 YEAR!  CARRY THE TORCH... PASS THE BATON!

At least 20% of our annual income comes from the donations of generous people like you. Through the years people have adopted GTD in 1 year time frames. Like a relay race they carry GTD like a baton and strive to put the ministry in a position to beat the previous year's record setting performance... and almost every year they do just that! Their 1 year "race" (financially supporting GTD for 1 year) is what we call being a Ministry Partner. One great way to support GTD is through a monthly faith commitment referred to as a 12 Month Tour-of-Duty.

WHAT IS A 12 MONTH TOUR-OF-DUTY?

A 12 Month Tour-of-Duty is when a Ministry Partner prayerfully and faithfully pledges to financially support GTD monthly for a period of 12 months. These pledges enable an effective ministry to impact the lives of youths, young adults and people of all ages for the glory of God.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN-UP TO BE A GTD MONTHLY PARTNER (or for more details) - CLICK HERE!

Thank you so much for investing in GTD and supporting our mission! God bless you!!!

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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GOING THE (((RECORD BREAKING))) EXTRA MILE! ... G.A.P. SPONSORS OUR 22nd TABLE!!!

GAP  - BRONZE TABLE SPONSOR!

*****

WOW, our cup overflows from yet another generous table sponsor! THANK YOU SO MUCH to our next table sponsor who made an anonymous donation in the name of {G.A.P.} of First Baptist Church Of Indian Rocks for GTD’s Annual Fundraiser Banquet!

This anonymous donor has been a wonderful supporter of GTD for years!  They have also become a staple on some of our regular events, fundraised on their own to support GTD, and have shown up to  volunteer!  We are so grateful for their heart to be a part of all that GTD is doing.  We appreciate and love you, thank you so much!

Graduates and Professionals - G.A.P. is aiming to reach young adults between 23-29 yrs old. They have Sunday morning life groups from 9:15-10:30 AM in the balcony of the Fellowship Center and Tuesday nights 7:00-8:30 PM at Smileys Coffeehouse for Bible study, discussion and games.

*****

If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event please CLICK HERE!


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GOING ABOVE & BEYOND!! ...OUR 21st TABLE SPONSOR IS ...THE JANNARONE FAMILY!!!!

JANNARONE FAMILY - Silver Table Sponsor

*****

We are incredibly blessed ABOVE & BEYOND! Let’s give a BIG thank you to JC & Janessa Jannaorone who tipped us over the edge into the 21st Table Sponsorship for the GTD Annual Fundraiser Banquet! This amazing couple originally met on a GTD cross Florida bike ride and have been GTD Ministry Partners for 15 years! Yes folks, we really do call it GTD Harmony!

Janessa herself was once GTD’s banquet coordinator, and now as a Teacher, she consistently shares GTD with her students and school. She is the perfect example of how to share this ministry with those you know. Janessa has been a huge blessing to us in this way. By her actively sharing events have been booked including our very first, month-long Immersion/Mission Trip to Costa Rica.

Thank you JC and Janessa for your continued love and support of GTD. Your friendship and partnership in ministry are priceless. Thank you so much! We love you!

*****

If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event please CLICK HERE!


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AND OUR 20th TABLE SPONSOR IS... CALVARY CHAPEL FELLOWSHIP - ZEAL STUDENT MINISTRY!!!

ZEAL - Calvary Chapel Fellowship - Bronze Table Sponsor

Please help me give a HUGE thank you to ZEAL of Calvary Chapel Fellowship of St. Pete for being our 20th Table Sponsor!!! ZEAL is the Student Ministry Pastored by Jairus Hodges who attended many GTD Adventure Camps himself as a student growing up!! Since the founding of ZEAL in 2017 they have participated in back to back Adventure Trips each summer with the middle and high school students of CCF.

About ZEAL:

We are the student ministries of Calvary Chapel Fellowship Church in St. Petersburg, FL. Our goal is to help youth understand who Jesus is, and what being a Christian is really all about. The Bible says we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ through studying the Bible, prayer, Christian friendship, and involvement in the Church. We do this at our weekly ZEAL meetings through teaching from the Bible, musical worship, fun activities, praying together, and talking amongst small groups about life. Our goal is to keep it real about Jesus and life as a Christian, knowing that as we do so, we will always keep it ZEAL.

*****
To learn more about ZEAL go to there website by clicking here!

*****
If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event please CLICK HERE!


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YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS! ...BLINDNESS HAS NOT STOPPED HIM!

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!
...BLINDNESS HAS NOT STOPPED HIM!
....WATER SKIING, PADDLING THRU THE PANAMA CANAL...
.....DEVELOPING SOFTWARE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD...
......AND ONE OF GTD'S TOP SUPPORTERS OF ALL TIME!!!
.......TED & MEL HENTER TO RECEIVE GTD'S LEGACY AWARD THIS TUESDAY NIGHT!

I could talk for hours about Ted & Mel Henter! They are amazing! God has significantly used them to help build this ministry! Ted used to race motorcycles professionally. Then he went blind in a car accident. And he never looked back. God used Ted & Mel Henter to impact the world from a car accident that changed their lives forever. Their support for GTD over the past 17 years is almost indescribable and it qualifies them for our rarest award... GTD's "Hall of Fame Award"... A 2 lbs chunk of crystal we call the GTD LEGACY Award. Ted & Mel will share their story on Tuesday night. It's all about overcoming the obstacles and going the distance. It will inspire you. It will impact your life!

GTD LEGACY AWARD: - Saw The Need - Took The Initiative - Never Stopped - Impacted Eternity -

Join us for our Annual Banquet THIS TUESDAY NIGHT, Nov 19th, at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo, Florida, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm for a wonderful night of inspiration!!

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Click here for details or to RSVP for our Annual Banquet
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


PS: If you can't make it to the banquet you can read about Ted & Mel's inspiring story here


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PACK THE HOUSE! ...20 FREE BANQUET TICKETS!!!

It's an annual tradition! Some of our amazingly generous Table Sponsors live out of state or are unable to attend our Annual Banquet this Tuesday night. So they've asked us to offer up their tickets for FREE to anyone who would like to join us for this special event =).

Currently we have 150 people attending!! That's a great response! We have room for 200.... soooooo let's PACK THE HOUSE!

All you have to do is RSVP on the link below and show up Tuesday night. It's a semi-formal event so come looking sharp ;). (But please don't RSVP and then not come because you'll prevent someone else from coming that night.)

CATERED BY CARRABBA'S!! ...CHICKEN MARSALA!!! NEED I SAY MORE =)

Join us for our Annual Banquet THIS TUESDAY NIGHT, Nov 19th, at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo, Florida, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm for a savory night of celebration!!

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Click here to RSVP for our Annual Banquet!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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TO CROSS THE GOAL LINE WE NEEDED 1 MORE TABLE SPONSOR! ......GOD BLESSED US WITH 2!!!

WOW! Just a quick update... We have now officially EXCEEDED our goal of 20 Table Sponsors!!!! Two incredible sponsors took us over the goal line! And then kicked the extra point!

We will have the 2 new Table Sponsorship recognition posts uploaded later today.

God is doing a great thing! Thank you to all of our phenomenal supporters!!! God is using you!

Join us at our Annual Banquet on this Tuesday night Nov 19th to celebrate all that God is doing in & through GTD!!

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Click here to donate and for Banquet details!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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MORE BIG NEWS!!! ... WE HAVE A $1000 DONOR MATCH CHALLENGE LEADING UP TO THE BANQUET!

Thank You Lord for blessing us with the greatest supporters on the planet! We have an amazing family that likes to stay anonymous who have offered up a $1000 Donor Match Challenge!!

That means that they will meet dollar-for-dollar every donation made up to $1000 starting today!

God is at work! We are so thankful =)

If you would like to have your donation doubled then now is the time!

Join us at our Annual Banquet on Tuesday night Nov 19th to see all of our new GTD items!!

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Click here to donate and for Banquet details!
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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IS YOUR GLASS HALF FULL??? .... OUR'S IS! ..... AND WE WANT TO SHARE IT WITH U!

Check out one of our new Donor Gifts! It's a beautiful glass mug with our GTD HEX logo on it.

Choose from 4 different logo colors - orange, magenta, blue, & purple!

It's just another small way we can say thank you for supporting this ministry, and for you to have a visual reminder to pray for the ministry you invest in.

Thank you for supporting GTD!

(We will be releasing the Donor Gift levels this week... The more you give, the more you receive!)

Join us at our Annual Banquet on Tuesday night Nov 19th to see all of our new GTD items!!

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Click here to donate and for Banquet details!
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(5 DAYS TILL THE BANQUET!!!)

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!


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AND THEN THERE WAS ONE! ... WE ONLY NEED 1 MORE TABLE SPONSOR!!

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE!
... WE ONLY NEED 1 MORE TABLE SPONSOR!!
..... WHO WANTS TO PUT US OVER THE GOAL LINE?!?!

One of our key goals in our quest to raise $100,000 as we enter our 24th year of ministry is to have 20 tables sponsored for our Annual Banquet. We are at 19!! We only need 1 more!

Who wants to score our 20th touchdown!! Who wants to hit the walk-off homerun for GTD!

If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE! 


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FATHERS & SONS SEEKING GOD TOGETHER!

I could list a hundred blessings & benefits of Christ-centered family camping trips, but none surpass this >>> spending quality time together seeking God in His amazing creation!

That is substance. And it can only take place when you're intentional, available, and away from distractions and the busyness of life =)

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"To seek God is the greatest of all adventures; to find God, is the greatest of all human achievements. To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances."
           - Raphael Simon (adapted)
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Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!

UPDATE! (FUNDRAISING TRACKER) ... $36,172 PRE-RAISED SO FAR!!! ..... THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!

As we enter our last week before the banquet we are overjoyed by the response and support of THE BEST DONORS IN THE WORLD!! We are blessed & humbled by your outpouring of support!

God has blessed us with 36% of our $100,000 goal!!! Thank you so much for getting us off to a great start!

But we're not done yet! We aren't just going a third of the way... we are GOING THE DISTANCE! We are on a quest to raise $100,000 by the end of the year to launch GTD into our 24th (& then our 25th) year of ministry.

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Check out the screenshot of our Fundraising Tracker:
- 19 Tables Sponsored!! (Only 1 more to go to hit our goal!!!)
- 80 people have RSVP'd to attend the Banquet! Most people RSVP during the last week leading up to the event.
- $24,292 in one-time donations received! Our goal is $50,000 so we are almost halfway there!
- $11,880 in monthly pledges have been pledged over the next 12 months. That's nearly 24% of our $50k goal!
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You can follow our daily Fundraising Tracker updates here

To sponsor a table, make a donation, become a monthly partner, and/or learn more about our Annual Banquet click here

I echo these words by the Apostle Paul:
"...your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."
    - 2 Corinthians 9:11b-12


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FLABBERGASTED! ...19th TABLE SPONSORED!!

FLABBERGASTED!
...ANOTHER TABLE SPONSOR!!
.....THANK YOU SO MUCH DENNIS & LINDSAY!!!
(!!!!! THIS IS TABLE #19 !!!!!)

DENNIS & LINDSAY MCCORMICK - [GOLD TABLE SPONSOR]

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Wow, we are just amazed at the people rallying around the GTD Annual Banquet and we are THRILLED to announce our 19th Table Sponsor from our long time friends and Ministry Partners, Dennis & Lindsay McCormick! This will be their 9th banquet table sponsorship!!!!

Dennis began getting involved in GTD in 1997 which was the ministry’s 2nd year in existence, while Lindsay began getting involved around 2004! Both Dennis and Lindsay have been participants and volunteers on a variety of trips including a mission trip to Costa Rica! They met on what we like to call “GTD Harmony” [a GTD trip]! From there they started dating and then got married. It was an incredible honor for Doug to officiate their wedding!
Now with two littles at home, Lindsay and Dennis still find ways to be involved when time allows. This table sponsorship is one of those ways. We love you guys and are so thankful you are part of the GTD family! Thank you so much for your love of GTD!

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE!


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BLOWN AWAY!!! ... ANOTHER PLATINUM TABLE SPONSOR!! (((RECORD BREAKING)))!!

BLOWN AWAY!!!
... ANOTHER PLATINUM TABLE SPONSOR!!
..... THANK YOU HAPPY GOAT TRADING COMPANY!!!
........6th PLATINUM TABLE (((RECORD BREAKING)))!!
..........18th TABLE SPONSORSHIP OVERALL!!
............ONLY 2 MORE TABLES TO GO TO HIT OUR GOAL!

Happy Goat Trading Co. - [Platinum Table Sponsor]

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!! We are incredibly humbled by our 6th Platinum Table Sponsor of the year, Happy Goat Trading Company! This is a record setting number for us! Thank you Stacy from Happy Goat Trading Co. for the many ways you have blessed GTD over the years. Thank you so much for setting aside your time to help us on trips, for the connections you make with our participants and imparting fun and interesting facts about nature and goats, for rearranging your schedule to join us, and driving long distances to be a part of things. We love having you, Happy Goat, and his friend’s join us in ministry! Thank you so much for your sponsorship!

*****

Happy Goat [who is an actual goat] and his companions are very adventurous and have even joined us on a few camping retreats, mini hikes, a kayak trip, and Adventure Trips. Our participants love them and people always do a double take when they see them traveling! Currently the goats are learning to hike and carry packs for folks who want a goat companion for the day, and some goats are out visiting the elderly at local nursing homes. The goats can be booked for children's events! To learn more about Happy Goat Trading Company, go to their Facebook Page: Happy Goat Trading Co.

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE!


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I HAD THE DAY OFF YESTERDAY, BUT GOD WAS STILL AT WORK.... WE HAVE ANOTHER PLATINUM TABLE SPONSOR!!!! ...... THANK YOU SO MUCH "GO GREEN REGLAZING"!!!!!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Terezia & Mark Smith of Go Green Reglazing for sponsoring a table for GTD’s Annual Fundraiser Banquet! This is the 3rd year in a row Go Green Reglazing has sponsored a Platinum table for the banquet!

This is a family who has consistently blessed us since the day we met!  Not only have they been on multiple events with us and sponsored tables, but both their sons have spent weeks with us volunteering on Adventure Trip camps and other events.  We are extremely touched by this family’s love for what we do and for all their support.

Go Green Reglazing is the only Certified Green Reglazer in the Tampa Bay area and on the Gulf Coast of Florida. We not only make your kitchen or bath more beautiful, we make it a healthier place for you, your family or your customers to enjoy for years to come. That makes us feel good and we think it will make you feel good, too.

We offer a variety of color changes for old and outdated tile, bathtubs, showers and vanities. (Say goodbye to your Pink and Seafoam Green Bathroom!)

We also offer color changes for kitchen and bath cabinets, as well as countertop patterns (for example, the Corian look) in over 85 color schemes.

To learn more about Go Green Relazing go to:
www.gogreenreglazing.com

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE


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AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN'!! ... ANOTHER TABLE SPONSOR!!! ........THIS IS #16 !!!!

WOW!!!! We are beyond blessed to announce another Table Sponsor for the GTD Annual Fundraiser banquet by an Anonymous Donors who are becoming more involved with GTD! We are so grateful to this couple for seeing the need and taking the initiative. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much! Your involvement in GTD is an answer to prayer in many ways and we are so grateful. Volunteers play a vital role in our ministry and we are blessed you have chosen GTD to volunteer with. Thank you so very much!

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE!


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WHILE I WAS AWAY WE ANNOUNCED MORE GOOD NEWS! .... WE HAVE ANOTHER TABLE SPONSOR!!! ....... THANK YOU DANA & BARRY GIBBS!!!!

We are humbled to announce another Table Sponsor by Barry & Dana Gibbs for the GTD Annual Fundraiser banquet. Dana [a.k.a. SUGAR] has been involved with GTD for many years. Her love and experience with GTD extends from trips here in the U.S.A. as well as mission trips in Costa Rica. When Dana and Barry met he became a natural fit not only for Dana but for GTD too! Now Dana along with Barry and some of his family members join us on GTD's Annual IGNITE camping trip. Barry and Dana are a very special couple with a very special family who we love and adore. Thank you Barry and Dana for your love of this ministry and for the desire to share it with others. It’s people like you and your experiences that keep this ministry thriving. Thank you for your Table Sponsorship and contributions over the years. We love you dearly!

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE!


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FATHER & SON RETREAT GOES GREAT!

I just returned from a 24 hour Father & Son Retreat with Tampa Covenant Church. GTD has been doing events with TCC since 2007 and absolutely love this group! I love the heart these Dads have for their sons and the affirmations they pour into them while doing an adventure together. Unforgettable times!

If God the Father publicly affirmed His Son Jesus then how much more should our earthly Dads follow this example.

"and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" - Matthew 3:17


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TRIPLE PLATINUM THURSDAY!!! ... GLORY TO GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! ..... WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PLATINUM TABLE SPONSOR!!!

We are blown away to announce our 3rd Platinum Table Sponsor of the day! This is 14 years and counting for these anonymous donors who have generously gone above and beyond to bless GTD year after year far beyond any of our expectations! Our hearts overflow with gratitude for all that you have done to propel this ministry forward. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE!


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OUR 13th TABLE SPONSOR IS FULL OF HOPE! ... AS WELL AS ANOTHER PLATINUM SPONSOR!!!

A donation was made by a church member in the name of Hope Church of Lutz, Florida!

Gratitude overflows to Hope Church for sponsoring a Platinum Table for GTD’s Annual Fundraiser Banquet! Christian camps are often referred to at the harvesting field for souls. Thank you for investing in the lives of middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults.

CONTEMPORARY, RELEVANT, BIBLE MESSAGE & PROGRAMS FOR ALL

Some folks go to church out of obligation. They feel like it's just the thing to do. That's not the way it suppose to be. I promise to you is to make sure that every worship experience, every small group meeting, everything we do is worthwhile and life-changing. To learn more about Hope Church visit their website at :

www.hope4tampa.com

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE


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(((PTL))) TABLE #12 !!!!!! ...ANOTHER PLATINUM TABLE SPONSOR!!!

Thank you very much to our Anonymous Ministry Partners who go way back with GTD! Hearing your stories and the fondness you have for GTD is touching. Thank you for passing along the gift of this ministry to the next generation to experience. Your contribution, prayers, and continued support over the years is priceless. You continue to bless us in countless ways, thank you! We love you!

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If you'd like to sponsor a table at GTD's Annual Fundraiser Banquet or register for this event CLICK HERE


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