M.I.F. Meeting

We loved our meeting today with our friend, David Brownlee, who is the Area Director for Mission Increase Foundation (MIF). Running a non-profit organization has very unique challenges that require specialized decision making. MIF partners with Christian non-profit organizations (like GTD) to train each ministry so we have new sustainable fundraising and leadership skills to fulfill our vision. Their mission is to help ministries fulfill our mission. MIF is an absolutely fantastic organization, and David is an incredible blessing to us and countless ministries in the Tampa Bay area. GTD has a HUGE vision for the next 20 years of ministry, and MIF is helping supply specialized training to equip us for the journey ahead. We look forward to the future as we walk shoulder-to-shoulder with experts like David Brownlee focused on using our time, talents, and treasures in ministry for the purpose of advancing God's Kingdom!


.

Happy LEAP Day from GTD!

Happy LEAP Day from GTD!

Let today be a reminder that nothing great comes from holding back. Sometimes, to become all that God made you to be, you've simply got to take a LEAP of faith!

.

MorningStar Men of Character

I can't even begin to describe what a great time we had on our Men's Retreat with Pastor Tony Byrd and the men of MorningStar Church of Tampa. The quality & level of character displayed by these men would have blessed anyone's life that had the opportunity to be around them like I did for 36 straight hours. Real men that are striving to be better husbands, better dads, and better followers of Christ. Real men that cared about their fellow brothers in Christ. Real men that were transparent and shared their successes and failures as well as their love for Jesus. It was a GREAT weekend full of fun, adventure, campfires, challenges, worship, and God's Word. We didn't get drunk. We didn't get wasted. We didn't bring in strippers. We didn't curse. We didn't tell profane jokes. We didn't put each other down. And because of that, WE DIDN'T MISS OUT on a God-awesome time that left no regrets. Men left sharpened and uplifted and ready to return back to a dark and profane world as a light and salt of what's possible when you surrender your life to Jesus. I loved every minute of it! I'm truly honored to know these men!

.

Morningstar Men's Retreat Weekend

This weekend I was able to quietly serve behind the scenes on a Men's camping retreat weekend with Morningstar Church. It was a real honor and blessing to serve these men along side Doug Garner as they attacked the climbing wall, zip line, adventure race and interacted together in pickup basketball games and football.  These men were uplifting, encouraging and supportive of one another. Some shared incredible testimonies of overcoming difficult odds of how God's grace, love and provisions brought them through the impossible. It truly was an encouraging weekend for us all...even the one serving behind the scenes!  😉 -Laurie

RECORD BREAKING REGISTRATION FOR IGNITE!!

We are thrilled to announce that our IGNITE Camping Retreat scheduled for next weekend (March 4-6) has already set a new all-time GTD attendance registration record for any outdoor event we've ever hosted in 20 years of ministry!! This is a great way to kick off our next 20 years of ministry!

We've also made bunkhouse cabins available for this event as an optional add-on (extra $30 fee) for those who would prefer sleeping in a bunkhouse instead of a tent.

We only have a few spots remaining before we close the door on this event. Click on this link to read more details about IGNITE and to register... before it's too late!


.

MSTAR Men's Weekend Retreat Starts Tomorrow!!

Honored and excited to be hosting our 3rd annual Men's Retreat with MorningStar Church of Tampa, FL this weekend!!

We love Pastor Tony Byrd and his awesome crew. They're a bunch of fun-loving Godly guys that overflow with joyful and adventurous spirits =)

All the festivities kick off tomorrow night!!

Pray for great things to happen this weekend... God has a way of impacting lives when we unplug and break away from all the distractions, pressures, and societal pollutants.

.

Office Renovations

Sometimes you have to make a bigger mess in order to clean up smaller messes! We've been putting in a lot of hours over the past 2 weeks renovating the GTD office. Personally I've been going from 7am till 3am for much of the time (which means I'm a little behind on facebook, voicemails, emails, messages, etc). We have more gear, equipment, and admin supplies as well as a build up of outdated or no-longer necessary items than we have space for. So we are tackling it all! Actually we started the process 1 year ago, but didn't finish before our busy travel season started. Now we are back to work on it... in a monomaniacal fashion! Trash - donate - storage - or reorganize ... then repeat cycle over-and-over again! Here's a few pictures of our messes. I look forward to sharing some pictures of the finished projects when their completed. We are starting to see the fruits of our labor. Special thanks to Laurie Finger, Erin Powell, and Erin Hegedus for all their hard work!! You should see these ladies doing construction... they have mad power tools skills (pictures coming soon). We can't wait to get back to work on rolling out more GTD events for 2016! We have so many God-awesome adventures in the works!!

God's Love Needs No Translation

One of the most beautiful things about serving on a mission field where you don't speak the same language is realizing God's love needs no translation. It can be seen in a smile of the elderly, felt in laughter of a child, in the embrace of a Mother whose family you helped to feed, or heard in a familiar song of worship sang in two languages. It's definitely an experience unlike any other.

If you'd like to know more about GTD's Costa Rica mission program click on the link below.

We are also booking public and private mission trips for the 2016 and 2017 calendar, contact us for information.

God's Creation, EXPERIENCE IT!

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but an EXPERIENCE is worth so much more! Pictures can't quite capture the magnitude of the height, depth, and beauty quite like seeing something with your own two eyes. Pictures are great for capturing memories, but they can't capture the same knee-buckling, breath-taking, heart-in-your-stomach, awe-inspiring feeling that you experience when you are standing near the edge of one of the most beautiful destinations in the world! Words are the same way. I can't accurately describe in words what it is like to encounter the ferocious beauty of something like Horseshoe Bend... that the very sight can somehow cause your adoration for God to rapidly escalate while at the same time trigger a life altering humility that properly reduces your pride and, at the same time, makes you feel treasured and special all in one long delicious glimpse. The Bible declares that when we see God's creation we are literally seeing aspects of God, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (Romans 1:20). Creation is a powerful thing. Within it lies all the clues we need to discover God and be reminded of His power. That's why we have a ministry that introduces people to creation. We call it God's playground and we put together trips to places that will rock your world. And we don't just look at it. We hike it. We paddle it. We climb it. We raft it. We rappel it. We play in it. We picnic in it. We kick back and relax in it. It's creation, and we want to take you there and let God refresh your soul. This year we are heading to Costa Rica, Utah, Tennessee, Florida (of course!), the Grand Canyon, Georgia, the Appalachian Trail, the Everglades, and many other places. Join us on a God-awesome family-friendly adventure of a lifetime with some of the best and most fun people people in the world! You won't regret it!

Click this link to check out our Grand Canyon Trip and more. We are adding events every week!


.

Counting The Cost... Literally!

Coming up for air! I've been putting in 12, 14, and 16 hour days entering receipts into our financial software totalling over $125, 000 in expenses during the last 7 months of ministry in 2015. It is an arduous task... very monotonous... and strangely enough I actually enjoy doing it. Being away on events for nearly 5 months last year results in a lot of piles of "to-do's" when I get back. I had the rough draft numbers entered in during my months away, but had to go back and enter everything in detail. I've been obsessed with completing this pile accurately and immediately, and I'm glad to say that I'm almost done. One of our biggest needs in 2016 is a volunteer office manager. That's near the top of our prayer list. We've got a lot planned for 2016, and we are still wrapping things up from 2015. My next pile is nearly 3000 emails... thankfully most of those don't need reply backs. An office manager would make a huge impact in this ministry as it would free me up to focus a lot more time on our main mission in GTD - impacting lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through outdoor adventures. I'm looking forward to this prayer being answered!! Back to work!

It's one thing to watch a documentary on a beautiful place like this or to hear a story and see pictures about it, BUT........ it's COMPLETELY different when you can experience it for yourself!  

GTD (Going The Distance Adventure Ministry) is going to UTAH this fall and we want to invite you to come with us!  Isn't it time for you to tell your own stories?  

To learn more about how you can explore this GOD AWESOME place with us, click the link below: 

http://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/utah-mighty-5.html

You're Invited To Come Shine Your Light

Have you ever wanted to go on a mission trip?  GTD is going to Costa Rica this summer to serve on a short term mission trip and is looking for individuals, families, friends and even church groups to come with us!  To read more about this amazing opportunity and mission trip, click on the link below...also don't forget to share this post with others who might be interested. We are also booking public and private mission trips for the 2016 and 2017 calendar, contact us for information.  

http://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/costa-rica-mission-trip.html

GTD EVENT ROLL-OUT #5: COSTA RICA SUMMER MISSION TRIP!!!

Join GTD this summer for one of the most amazing experiences of your life - a mission trip to the local community of La Fortuna De Bagaces, Costa Rica. Since 2005 GTD has been taking groups down to this beautiful area full of wonderful people and watching God make huge impacts in so many lives (especially our participants, interns, staff, and volunteers). This 8 day trip will change your life as you allow God to work in you and through you. This is such an impacting event that I can only say that I would wish this trip upon everyone!

Trip Dates: July 2-9, 2019   |   CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS


.

Thank you Tessa and Family!

GTD is so grateful for it's volunteers and today we want to say thank you to Tessa and her amazing family David, Lucy and Peter!  Tessa has been a volunteer with GTD for as long as I can remember and beyond!  She has volunteered on countless trips here in the United States and in Costa Rica, has helped with our annual banquet, been an interpreter for our deaf and our hard of hearing participants, AND she was also one of GTD's Costa Rica Missions Directors long before I (Laurie) ever was.  Thank you Tessa for your love and commitment over the years and for sharing your love of the ministry with your family and everyone you come in contact with!  We love you, we thank God for you and your amazing family and their heart to serve with you. Thank you David, Lucy and Peter for your help and for being incredible supporters of Going The Distance (GTD). It was a special event to have your entire little family serve with us over the summer.  We love you all! 

GTD Loves Our Volunteers

Our volunteers are special people who we dearly love. Thank you  to every person who has invested their time over the past 20 years into the ministry. No matter if it was an hour, a day, a week, a month, an entire summer or years....YOU have helped to make a difference in GTD, the life of our participants, our life and most importantly in God's Kingdom!  We love you! (If you've volunteered with us...comment below what years you were involved...wed' love to hear from you!) 

THE JANUARY WORK RESULTS WERE FANTASTIC!

I've had some pretty effective months of work through the years, but January 2016 may have been my most productive month ever. I've been experimenting with the Pomodoro Technique of 25 minutes of singularly focused undistracted work and then you take 5 minutes off... and then back on again for 25 minutes... and so on. No multitasking allowed! I was able to set aside 20 Pomodoro Work Days in January (It doesn't include retreat work days or manual labor hours or meetings... it just includes office work days with all possible distractions and multitasking shut off.). I can't tell you how pleased I've been with the results. It's like the difference between a light bulb and a laser. It's all about focused energy and it has increased my productivity and effectiveness while decreasing lost minutes and hours to things that can so easily distract throughout the day. I'm tweaking it a little bit so that it becomes a custom fit for my life, my priorities, and my irregular work/travel schedule, but so far I absolutely LOVE IT! I'm looking forward to another monomaniacal month of highly productive & effective work. And I'm stoked that we get one extra day this month (LEAP YEAR)!! Let the February pomodoros begin! Happy February friends =)

.

OUR 4th EVENT ROLL-OUT OF 2016 IS: UTAH'S MIGHTY 5!!!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE... OUR 4th EVENT ROLL-OUT OF 2016 IS:
UTAH'S MIGHTY 5 NATIONAL PARKS!!!

To celebrate 20 YEARS OF MINISTRY we are adding on an entirely new adventure location! UTAH here we come!!

We are soooooo excited about this new GTD DestiNATION! It should be on everyone's Bucket List! And now GTD is ready to take you there =)

Plan to visit "The Mighty 5" National Parks of UTAH (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, & Capital Reef) with GTD this year!

Check out the 1 minute commercial that put Utah on millions of people's "I have to visit this place!" list. (WARNING: This video will hook you on visiting Utah!)

Trip Date: Sept 26 - Oct 1, 2016

Then check out our blogsite to see amazing pictures of everywhere we are taking you and read all the exciting details.

Click here for GTD's UTAH link


.

THANK YOU 2015 DONORS FOR A RECORD BREAKING YEAR!!

We are almost done mailing out our annual donation receipts to our wonderful and generous 2015 donors. We are always touched and literally blown away by anyone who would donate $1 or 1 minute of their time to support our mission. We praise God for each and every one of our contributors!

Last year 107 amazing people donated $57,276.83 to this ministry. That's a NEW RECORD for unrestricted donations and the 4th highest donation total (restricted + unrestricted) we've received in 20 years of non-profit ministry! That's worthy of a big fat PRAISE JESUS and THANK YOU SO MUCH DONORS!!

Our annual budget goal is around $175k each year with very modest humble salaries. We have been faithfully paying down our debt which was sustained during The 2009 Great Recession. We still have $75,000 to go until we are debt free and able to rid ourselves of this anchor that oftentimes holds us back from so much more.

As we mail out our annual donation receipts we can't help but celebrate an incredible year full of magnificent ministry and magnanimous donors! At the same time we move forward in faithful anticipation of what God has in store for 2016 (our 20th Year Anniversary)!

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts to all of our supporters! God will one day pull back the curtain to display all the lives that were impacted by your sacrificial giving. Now that's an eternal investment worth rejoicing over! Thank you so much and God bless you! All glory to God =)


.

IGNITE WEEKEND RETREAT FOR ONLY $20!!!

ROLL OUT #3....
$20 IGNITE CAMPING RETREAT!!!!

To celebrate 20 years of ministry GTD is providing one of our most popular weekend events for ONLY $20!!! That's right, ONLY $20!! That's $79 OFF our regular rate!

This year's IGNITE Retreat is taking place at Word of Life Camp in Hudson, FL on March 4-6.

We've planned out a God-awesome event packed full of opportunities to grow closer to God while experiencing exciting adventures like:

Camping
2 Morning Devotions
High Ropes Course
Climbing Wall
Zipline
Low Ropes Course / Team Building
Team Sports (such as volleyball, ultimate, basketball)
Camp Games
Swimming Pool
Nightly Campfires w/ Bible-Based Messages and Smores
Outdoor Movie (with family friendly editing)
*PAINTBALL (*add $30/person for this activity)

Like most GTD public trips, this is a multi-generational event for participants of all ages and has the feel of a fun family reunion.

God wants to do something powerful in your life through this event. So don't let the pressures of life burn you out! Instead, get fired up by joining us on IGNITE and watch God do something "ablazing" in your life!

Click here for more details and to register

.

BEST CAMP MEAL EVER!

Laurie made one of the BEST camp meals EVER over the weekend (in 30 degree temps)! Steak & chicken fajitas with onions and sweet peppers!! GTD campers eat GOOD =). Great job Laurie!!!

.

12 YEARS WITH FUMCO... AN ALL-WEATHER YOUTH GROUP!

AN ALL-WEATHER MINISTRY MEETS-UP WITH AN ALL-WEATHER YOUTH GROUP!

One of our longest church relationships has been with First United Methodist Church of Oviedo (aka, FUMCO). GTD has had the honor of hosting their annual youth group camping retreat for the past 12 years.

We like to think of GTD as an All-Weather ministry because we will host an outdoor event rain or shine or anything in-between. Sometimes the group would rather postpone a camping trip if adverse weather is going to affect their attendance. We will accommodate a postponement whenever we can so that the event is as successful as possible. When this past weekend's camping retreat was forecasted to be rainy, windy, and freezing we anticipated the group would probably want to reschedule the event until later this spring. But this wasn't just any group, this was FUMCO! Some of these high schoolers have been camping with GTD since they were in 7th grade. They are seasoned veterans. They didn't need to or even want to postpone the trip. They wanted whatever the weekend weather had in store. They are an All-Weather youth group!

Over the course of 2 days and 2 nights we encountered rain, high winds, and sub-freezing conditions... and they loved every minute of it! It wasn't easy, but it was a whole lot of fun. They never complained or requested Uber to come drive them home. They camped out, played Russian football, ate all kinds of delicious meals, cooked smores and doughboys over the campfire, played board games, fellowshipped around the firering, doubled up on their sleeping bags, wore every layer of clothing they had, skipped showers, made pizzadillas, ate several delicious camp meals, sought God in their daily devotions, were challenged by 2 nightly Bible messages, laughed a whole lot, built memories, talked and grew closer together, and burned 2 truckloads of firewood. Laurie and I were so impressed with them. Some of the best memories we've had over the past 20 years have been when the weather conditions have been the worst. Instead of dampening attitudes it united spirits. It's another reason why camping trips are so important to family and friendship bonding. But it takes a willing spirit... just like the FUMCO crew displayed. It was a great trip and we are already talking about next year, our 13th year with FUMCO. We love this group and thank God for the wonderful blessing of our long term relationship. We look forward to what lies ahead!

If you want to see the 124 pictures from our camping retreat, including me (Doug) forgetting my bag of winter clothes, Laurie laboring for 2 hours on one of the best camp meals ever cooked (fajitas!), and the GTD Dogz sleeping in a tent then CLICK HERE.

.

INTO THE STORM

Kicking off our first camping retreat of our 20th Anniversary Year today in DeLand, FL. Thunderstorms and forecasted freezing temps lie ahead... ironically the perfect way to start our next 20 years of ministry - LOL! Praise Jesus, we are an ALL-WEATHER ministry fearlessly driving straight into the storm. More than a conqueror!

GRAND CANYON (NORTH RIM) TRIP COMING IN OCTOBER!

ROLL OUT #2: THE GRAND CANYON TRIP 2016 (North Rim Version)

We have so many exciting trips lined up for our 20 Year Anniversary! Today we are rolling out the announcement of our newest version of The Grand Canyon Trip - The North Rim. We have planned out one of the most thrilling once-in-a-lifetime trips to one of the most spectacular destinations in the world at one of the best prices offered by any organizations on the planet... and GTD wants to take you there!

Highlights include opportunities to: kayak on breathtaking Lake Powell, tour the most photographed slot canyons in the world, canoe down a 16 mile calm section of the Colorado River surrounded by 1000 foot canyon walls, camp out one night at the base of Horseshoe Bend, tour the beautiful & remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon, hike down into the Grand Canyon's North Kaibab Trail, visit Marble & Glen Canyon, ride over the Navajo Bridge, visit Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams - 2 of the largest dams in the world, drive down the Las Vegas strip, stay in a plush rental home overlooking the canyons of Lake Powell, and much more.

We offer all of this within a Christ-centered, family friendly, God-awesome framework that emphasizes God's creation while connecting the dots that teach inspiring life lessons related to following Christ, overcoming obstacles, and becoming all that God designed you to be for His glory.

Click the link below to check out some amazing pictures & our highlight video. Be warned though, once you see the link you won't be able to resist this trip!

Trip Dates: Oct 3-8, 2016   |   CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS


.

SLAMMED 2016 COMING THIS SUMMER!

ROLL OUT #1: SLAMMED 2016

Join GTD this summer on the event that started it all 20 years ago! Be a part of our annual SLAMMED Adventure Trip! Let GTD slam you with a God-awesome adventure that includes rock climbing, rappelling, white water rafting, cliff jumping, bridge jumping, waterfall sliding, camping, and seeking God with a bunch of fUntastic people in the beautiful wilderness of eastern TN.

July 27-31, 2016  |  CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS


.

GTD Turns 20 Years Old!!

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF MINISTRY!

For me, it's actually a 25 year celebration that started way back in 1991. At the age of 21, I set out on a 17 day solo camping trip to seek God for direction in ministry. During his trip I spent a lot of time praying and reading the Bible, as well as reading several Christ-centered books. After weighing what I felt like God was compelling me to do combined with taking a personal inventory of my gifts, talents, passions, desires, and strengths (as well as my weaknesses, inabilities, and non-passions) the light bulb turned on. On a beautiful autumn day in November 1991 at Camel Lake in Apalachicola National Forest of the Florida panhandle, Going The Distance Adventure Ministry (GTD) was birthed as a passion in my heart. My desire and my calling was to combine Biblical life principles and adventurous activities into one ministry.

It would take five years for GTD's first event to take place. During the developmental years (1991-1995) the "blueprints" of this ministry were being drawn out. I noticed that far too many Christians were not experiencing spiritual maturity or fruitfulness. They lacked perseverance and solid Biblical wisdom. This influenced the naming of the ministry. Going The Distance Adventure Ministry captures the positive and exciting tone of the Christian message, conveys an attitude of Jesus-like perseverance, and leaves plenty of room for the ministry to grow and develop in whatever direction God leads. These early years of GTD were used for laying the firm foundation of a God-focused ministry. God used these years for the development of many of the plans GTD still uses today. And more importantly, God used these years to prepare me for the journey ahead and dependence upon Him. The years from 1991-1995 were spent on preparations, prayer, and personal growth.

Then it all came together in 1996. GTD embarked on our first ever official Adventure Trip with over twenty college students from my home church - First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks. The trip was called, "How Much Can You Shove Into 4 Days!" (We now call this trip "SLAMMED"). It included an Atlanta Braves baseball game, Six Flags, Atlanta Fest, Stone Mountain laser light show, tour of Gatlinburg, white water rafting, rock climbing, rappelling, hiking, indoor skydiving, and bungee jumping! We shoved a lot into 4 days while seeking God first and setting a Christ-centered God-awesome focus. The trip was a great success and ushered in our brand of Christian-based adventure events. The years have flown by. It has never been an easy journey, but it has always been worth every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears. God has faithfully and consistently deepened our roots while expanding our programs.

I have so much more to share and so many exciting events to reveal, but for right now I just want to thank everyone who played a role in the establishment, development, and growth of this ministry. I also want to thank 20 college students and 1 college Pastor who trusted me and signed-up for our first GTD event. There may not even be a GTD if they didn't come. Ministry is a team sport and GTD has lasted this long because so many wonderful and generous people answered God's call to get involved. I am humbled and overjoyed at the thought of the incredible people who have invested parts of their lives into this ministry. I praise God for each and everyone of you!

As we reflect on the past we can't help but look forward to what God has in store for the future! But NOW is the time to celebrate the accomplishment of 20 years of ministry! Thank You Jesus!! I've poured my heart and life into highly demanding adventures & administration for 20 years and I still have so much more left in my tank. My heart leaps for joy!

PS: And one more thing, we have a great year planned for our 20th Year Anniversary!! Lord willing, 2016 will be more than awesome... it will be God-awesome! We will start rolling out the 2016 calendar later today =)

- Doug

.

A Letter From Alex

On January 10th, we wished our dear friend/summer intern Alex Powell well as he set out on a new adventure with YWAM (Youth With A Mission).  Alex will be spending the next 3 months going through DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Honolulu, Hawaii before heading to Asia for 2 1/2 months of outreach. It has been such a joy working with Alex over the past year.  We are excited to see him boldly step out in faith and into this next phase of life.  We are confident God will use this time to grow Alex even more closer to Him and the call HE has upon his life.  God bless you Alex, we love you and will miss you!  Thank you for your heart to serve.  

Here is the letter Alex wrote to his family and friends in regards to is new adventure with YWAM (Youth With A Mission).  In it he shares how he worked with GTD over the summer.  

 Keep in mind after reading this, all of Alex's funds have been raised....P.J. (Praise Jesus)! 

Here is  letter Alex wrote to his family and friends in regards to is new adventure with YWAM (Youth With A Mission).  In it he shares how he worked with GTD over the summer.  

***Special Note***

 Keep in mind after reading this, all of Alex's funds have been raised....P.J. (Praise Jesus)!  

To My Family and Friends,

I have been accepted to Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School in Honolulu, Hawaii. God is so good and He has made it clear to me that he has called me to go YWAM in this season of my life. I feel so blessed knowing this is where Jesus wants me and I am so excited for the opportunity to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus and share His love with others.

So here's a little background on how this all came to be. I was interning with an adventure ministry called Going the Distance for a couple months this past summer. During that time I was given the opportunity to share my testimony with the different groups, lead devotions in the morning, and share what God was showing me in scripture. I felt that God was putting it on my heart to attend a Christian College and pursue a degree in ministry. I shared this with a friend, the founder of the adventure ministry, Doug Garner as well as some other group leaders that attended the camp. They agreed and they encouraged me to pursue it. When I got back home from the summer I was given the opportunity by head football coach, Blake Engelhardt, to help coach football at Keswick Christian School. Back in high school, Blake was my bible teacher my junior year and I was his teacher's aide my senior year. When I rededicated my life back to the Lord my junior year Blake was there with me and was there to love on me, encourage me, and lead me in prayer. He has been a mentor in my life that I trust a lot. One day after practice he told me about YWAM and its two step format of discipleship training and then going out into the mission field. He told me how he thought this would be a perfect fit for me right now. After Blake told me about YWAM, I went home and excitedly researched it. Once I learned more about it I fell in love with what YWAM does. It was all I could think about for the next couple of days. I wasn’t sure at first if this was me being excited about it or God giving me a passion to do this. So I spent the next two weeks praying about it. I told my parents, close friends and my college pastor about it and they all thought this would be an amazing opportunity. I felt they were confirming what God was doing in me.

I will be attending the winter session of Discipleship Training School (DTS) beginning on January 14, 2016 and will graduate June 19, 2016. DTS is divided into two phases. The first phase is the lecture phase which is 3 months of full time learning with some courses offering college credit. In this phase I will be going through times of lecture, worship, intercessory prayer, evangelism, daily personal quiet times, community outreach, etc. This intensive training will prepare me for what to expect and how to respond in the second phase, the outreach phase, which is about 2 ½ months. Outreach is a time when I can give myself to the needy, the desperate, the broken and the lost. It is my chance to see God use me in new ways and watch Him be faithful. I don’t know exactly what I will be doing but it could consist of trekking through villages preaching the gospel, teaching English, preaching in local churches, taking care of widows and orphans, praying for the sick to be healed, working on clean water projects or helping re-build a community after a natural disaster, to name a few. It's exciting because I do not know what country I will be serving in until just before I leave! I believe after this experience I will have a deeper understanding of the passions God has put on my heart, and what he has in store for my life.

I am asking for your support both prayerfully and financially. I know this calling will not be possible without prayer. Financially I need to raise approximately $8,000.00 so I can be a part of this amazing opportunity. I truly appreciate any donation you are able to make. Please keep me in your prayers as I know I cannot move without the power of God and the help of His Church.

In His Service,

Alex Powell

A Special Thank You!

A special thank you to all our Table Sponsors from GTD's Annual Fundraising Banquet that took place this past November.  Each one of you helped to set a record for the most tables sponsored at one of our banquets and for funds raised!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  

THANK YOU TO:
-Dana & Martha Ward

-The Branson Family

-2 Anonymous Donors

-Courtney Smith

-The MacLauchlin Family

-The McCormick Family

-The Powell Family

-Brad Boehler

-The Jones Family

-The Henriksen Family

-The G.A.P. (Graduates & Professionals) of FBCIR (First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks)

-Kiwanis Club of Pinellas Park

-The Jannarone Family

-The Peters Family

-JAG (Jerry & Ann) Garner

-Jon Jantomaso's Mens Parenting Fellowship

-People Helping People of Pinellas Park

-The Salce Family

Banquet Flashback 2015

Thank you to EVERYONE who made this night possible!  We couldn't have done it without you! 

The Pomodoro Approach

We are off to a strong start for 2016! For a non-profit organization the first and last month of each year are packed full of yearly planning, goal setting, immediate tasks, urgent deadlines, along with state and federal requirements. Long days and long hours are typically the name of the game.

This year we are trying a new approach to work. It's called The Pomodoro Approach and my friend Jim Butski (as well as Laurie) introduced me to it. it's designed to maximize effectiveness while minimizing work hours and potential burn out. It is a very simple, but brilliant approach to work. Basically you turn off everything that may interupt or distract you from FOCUSED WORK (cell phones, social media, even your fellow workers) for 25 minutes and throw yourself completely into ONE TASK. After 25 minutes of monomaniacal work you enter a checkmark on a sheet of paper and take a 5 minute break. That 30 minute time frame is considered 1 "Pomodoro". After 4 Pomodoros you take a 15 minute break. Many times the breaks actually feel like interruptions to the work that is being accomplished, but they actually allow the brain to have a quick recovery break and prevent burnout. It is sort of like how many athletes workout with interval training. They run hard for a few minutes and then take a quick "cool down" recovery break. Each Pomodoro actually feels like a 25 minute race to get as much done as possible... then you take a 5 minute break. After your 5 minute break, it's back to FOCUSED WORK... or if you have other responsibilities that you have to tend to then you may have to move on to meetings, phone calls, multitasking, etc. The theory is that we can get about 40 hours of work done in about 17 hours when we remove all distractions, throw ourselves "all-in" to one task at a time, accumulate a lot of satisfying check marks, and take quick recovery breaks.

This is only our 5th day of using this approach to work, but the intial results have been extraordinary. I absolutely LOVE IT!

I want to thank Jim for sending me the following link that spelled out The Pomodoro Approach and pass it on to you guys if it may help you be more productive at work. Have a great day!

https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-work-40-hours-in-16-7-d9038681e652

Get Out Of The Boat!

You can't walk on water if you stay sitting in the boat!

Identify the walls and barriers that keep you from all that God designed you for... and make this your year for BIG leaps of faith to fully live out your calling for God’s honor & glory.

HAPPY LEAP YEAR!!

#BIGLEAPSin2016    #THRiVE

.

Happy New Year and Happy LEAP Year from GTD!!

Happy New Year and Happy LEAP Year from GTD!!

We dare you to make this one of the greatest years of your life by taking BIG LEAPS OF FAITH. Don't let fears keep you from great things anymore. Resolve to make this Leap Year the year you LEAP over the fears that try to limit your God-given potential. Make this the year that, like Peter, you LEAP out of the boat and right into the storm and start walking on water towards Jesus.

You only have one life that you will live the rest of eternity reflecting on... that you one day have to stand before God and give an account of. Make this the year that you decide to stop being a spectator and start being a spectacular participant of the only autobiography that you will ever write. This is YOUR life story that you will live with for all of eternity. Why not find out what things are important to God and make them the most important things you live for... and then start taking daring and courageous LEAPS OF FAITH to live out your calling. LEAP over the hurdles of doubts and fears and self-defeating limitations and LEAP into a life of dangerous obedience of epically following Jesus. Make LEAP YEAR more than just one extra day on the calendar. Make it a daily reminder of the extraordinary LEAPS OF FAITH you're going to wilfully and intentionally take all year long to become all that God designed you to be.

This isn't just another year! It's LEAP YEAR! And there is no better time to take BIG LEAPS OF FAITH for God than this year! We are right here with you. We can help guide you. It's what we do in GTD. It's what we've helped people do since 1996. We believe in you because God believes in you! Now let's get to some LEAPING!!

================================
LEAP YEAR THEME VERSES:
================================
"With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can LEAP over a wall."
     - Psalm 18:29

"Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and LEAP for joy, because great is your reward in heaven."
     - Jesus (Luke 6:22-23)
================================