Stephen Ashton

Stephen Ashton
Stephen Ashton is the National Director of Marketing for Trail Life USA and serves as an adjunct professor at Clarks Summit University and Anchor Christian University. Prior to his work at Trail Life, he spent 15 years working with at-risk youth in residential therapeutic wilderness programs and served as the Vice-President of the Wilderness Road Therapeutic Camping Association. An author and a speaker, he has written for journals and published a book chronicling the foundations of therapeutic camping. He frequently speaks on the topics of fatherhood, biblical masculinity, outdoor education, and wilderness therapy. Stephen lives in South Carolina with his wife and 4 sons.
Find me on:

Recent Posts

Stephen Ashton

Masculinity History

William Bradford

"Our fathers were Englishmen who came over the great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity. ... Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good, and His mercies endure forever. Yea, let them that have been ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Parenting Masculinity

Off the Trail:  Step into the Unknkown

There’s something about the masculine soul that craves risk and adventure. Men weren’t created for monotony. In a world that often feels too structured and predictable, there is deep longing to step outside the box, break free from the mundane, embrace the unpredictable, and rise to the challenge. It isn’t ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Leadership Masculinity History

George Washington: Lead with Integrity

"O eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit . . . daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Masculinity History

William Bradford - Determination

"Our fathers were Englishmen who came over the great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity. ... Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good, and His mercies endure forever. Yea, let them that have been ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Raising a Worthy Generation

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Get Off the Sidelines and Join the Adventure!

In today's world, too many fathers find themselves relegated to the role of spectators: whether it's on the sidelines of sports games, engaging meaningfully in education, or playing an active role in spiritual formation. A recent survey revealed that 63% of dads feel they don’t get enough time with their kids, and a ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Respect Life

A Christian should see great dignity and value in human life because we are made in the image and likeness of God himself. In God’s eyes, our value is not based on our gender, our skin color, our physical ability, our mental capacity, our successes, or our failures. “God created mankind in his own image, in the image ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Mentoring Leadership Masculinity

Nothing Will Be the Same: A Christmas Message from Trail Life USA

Throughout history, God has captured the attention of humanity in radical ways: a worldwide flood, a burning bush, an angelic wrestling match, the sending of plagues, parting of seas, and confusing of languages. God had intervened with the appearance of angels, the raining of fire on a city, and a seventh trip around ...
Read More

Stephen Ashton

Mentoring Leadership Masculinity

Nothing Will Be the Same: A Christmas Message from Trail Life USA

Throughout history, God has captured the attention of humanity in radical ways: a worldwide flood, a burning bush, an angelic wrestling match, the sending of plagues, parting of seas, and confusing of languages. God had intervened with the appearance of angels, the raining of fire on a city, and a seventh trip around ...
Read More