The last night Jonathan Gordon spent with Trail Life Troop MS-0356 was bittersweet. As the Court of Honor ceremony came to a close, Jonathan knew this chapter was ending so another could begin. After more than three years of growth and brotherhood, he was stepping away—not to leave the mission behind, but to plant it in new soil. His home church, Thaxton Baptist, would soon launch Troop MS-0725. The journey had started years earlier when Jonathan’s son wanted to join Trail Life. Their church no longer hosted a Troop, so the Gordons joined a neighboring one. Jonathan came in simply as a dad, but God had other plans. “Even before I joined Trail Life, God was preparing me for the role He had for me,” he says. “I’m not the kind of guy who enjoys public speaking, so leading was way out of my comfort zone. But God kept putting me in situations where I had to step up.” 

Those nudges came often. A summer kids’ church camp. A last-minute teaching assignment. Later, filling in as a Ranger when the Trailmaster was absent. Every time, Jonathan wanted to say no. Every time, God grew his courage. Eventually, he stepped fully into leadership as the Woodlands Trail Ranger. 

New Beginnings 

Over the next two years, Jonathan experienced significant growth—in faith, confidence, and leadership. God had long placed the idea of starting a Troop at his own church on his heart, but the timing hadn’t felt right, and he didn’t want to be pushy. 

Meanwhile, another calling was forming. Jonathan’s daughter wanted to join American Heritage Girls (AHG), and while the initial interest at their church was small, Jonathan couldn’t shake the burden. “Inspiration hit me in the shower one morning,” he remembers. He stood before the church, shared his heart, and watched God work. Eight girls signed an interest form that day, and soon an AHG Troop was thriving—his wife stepping into leadership as he supported her. 

But the call to bring Trail Life to his church lingered. With a leadership transition underway and the AHG Troop thriving, Jonathan felt God nudging him: maybe now was the time to try Trail Life again. 

“I was conflicted,” he says. “I didn’t want to abandon the boys I’d been pouring into at the other Troop. But God gave me clarity.” 

That clarity came at an AHG flag retirement ceremony. A father who had just joined a Trail Life Troop with his son encouraged Jonathan: “You’re not abandoning anything. You’re planting another seed. It’s a chance for other boys and men to be impacted the way that other Troop impacted you and your son.” 

That was the push he needed.

 The following Wednesday, Jonathan met with the interim pastor, shared his heart, and left it in God’s hands. The church voted, red tape was navigated, and the new Troop was chartered. The leadership team was assembled, and plans for the first Join the Adventure event were underway. 

Multiplying Impact 

With the support of his interim pastor and church family, Troop MS-0725 was born. A leadership team came together, neighboring Troops shared wisdom, and plans for the first Join the Adventure event were underway. What had once felt impossible was now reality.

Looking back, Jonathan is amazed. “If you had told me four years ago that I’d be teaching not just kids but parents too, I’d have said you were crazy. I never liked speaking in front of people. But Trail Life has pushed me out of my comfort zone. It’s grown my faith, my confidence, and my ability to lead. I just wanted to be there with my son, and God turned it into so much more.”

Now, as boys gather under the banner of Troop MS-0725, Jonathan sees the fruit of obedience. Boys are being equipped. Families are being strengthened. Men are rising as leaders. And the seeds planted will outlast a single Troop—they will multiply for generations.

Trail Life is more than campouts and badges. It’s the place where God calls ordinary men out of their comfort zones to shape boys, grow fathers, and advance His Kingdom. Jonathan’s story is proof: when a dad says “yes,” God does more than he could imagine.

Find a Troop near you or Learn how to bring Trail Life to your community at TrailLifeUSA.com