This week in MinistryWatch, an independent donor advocate facilitating the information needs of donors and providing information on charitable organizations, highlighted Trail Life USA as a “Shining Light.”
The following is an excerpt from a MinistryWatch email:
“For 20 years, MinistryWatch.com has engaged in investigative
work that warned donors and others about Christian ministries to avoid. However, an equally vital part of our work has been to raise the profile of ministries doing great work. We call these ministries “Shining Lights,” after Matthew 5:16, which encourages us to “let your light so shine before men that they would see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven.”
Today we feature Trail Life USA, a Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts of America. This remarkable group has grown from a start-up just a few short years ago to a group that now has over 30,000 members nation wide.
The story starts....
In September 2013, more than 1,200 mostly male voices sang the rousing hymn “In Christ Alone” to kick off the first meeting on Sept. 7 of Trail Life USA (TLUSA). This new group wanted to be a Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).
At that time, Trail Life USA was little more than a hope and a dream, but its leaders had a vision. They sought a youth organization that took those qualities that made the BSA one of the most influential organizations of the 20th century, before it lost its way by relaxing its standards for leaders. Trail Life wanted to include the outdoor adventure aspects of Scouting with a distinctively Christian foundation.
You can find the first installment of the new “Shining Light” column by clicking here.“