RELIGION | Organizers of a Christian alternative to the Boy Scouts unveil their program NASHVILLE, Tenn.—More than 1,200 people from 44 states are gathering this weekend in Music City for the inaugural meeting of Trail Life USA, a new group that hopes to be a Christian alternative for the Boy Scouts of America.

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the towering pines as the boys of Troop NC-0834 gathered at the edge of the woods, anticipation crackling in the air. This was no ordinary weekend; they were about to embark on the annual 36-Hour Survival Challenge, a rite of passage that would test their ...

Luke Corley woke up to the sound of his mom’s voice. She was shouting, her voice shaking. “Luke, get in the car. We’re going to the hospital. It’s your dad.”

A Father’s Search When Ken became a father in 2011, he wanted to make sure he spent quality time with his son. Like many dads, he thought of the Boy Scouts. But as the organization shifted away from its foundations, he began looking for something different—something Christ-centered, something that would build not only ...

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 ...

A Backseat Confession The car was quiet on the long drive home from a Trail Life meeting when Jason’s 12 year old son suddenly spoke from the back seat: “Dad, I want to be a Christian.”