Bible Adventures Prospectus
The purpose of this document is to acquaint the reader with the ministry of Bible Adventures.
Bible Adventures is the long time vision of Jay Witham with a major emphasis on ministry to men. It brings together the Word of God with outdoor adventure to teach men the importance of reclaiming their heart and learning their place in the battle. The dream began about a decade ago when Jay and his eldest son Rob attended a leadership seminary course deep in the Algonquin Wilderness of Ontario, Canada. There, both men experienced the benefit of “stress wilderness ministry.” They found that God was able to bring issues to the surface much more quickly when all of the “fig leaves” were removed and they were stripped of their “comfort zone. Jay and Rob Witham have confirmed that this was a turning point in their lives and that, having begun this journey, they could never turn back. God was doing something powerful in their lives. On the trip home, Jay mused that he had witnessed God doing more in men’s lives, through their course leader, in just one week than he had been able to accomplish in ten years as a pastor. Needless to say, this revolutionized his outlook toward ministry. For many years Jay had been doing “men’s ministry” in churches where he pastored. His philosophy was that, while women’s, teen’s and children’s ministries were good, if he could reach men for Christ there would be a much greater possibility of reaching entire families. While he had experienced limited success with his efforts there was a constant frustration factor of not being able to reach more men with his message. In 2003, while looking for new material to share with his “Bible Adventures” men’s ministry, Jay stumbled onto a book by John Eldredge entitled “Wild at Heart.”He purchased the book and DVD series and immediately responded, “This man has the same vision as mine ... and he’s written and produced materials about it! Why reinvent the wheel? Why not use what God has provided through John Eldredge and take it forward with the ministry of Bible Adventures?” In September 2003, Jay Witham took his first group of men through a “Wild at Heart” retreat in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The results were life—changing. Since that time he has taken literally dozens of men through Wild at Heart and has been invited to speak throughout the Northeast to spread its message of freedom in Christ.
It has not been an easy road though! It is true that the enemy fears who we may become. On July 24, 2004, the Withams’ home was destroyed by fire. The 60 acre site, Shekinah Farm, was also home to Bible Adventures. Within a few weeks, however, the Withams had a new grandson, Kain Gregory Buell, who died at 3 ½ weeks old of a rare genetic disorder. Kain was the second grandson to die in two years.
In June of 2005, after recovering from the loss of the fire, Bible Adventures was moving forward with a scheduled Wild at Heart retreat for pastors. Witham’s plan was to present the entire retreat to pastors who would in turn bring men from their own churches to be ransomed. It was a great plan ... however, the day before the pastors were to arrive, Jay was riding one of his horses (which would have been used during the retreat) when the animal reared several times and went over backwards. Jay was hospitalized with a broken back and the ministry was thwarted again. The enemy fears who we will become if our glory is released and men’s hearts are set free ... yes, we are a threat to his kingdom. Praise the Lord!
The broken back is healed and Jay Witham is literally “Back in the Saddle Again.” Although his body will never be the same this side of glory, his heart is still intact and the dream goes on. Several more retreats have been conducted; Bible Adventures has been promoted in cooperation with Iron Sharpens Iron men’s ministries, and a redemptive community called “Fellowship of the Heart” has begun with remarkable spiritual growth witnessed among its people.
The future of Bible Adventures lies in the hands of Almighty God, whose ministry it is. As is usually the case with fledgling ministries, financial resources (or the lack thereof) are at the root of most of our struggles. Jay Witham recognizes that God has gifted him as a visionary but, in order to move to the next level and see this ministry go forward with the message of redeeming love, he must surround himself with men who will catch the vision and help to make it a reality.
A new home has been built on Shekinah Farm as a residence for Jay and his wife, Linda. At present, however, there are no facilities for lodging men who come to experience the transforming ministry of Bible Adventures. Every retreat that has been conducted so far has necessitated the men being quartered in the Withams’ 28’ x 54’ ranch house with some sleeping on couches, recliners and even blow up mattresses on the floor. Oh, the joys of humble beginnings. Therefore, Bible Adventures is seeking support to strengthen this ministry in the following areas:
- Phase One: Purchase of two outfitters canvas wall tents and army cots with accessories as temporary lodging. Portable toilets could be brought in and the men could have a rustic, “roughing it” type of adventure. Tents with frames would run approximately $2,000 each and cots with accessories (mats, etc) would run about $150 each. Outdoor activities (horseback riding, shooting sports, etc.) would take place on the farm and indoor sessions with media support would still have to be conducted in the family home.
- Phase Two: Construction of a log cabin on the property to include kitchen, two bathrooms with showers, bunk beds and a large meeting area with comfortable couches and chairs. The building would also need a quality home theatre system for media technology (DVD clips, CDs, etc.) The structure would be able to accommodate up to a dozen men.
- Phase Three: Construction of a second log cabin as described above.
- Phase Four: Construction of a larger, rustic “tabernacle” to accommodate groups of up to 100 men for Wild at Heart type Boot Camps. Some men could be housed in the above mentioned log cabins. Also water, electric and septic hookups could be installed to accommodate campers or tents. This would also necessitate a larger kitchen and dining facility.
- Other Considerations: Liability insurance is always a concern in ventures like this. Funds must be raised to facilitate this need. Insurance costs for trail horses are currently $500 per animal per year. A minimum string of a dozen horses would necessitate an investment of $6,000 per year. Liability costs for the ministry and property would raise that number considerably.
- Alternative Plan: The purchase of a retreat facility in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York as a “turnkey” operation to begin reaching men without further delay.
At Bible Adventures we are praying for folks who will partner with us to see this vision become a reality. Going after the hearts of men and setting them free with the offer of Jesus is the burden of Jay Witham and Bible Adventures. Jesus said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised”
Luke 4:18
John Eldredge paraphrases that verse this way:
“God has sent me on a mission.
I have some great news for you.
God has sent me to restore and release something.
And that something is you.
I am here to give you back your heart and set you free.”Waking the Dead, p.5
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