Annual Celebration Event

Our way of doing God’s will.

“Rite of Passage”

Fathers in the Field is founded on the principle that the Year-end Celebration Event should be a “field” event-one that takes place in God’s great outdoors. As a result, it is envisioned that the event will be a multi-day event (minimum of 3 days/2 nights) involving hunting, fishing, camping, boating, backpacking, horse packing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, or a myriad of other outdoor pursuits. The choice of the event itself is very much a personal decision of the Mentor Father. It must be an event that the Mentor Father is passionate about, has a high level of expertise in and the necessary equipment to accomplish the Journey Celebration Event. In short, the Mentor Father needs to be the “hero” of this outdoor pursuit, able to share and pass on this passion to their Field Buddy.

This celebration event is a culmination of the year-long journey that the Mentor Father and his Field Buddy have been able to enjoy together. It is one of the primary focuses of the monthly Journey Talks and gives great incentive for the Field Buddy to complete his Life-Journey Curriculum assignment and to gain the needed skills to fully enjoy the celebration event.

HELPFUL HINTS Please note that it is very important for the Mentor Father to have chosen the Journey Celebration Event and the approximate time when it will occur before the Commitment Meeting with the Field Buddy and his mom/guardian. This will lock the boy into the program, giving him something to look forward to and to work towards.

Safety and Child Protection Policy

Fathers in the Field recommend that two Mentor Father/Field Buddy teams go on the Celebration Event together. This meets safety and child protection issues, but also enhances the interaction between the abandoned boys and builds camaraderie among the participants. At the very least, in case of a medical emergency, we require that another adult accompany the team. This other adult must have a pastor’s recommendation from the sponsoring church. Your sponsoring church may have its own safety and child protection policies that you must follow.

HELPFUL HINTS Other suggestions for adults to accompany Mentor Father/Field Buddy teams include an elder, deacon, adult son of Mentor Father, and men in the church who have expressed interest in helping Fathers in the Field. Please note these other adults must have a pastor’s recommendation from the sponsoring church.