Men’s Ministry
Jay Witham
Bible Adventures offers a ministry to men that includes retreats and workshops. Bible Adventures brings the Word of God together with outdoor adventure to teach men the importance of reclaiming their heart and learning their place in the battle.
Jay’s dream for Bible Adventures began about a decade ago when he and his eldest son, Robert, 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 from the Algonquin Wilderness, 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.
Recovering the Masculine Heart
The journey to recover the masculine heart is greatly opposed by the enemy. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “The thief has come to steal, kill and destroy …” (John 10:10) and so he has. As believers in Christ, we are born into a world at war! The recovery of the masculine heart is a BATTLE! That’s why Solomon says to his son, “Above all else, guard your heart … for it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23. Bible Adventures will take men on that journey bringing the Bible to light utilizing adventure and the things that men are passionate about!
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
What Participants Are Saying
Read the following sample testimonials about what this message has done in the hearts of real men:
“Every once in a while I encounter a new insight or idea so profound I wonder how I could have missed it for so long. Bible Adventures provided many such insights in a very short time.”
Robert
“From one man of God to many men of God … you owe yourself this much; to know yourself, truly know yourself. I assure you of this; if you dare to take this journey, you will live the rest of your life as you never have before, for you will know without any doubt, what it is to truly be a man of God; a warrior, a lover, a conqueror!”
John
“The Wild at Heart experience for me was a special time to be with brothers in the Lord. In working together, it was a special bond. I found out things that I didn’t realize about my relationship with my family. It also brought out that if we had any fears in life, we were able to face them together.”
Douglas
What Programs Are Available
Bible Adventures will customize a retreat or seminar for your men’s group. We frequently utilize Wild at Heart materials in our retreats, integrating books, workbooks, video, discussion, solo time, and outdoor adventure into one retreat.