The ROI of a church-based Adventure Ministry
Why This Works When Other Outreach Programs Don't
Your senior pastor asks the question every church leader eventually asks about new ministry: “Is this actually going to work? What’s the return on investment?”
It’s a fair question. Churches have limited resources—staff time, volunteer energy, budget dollars, weekend announcement slots. Every new ministry competes for those scarce resources. So before you invest in adventure sports ministry, you need to know: Does this actually produce results?
After 25 years running Bayside Adventure Sports, I can tell you definitively: Yes. The ROI of adventure sports ministry is exceptional. In fact, it outperforms almost every other outreach strategy I’ve seen in decades of ministry.
But don’t take my word for it. Let me show you the data, the stories, and the outcomes that prove adventure sports ministry delivers results that traditional outreach simply can’t match.
The Metrics That Matter
Before we dive into stories, let’s talk numbers. Because at the end of the day, church leaders need to know: Will this help us accomplish our mission?
Here’s what we tracked over 25 years at Bayside Adventure Sports:
Reach: Who Shows Up
Over 25 years:
• 400+ events per year at our peak
• 20 different adventure sports offered
• Hundreds of unique participants
• 20-30% of event attendees were either unchurched or not attending Bayside
That last statistic is critical. Nearly a third of our participants were people who would never have shown up to a traditional church event. They came because we met them where they already were—in the mountains, on the trails, in the outdoors they already loved.
Retention: Who Stays
The real question isn’t who shows up once. It’s who keeps coming back. And that’s where adventure sports ministry truly shines.
We didn’t have formal data tracking systems in place for the first decade, but based on observable patterns and later informal surveys:
• 70-80% of people who attended 2-3 events became regular participants
• Many participated for 5+ years consecutively
• Multiple families participated for 10-15+ years
Compare that to typical church outreach event retention (often 10-20% return for a second event) and you start to see why this works.
Conversion: Who Connects to Jesus and Church
This is the metric that matters most. Did people encounter Jesus? Did they connect to the church?
Again, we didn’t track this systematically in early years (lesson learned: start tracking early!), but based on testimonies, baptism records, and volunteer leader reports:
• Dozens of people came to faith in Christ through BAS relationships
• Hundreds connected to Bayside Church and became active members
• Multiple baptisms happened in lakes and rivers during camping trips
• Many unchurched participants began attending Sunday services
One volunteer leader told me: “People would come who wouldn’t dream of stepping foot in a church. They were usually highly skeptical coming to a dirt bike riding ‘church event.’ Even the most resistant people were at very least surprised how normal the people there were.”
Once you break down the stereotype of what “church people” are like, once you show that Christians are normal people who love adventure and authenticity, the barriers to faith start crumbling.
Volunteer Engagement: Who Serves
One of the most unexpected ROI metrics: volunteer recruitment and retention.
Most church leaders struggle to recruit volunteers. Meanwhile, adventure sports ministry created a waiting list of people eager to serve:
• 100+ active volunteer leaders at our peak
• Average volunteer tenure: 5-7 years (some served 15-20+ years)
• Minimal volunteer burnout when properly managed
• Natural leadership pipeline—participants became volunteers
Why? Because we let people serve through their passion. We didn’t ask the mountain biker to teach Sunday School. We asked him to lead mountain bike rides. We didn’t ask the hiker to work in the nursery. We asked her to lead hiking trips.
When you align people’s passions with ministry opportunities, volunteer recruitment becomes effortless.
The Stories Behind the Numbers
Statistics tell part of the story. But the real ROI is measured in changed lives. Let me share some of the outcomes we’ve seen—outcomes that no traditional outreach event could have produced.
ROI #1: Multi-Generational Faith Formation
Brian von Tress attended our ski trips for 14 consecutive years. Here’s what he wrote:
“These experiences helped me raise real men who love God and appreciate all He has given us. There is no better classroom than the outdoors to show sons the wonder of God’s creation. Some of our most meaningful conversations happened on chairlifts, around campfires, and overlooking mountain peaks.”
Then he added this: “The relationships built through BAS have stood the test of time. In fact, men from these trips stood beside my son at his wedding—a powerful testimony to the lasting impact of this ministry.”
Think about that ROI:
• A father discipling his sons in creation
• Lifelong friendships formed between Christian men
• Those friendships strong enough to stand beside a son at his wedding
• Faith passed from generation to generation
You can’t produce that outcome with a weekend seminar. You can’t manufacture it in a small group. It happens over years of shared adventure, spiritual formation happening naturally while skiing down mountains together.
Ean Brown’s story follows a similar pattern. He joined our dirt bike ministry at age twelve. Today, he’s leading trips himself, and now his own children are experiencing the same life-changing adventures:
“My own children are now experiencing the same life-changing trips that shaped my youth. Our favorite tradition is the twice-annual trek to Yerington, Nevada... It is the trip my kids ask about all year long. The days are filled with endless miles of sand, mountain trails, and dust; the nights are defined by the glow of a campfire and the sound of a lone guitar leading the group’s voices in worship under a canopy of stars.”
That’s three generations impacted: Ean as a youth, Ean as a father and leader, and now Ean’s children. The ROI compounds across generations.
ROI #2: Reaching the Unreachable
Steve Funk described his first surf outing with us:
“It really ignited my Christian walk and I felt such at home transitioning from Santa Cruz to Bayside Church. God is giving you such a gift to meet people through adventure sports and connect with them, especially men.”
Steve wasn’t going to attend a men’s breakfast. He wasn’t going to sign up for a small group study. But he showed up to surf. And that one decision changed his spiritual trajectory.
Richie Johnston put it even more bluntly:
“The best part of the group was being able to invite non-believers and have them see ‘church people’ are actually normal, and even cool. People would come who wouldn’t dream of stepping foot in a church. They were usually highly skeptical coming to a dirt bike riding ‘church event.’ Even the most resistant people were at very least surprised how ‘normal’ the people there were. Church does not have to be in a building. I think it is best experienced outdoors. It is HUGE being able to reach people that would most likely never hear the gospel.”
Here’s the ROI:
• Reaching people who would never attend church
• Breaking down stereotypes about Christians
• Creating natural contexts for Gospel conversations
• Demonstrating authentic faith in action
Traditional outreach events can’t do this. A pancake breakfast attracts people who already like church. Adventure sports ministry attracts people who like adventure—and many of them are hostile to organized religion until they see it lived out authentically in creation.
ROI #3: Community That Actually Lasts
Brian Hughes was reading a sociology book about the fragmentation of American social life when I asked for his testimony. The book examined how we’ve become isolated from the community cohesion that existed in times past. He wrote:
“As I continue to read through the book, I realize more and more that Bayside Adventure Sports checks all the boxes for getting out of isolation, developing a great community of friends, and it’s even been a support network through the tough times. Thank you, Greg Weisman, for pioneering this Good Great Place!”
Tina Wroblewski met four other couples through our trail running group. Years later:
“A few of us still run at least monthly together if not more and all of us get together monthly for a game night and rotate houses. The girls get together and celebrate birthdays and also make Christmas cookies. We were incredibly blessed to be part of Bayside Adventure Sports.”
The ROI:
• Deep, lasting friendships (not superficial church acquaintances)
• Community that extends beyond Sunday morning
• Support networks that function during tough times
• Multi-family connections that last for years
This is what churches say they want but struggle to create. Small groups try. Fellowship events try. But nothing bonds people like shared challenge, shared exhaustion, shared triumph on a mountain or trail.
Friendships are like Lego blocks: the more connection points, the stronger the bond. When people share faith, family values, AND a passion for the same outdoor pursuits, the bonds are nearly unbreakable.
ROI #4: Life Trajectory Changes
Chris Cardozo came to work with us during a pivotal season of his life. Years later, he reflected:
“BAS created a space where faith wasn’t just talked about—it was lived out. Whether we were pushing ourselves physically, stepping outside our comfort zones, or having real, meaningful conversations, it brought everything back to what actually matters. It also reinforced the importance of surrounding yourself with strong, like-minded men who challenge you, sharpen you, and walk with you in your faith.”
Then he added something profound:
“Not long after, I met my wife, and today I have a family I’m incredibly grateful for. I give God all the glory in that—but you were absolutely an instrument in helping set that path in motion, and I don’t take that lightly. One of the biggest takeaways for me is that following God isn’t meant to be passive—it’s meant to be an adventure.”
Marcos Gonzalez came on a Yosemite camping trip in 2015, fulfilling his dream of climbing Half Dome. That single trip led to:
• Three years volunteering as a Spanish interpreter on Mexico mission trips
• An adventure to Machu Picchu with his daughter
• Ministry at a home for single mothers in Peru
• A network of lifelong Christian friendships
• Annual adventure trips with believers he met through BAS
He wrote: “Adventure Sports is more than just an outdoor club; it’s a community that has shaped my faith, my friendships, and my life’s purpose. I’m forever grateful.”
The ROI:
• Lives redirected toward kingdom purposes
• Marriages formed within the community
• Mission engagement activated
• Parent-child relationships deepened
You can’t plan these outcomes. You can’t program them. But when you create the conditions—authentic community, spiritual intentionality, shared adventure in God’s creation—transformation happens.
ROI #5: Brotherhood and Mental Health
Last week I spent every day at the hospital visiting one of our former volunteer leaders who crashed his motorcycle. What happened next demonstrates an ROI most churches never measure: deep, lasting brotherhood.
Twelve former volunteers—men who hadn’t ridden together in 10 to 15 years—immediately rallied. They’re praying for him daily. Visiting him in the hospital. Helping him navigate insurance complexities. Figuring out his next steps into assisted living since he can’t bear weight on either leg for 6-8 weeks.
These are sharp, white-collar executives with packed calendars who are prioritizing one of their own over every other demand on their time. The bonds formed on dirt bike trails fifteen years ago are proving stronger than most small group connections.
Steve Borroum wrote about why this matters:
“I grew up close to nature and early on learned of the healing power nature provides. As my relationship with God matured, I personally came to feel closer to God out in God’s creation. Nature’s healing power and a personal relationship with God was very important for me to pass along to my kids. BAS under Greg Weisman’s leadership provided the perfect opportunity to accomplish this in a safe setting with like-minded people. I cannot understate the important role BAS offered to me and my family, and the positive impact it had on my kids.”
The ROI:
• Men developing authentic brotherhood (addressing the epidemic of male loneliness)
• Mental health benefits of time in nature
• Support networks that mobilize during crisis
• Families experiencing healing and health together
Research shows 15% of men have no close friends. Loneliness is a public health crisis. Depression and anxiety are at record highs. Adventure sports ministry addresses all of these—not as primary goals, but as natural byproducts of authentic community in creation.
Why Adventure Sports Ministry Delivers ROI That Other Outreach Doesn’t
After reading all these stories, you might be wondering: What is it about adventure sports ministry that produces these outcomes? Why does this work when traditional outreach struggles?
Here are the five factors that make adventure sports ministry uniquely effective:
1. Shared Passion Creates Instant Connection
When two strangers discover they both love mountain biking, they’re no longer strangers. They’re fellow enthusiasts. That shared passion creates immediate rapport that would take months to build in a traditional small group.
Stacey Hanson described it this way: “When I first joined Bayside Adventure Sports, I was thrilled to discover a community of people who share a love for Jesus and a passion for the outdoors. It felt like such a unique and special combination.”
2. Physical Challenge Opens Spiritual Receptivity
There’s something about pushing your body to its limits—summiting a mountain, completing a long bike ride, navigating a difficult trail—that makes you more open to spiritual truth.
When you’re exhausted at the top of a peak, looking out over creation, your defenses are down. Your heart is open. That’s when spiritual conversations happen naturally.
Dennis Tromburg understood this: “Greg understood that worship should extend beyond the church building into the outdoors that God created.”
3. Time Together Builds Trust
A typical small group meets for 90 minutes once a week. An adventure sports event might be 4-8 hours. A camping trip might be an entire weekend. A major expedition might be 7-10 days.
Time matters. You can’t build deep relationships in 90-minute increments. But you can build them over hours and days of shared experience, shared meals, shared challenge.
4. Natural Settings Create Authentic Conversations
Sitting in a circle in someone’s living room discussing a Bible passage feels formal. Artificial. Programmed.
Hiking side-by-side on a trail, or sitting around a campfire under the stars, or pausing at a scenic overlook—these settings create space for authentic, vulnerable, meaningful conversations that happen organically.
Brian von Tress said it perfectly: “Some of our most meaningful conversations happened on chairlifts, around campfires, and overlooking mountain peaks.”
5. Demonstration Beats Explanation
When skeptical non-Christians attend a church event, they’re looking for hypocrisy. They’re expecting judgment, weirdness, religious performance.
Instead, they find normal people who love adventure and happen to love Jesus. They see authentic faith lived out in action—serving each other, encouraging each other, praying together naturally, worshiping around a campfire.
Richie was right: “Even the most resistant people were at very least surprised how ‘normal’ the people there were.” Once you shatter stereotypes, the Gospel gets a hearing.
The Compound Effect: ROI That Multiplies Over Time
Here’s what most churches miss when evaluating ministry ROI: the best outcomes don’t show up in year one. They show up in year five, year ten, year fifteen.
Adventure sports ministry has a compound effect:
Year 1: You reach a few dozen people. Some connect to church. A handful of volunteers emerge.
Year 3: Those volunteers are leading their own events. The people they reached are now inviting their friends. You’re running events in multiple sports.
Year 5: You have established community. People who joined as participants are now leaders. Friendships formed years ago are still going strong. Some participants from year one are now bringing their kids.
Year 10: You’re seeing generational impact. Kids who came with their parents are now young adults still involved. Marriages have happened within the community. Mission engagement has multiplied. The ministry is largely self-sustaining through volunteer leadership.
Year 15+: Men from ski trips are standing at each other’s kids’ weddings. Families who met through camping trips still vacation together. The ministry has become a significant pipeline for church growth and discipleship.
That’s the ROI trajectory of Bayside Adventure Sports. It started small. It grew organically. And by year 25, it had impacted thousands of lives and become one of the most effective outreach strategies in our entire church.
Making the Case to Your Leadership
So how do you take all of this and make a compelling case to your senior pastor, elders, or church board?
Here’s a framework:
The Problem We’re Solving
“We have people in our congregation passionate about outdoor recreation who don’t have a way to integrate that passion with their faith. We have people in our community who will never attend a traditional church event but would join a Christian hiking group. We’re missing both.”
The Opportunity We’re Pursuing
“Adventure sports ministry allows us to reach people traditional outreach can’t touch, build community that actually lasts, and create discipleship experiences in God’s creation. The ROI is exceptional—deep relationships, lasting conversions, multi-generational impact, and volunteer engagement that solves recruitment problems rather than creating them.”
The Investment Required
“This doesn’t require a staff position or significant budget. It requires permission, minimal insurance adjustment, basic liability waivers, and pastoral support for volunteer leaders. First-year costs: under $500. First-year time investment from staff: 5-10 hours to launch.”
The Expected Return
“Based on 25 years of proven results at Bayside Church: 20-30% unchurched participation, 70-80% retention after 2-3 events, dozens of conversions, hundreds of church connections, volunteer teams that serve for 5-15+ years, and generational impact we can’t even fully measure.”
The Risk We’re Managing
“Safety and liability are addressable through proper training, insurance, and waivers. The real risk is missing the opportunity to reach people we’re currently not reaching at all.”
The Bottom Line
After 25 years, I can say with confidence: the ROI of adventure sports ministry is exceptional.
It reaches people other strategies miss. It builds community other programs can’t replicate. It creates discipleship experiences that transform lives across generations. It solves volunteer recruitment problems while accomplishing mission. And it does all of this with minimal financial investment.
The question isn’t whether it works. The evidence is overwhelming. The question is whether you’re willing to take the first step.
Because somewhere in your congregation right now, there’s a passionate mountain biker, or hiker, or kayaker, or camper who’s waiting for permission to turn their hobby into ministry. And somewhere in your community right now, there’s someone who will never walk through your church doors but would join them on the trail.
The ROI is waiting. The only question is: Will you invest?
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About the Author:
Greg Weisman served in youth ministry for 20 years and various pastoral roles at Bayside Church (Granite Bay, CA) from 1997-2023. He founded and led Bayside Adventure Sports from 1998-2023, growing it into one of the most effective outreach ministries at a megachurch of 30,000+ attendees. Over 25 years, BAS ran 400+ events annually across 16 sports, reached thousands of participants, and produced measurable, lasting impact. He now consults with churches to help them achieve similar results. See the model at www.BaysideAdventureSports.com. Read more by following Greg on Substack Gregory Weisman