“OK get that elbow up. Pull back!”
I was standing at the ODNR public crossbow range in Xenia, aiming an arrow at the center of a target. I closed my left eye, pulled the string across the lower part of my face and then let it fly. To my utter shock, it was a bull’s eye.
“Nice shot!”
In the fourteen years since Chris Downing and I graduated high school together, I’ve only kept track of him through Facebook, where I saw photos of coyote and deer hunts as well as his wife and two-year-old son.
Always the outdoorsman, Chris had brought venison to my graduation party and seemed to spend most of his time the woods.
Last week, Chris asked to meet me and catch up on a ministry he’s now involved with, Heart of the Outdoors. The outreach brings children of all ages to the outdoors and introduces them not only to nature adventures, but provides mentorship and spiritual guidance.
“This generation is facing so much,” Chris said. “The biggest difference between kids and kids who become statistics is one caring adult in their life. And that’s what this is about.”
This year, Chris was hired as director of HisPins, a Christian archery outreach run by Heart of the Outdoors that provides free archery lessons and Christian mentorship to kids. The lessons are taught by certified instructors and all the equipment is provided free of charge at schools and churches.
Chris agreed to give me an archery lesson and update me on what he’s doing.
“This is how I start with the kids,” he said, attaching a string to a youth bow that looked just my size. 
He had me stand with my feet shoulder length apart, with my body facing the right and my head looking straight ahead at the target. Then he showed me how to pull my right hand across the side of my face and let go in a fluid motion. After we practiced, he handed me the bow and an arrow.
I pulled back and let it go. It hit the target with a satisfying thud.
“Nice!” Chris said.
He explained that when he was in middle school, his youth pastor had taken the time to play with basketball with him several mornings a week. He said that had impacted him greatly and helped spur him toward the ministry. When he found out about Heart of the Outdoors, a youth ministry that teaches kids outdoor skills, it was a perfect fit.
We talked about statistics on bullying, pornography, depression and other issues that school-age kids are facing.
“This generation is facing so much,” Chris said. “The biggest difference between kids and kids who become statistics is one caring adult in their life. And that’s what this is about.”
After another round of arrows, I thanked him for the lesson. I’m always excited to learn a new skill, but it was also inspiring to hear the work that Chris was doing with kids. Later, I thought about how one little shift early in a child’s life can change their whole trajectory.
It’s funny how bows and arrows work the same way.
Chris’s ministry is 100 percent funded by donations. If you would like to support him, click the link below.
https://heartoftheoutdoors.z2systems.com/np/clients/heartoftheoutdoors/donation.jsp?campaign=7&&test=true&fbclid=IwAR1g5GSjg718qpes2aXCoI53eCXBMdjgngA5oXCU-tsRytdAppZHxrEIzo8