What Is Orienteering Anyway?

Orienteering is David Freeman's favorite off-camp activity. It has all the good elements of a hard group initiative: physical effort, mental effort, and danger. The physical effort is hiking, and the mental effort is learning to use the map and compass. The danger is getting lost.

Instructors teach the group to read a topographic map and compass. Then we drop off in the woods and give them a destination. When the group can prove they have reached the site, they are given a new destination. This plan is repeated until the group travels several miles to the end, a vehicle. The process sounds simple, but hiking in rugged terrain, being hot and tired, and relying on a strange map requires a great deal of concentration and determination. At this point, the learning occurs.

As Discovery Ministries instructors, we want the group to learn to orienteer, but we are more concerned that they learn to show love, communicate, and find joy when stressful situations occur. We use orienteering as an activity because it stresses the campers relationally.

This stress gives us and participants opportunities to ask some probing questions about ourselves.

• How should I respond if someone makes a mistake that causes us to walk an extra quarter mile when my feet are already tired?
• Do I decide my attitude, or does the situation cause me to act a certain way?
• Does my attitude help or hinder the group?
• How should I respond when I disagree with one or more people about which way we should go?
• How should I respond when proven wrong?
• How should I respond when proven right?

These questions not only relate to orienteering, they also apply to almost any situation in church body life. This fun (and sometimes not-so-fun) activity can vividly provide answers. As we use the truths we learn to make our way back to camp, we also see how they can be applied in other stressful group tasks in every day life.

In addition, orienteering clearly shows a powerful spiritual truth. The instructors follow the group wherever they lead and always give each other the "we're-about-to-take-the-scenic-route" look when the group leader says, "I feel like we should go this way". The moment a group quits paying close attention to the map and compass and starts making decisions based on feelings, they get lost. Substitute the words "Bible and Holy Spirit" for " map and compass" in the previous sentence, and the analogy quickly appears. Our walk with God can not be based solely on feelings.

Orienteering challenges campers physically and mentally, but mostly it teaches faithful reliance on God.