Andy Partington, children’s pastor at First Baptist Church, was the guest speaker at the Lions Club on August 1. Partington shared information about a children’s program he is involved with, Kids Outdoor Zone (KOZ), which focuses on reconnecting boys with outdoor activities.
“It is my feeling and my conviction that boys are under attack in this world,” Partington said, emphasizing the challenges boys face today, including internet influences and societal expectations. “We don’t want boys to be boys anymore. Manhood has been under attack. Everyone wants a boy to not run around in the wild and skin his knees… and that steals his identity.”
Partington shared his personal experiences growing up in a household where his parents were not deeply involved. By age 16, he was living in abandoned houses. “It was the blind leading the blind,” he said. He also cited statistics showing how boys from fatherless homes often struggle.
KOZ, founded by Austin-based travel and adventure writer T.J. Greaney, aims to help boys, especially those from fatherless homes, by teaching outdoor skills. “For boys who are 8-18 years old, we get outside… and we teach them outdoor skills,” Partington said. The program includes activities such as fire-building, shelter-making, fishing, and hunting.
Partington highlighted the impact of nature on children, noting that outdoor settings help boys focus and provide opportunities to share the Gospel. “When you get them outside and there is an open flame, and they can hear nature around them, their concentration centers. They can listen. That’s where we share the good news of the Gospel. That’s where we share the Bible.”
“We have seen hungry boys start to grow into the men that God wanted them to be, and that has been an adventure,” he said.
For more information on KOZ, check out their website at www.kidsoutdoorzone.com/.
The Lions Club meets at noon every Thursday to hear interesting speakers at the American Legion Memorial Hall, located at 119 W. Pine Street. Joining the Lions Club is a great way to give back to the community and make a difference in Minden.
