Greeting to those of you who follow us at Reclaim and are our allies, supports and friends during this tenuous time:
At Reclaim we exist to fight for the hearts of men and to help guide them toward the full life offered through Jesus. …
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Jon Sommer Uncategorized 1 Comment
Greeting to those of you who follow us at Reclaim and are our allies, supports and friends during this tenuous time:
At Reclaim we exist to fight for the hearts of men and to help guide them toward the full life offered through Jesus. …
Todd is a son of the King, husband to his bride Victoria, father of 3 sons (Caleb, Joshua and Nathan) and is the founder and director of Reclaim Ministries – a ministry devoted to restoring the hearts of men by guiding them into the wild Gospel of freedom and life that Jesus offers us. Todd grew up on a farm in Ohio and loves the smell of fresh earth in the spring, autumn leaves after a gentle rain and hardwood smoke on a frosty morning. He loves discovering wild places, pursuing wild game and enjoys anything frontier.
Todd and Victoria are currently the caretakers of the Reclaimed Hearts Ranch in Conifer, Colorado. Todd and Victoria met in college…playing Texas Hold’em…at church…(gasp!) and have been taking wild risks together with God ever since.
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Ashland, OH: This last May I went on a trip to the Colorado wilderness with my SEEDnet men’s group. We met up with Todd from Reclaim ministries, and started our trek into the wild. While traveling in the wilderness by itself would be fulfilling, this trip was an exceptionally amazing time of spiritual growth. The first thing God impressed upon me, not all my brothers were as suited for the wilderness as me.
Before our first night was completed, we needed to depend on each other to reach our campsite. Lack of oxygen, and strenuous hiking was taking its toll. I excelled while others did not. God told me, “I have given you this ability so you can help your brother. You will be weak in other areas, and will need your brother to carry you through. Bear each others burdens.”
Through the next few days, God spoke through Todd and Brian and said, “You are my son, I love you. You are worthwhile. Do not believe the lies that Satan and his followers tell you. You are not perfect, and that is okay. Jesus is still perfecting you. Remember who you are to me, and what I have already done for you, and realize that I am going to do more.”
The truths of our weekend together didn’t stay in Colorado. These truths are truths that I am sharing with people I mentor here back at home, and I am constantly reminding myself of who I am in my Father’s eyes.
Ashland, OH: Last May, Seednet brought a number of men to spend a weekend at Reclaim Ministries. As soon as we landed in beautiful Denver, Todd picked us up and headed to The Lost Creek Wilderness. I’m going to be honest, it would have been nice if he eased this city boy into it first, but we went right for it. Right for the wilderness! This honestly sent me into a bit of a panic being so far out of my “comfort zone,” but I think this was in His plan for the weekend.
I had to let other men around me lead, and I was in complete dependence on them. It was awesome. God used Todd’s teaching to speak right into my “wounds.” My brothers around me had to help me adjust to the wilderness. I relied on God and my brothers more than ever to get through the weekend. It was great!
In June of 2017, I was blessed to be able to fly out to Colorado and film a Wilderness Intensive for Reclaim Ministries. As you can probably imagine I was stoked to be able to travel out to one of my favorite places on earth and be able to use one of the gifts the Lord has given me to help one of his ministries. I remember when I first met Todd and Jon, immediately I remember thinking “These guys are legit!” On the ride up to the trail head, Jon said to my brother and me “I want you guys to know, that even though you are here to film, if God starts working on your hearts the video and filming comes second”. When I heard him say that I really didn’t know what to say, I mean I was there to help them, not the other way around.
After the half hour ride to the trail head, I got to meet everyone who was going to be on the intensive. After meeting one another, we started loading our packs with food, tents, and video equipment; and began our trek up the mountain. Once we got to camp and set everything up we had our first session… wow! You see the sessions are not what you would expect, they are not bible studies, and they are not “sharing sessions”, I like to call them “Man Studies”. During these times, we gathered around the campfire to discuss trials that we as men can sometimes face, and then discuss how to overcome them. I remember always being deep in thought after every study, thinking about each subject but also trying to make sure I film and get every shot possible. After about the third study, I became so deep in thought I think it was becoming visible as Todd came up to me and said “So Aiden, how are you doing” I casually replied “I’m doing good” but inside I was really struggling. In the Study that we just finished, we examined some of the Lies that the enemy places in our lives to keep our focus off of what God calls us to be. I was living one of those lies. It was the lie that said I was a coward… a coward for not wanting to finish school… a coward for not wanting to get married… a coward for being afraid of these things that everyone else seemed to not mind. You see, for as long as I can remember I have had this unshakable fear… This fear of not living up to the legacy that was set before me… this fear of not being the man I could or should be… this fear of Failure. Also being a perfectionist didn’t help the matter, I thought if it’s not perfect it’s a Failure. I knew that hiding from these fears was not what God wanted for me, but just admitting I was a Coward was a lot more appealing than the sting of Failure.
After responding to Todd’s initial question I remember glancing away trying to end the conversation before it started, and I remember hearing him ask if I was lying to him. That really moved me… I had given that same answer to a lot of people, but no one ever pressed any further (mainly because I wouldn’t let them). But that was that kind of “push” that I needed, and honestly the “push” I should have had a long time ago. The rest of the trip I got to talking with Todd and Jon about a lot, and they really helped me work through those lies I was living. They helped me realize that I am not just afraid of failure, but I am afraid of failing at something that I am Passionate about. They helped me see that if we fear what we are most passionate about we will never truly be passionate about anything. Reclaim Ministries was NOT the “Men’s camp” I was expecting. It is spiritual conditioning for your heart and soul, it gives you a better perspective on who God is, and what he wants for you. This is not a hike through the woods to go and get away from things; it’s a spiritual Journey that everyone should make. As I now reflect on how God used this event to forever change my life, I can only hope that this testimony will encourage others to embark on one of these Journeys that will forever change their lives as well. Thank you for letting me share my story with you, I hope that one day I am able to help others the way that these men helped me.
We left Cleveland, Ohio at 12:30. We landed in Denver, Colorado at 2:30, drove 2 1/2 hours to the Goose Creek Trailhead and began our quest. Todd, our guide and the leader of Reclaim Ministries, said: “a quest is a long, arduous journey with a purpose.” The purpose of our quest was to meet Jesus in the wildness of His creation and reclaim our identity in Him.
The wildness started immediately at 8,200 feet in the mountains. Crossing rivers and hiking trails to get to our campsite was definitely arduous. But the payoff of a Rocky Mountain sunrise made it all worthwhile! The men on this trip are the toughest men I know but the Rockies kicked our butts – which is exactly what we needed! Some had trouble enough just hiking to our campsite. Dehydration was always a concern. Others were humbled by thunder, lighting, and hail when bouldering halfway up a mountain face and had to hide under an overhanging rock. Not having plumbing, electricity or cell phone reception highlighted the lack of control we all felt.
All of this was necessary for us to hear from Jesus. Every ounce of arrogance had been beat out of us by the time Todd led us in the first lesson- we were sponges!
Thanks for praying for our trip! Praise God that He met us in the wilderness and changed us. Generational sin was broken, lies once believed were renounced and burned, and 7 men from Ashland, Ohio reclaimed their identity in Christ and picked up the mantle of masculine leadership!
Jon currently works with Crown Financial Ministries as the Career Development Director for the USA and Canada.
Jon has gained extensive business experience in sales, marketing, development and in full-time vocational ministry. He received his bachelors of science from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana and began shortly thereafter in sales in the steel industry. Developing relationships, solving problems, and the need for challenge and adventure became Jon’s strong points. In 2004, Jon transitioned into full-time ministry as a pastor and eventually led a 300+ student youth ministry with a 30+ adult volunteer staff. In 2009, Jon purchased and became a small business owner in the apparel industry where he turned a struggling company into a profitable and salable organization which he did sell in 2012. During his business venture, Jon also became the Lead Pastor of a small church where he helped merge it with his original church of ministry.
In 2011, Jon was also trained to become one of Crown’s Career Direct Consultants after he was first a client. His success in career consulting with experience both in the secular business world and ministry along with his unique gifting toward consulting gave him a strong edge to help lead the Career Development channel in North America.
Jon’s personal mission is to “influence the influencers” by helping them 1) understand their personal design, and 2) understand the “plan” (Jeremiah 29) God actually has for their lives which gives true hope and a future. His passion is teaching, training, consulting, and development of men, fathers, sons, and corporate and ministry teams.
Jon is married to Laura (11 years) and has three children, Jonathon, Clay, and Eilee. They live in Wadsworth, Ohio on their mini-farm where he and his family enjoy building, gardening, and hunting among many others.
For more than a decade, Dan Zelinski has served with BBS & Associates helping ministries around the world advance their God-given vision by creating and implementing donor development strategy.
He works with a wide array of international, evangelical, nonprofit organizations — from political/cultural groups fighting for life, to mission organizations sharing the gospel in closed countries, to ministries who disciple young leaders on college campuses.
Dan is passionate not only about helping put legs on a ministry’s vision, but also helping that ministry engage their partners in the spiritual aspect of giving. He believes whole-heartedly that healthy donor development is first and foremost about inviting people to participate in what God is doing by creating opportunities for them to minister through the resources he has provided them.
Dan first encountered Jesus at the age of 18 through the ministry of Young Life. As he came to faith in Jesus, he also gained a deep appreciation for a relational, incarnational approach to sharing the Gospel. Later, while at Miami University he met his wife Julie. Julie and Dan served together as volunteer leaders with Young Life for more than ten years – during which time, they had the opportunity to launch and establish new programs at several high schools, share Christ with hundreds of students, and disciple many leaders.
Dan is an accomplished competitive archer who has earned several state championship titles and records. He is an avid outdoorsman who loves to bowhunt, fish, and backpack. He is passionate about leveraging his interests in the outdoors to build relationships with men — inviting them to experience “life to the full” as he follows after Jesus.
Dan and Julie are raising three beautiful daughters. They live on a four-acre homestead in Northeast Ohio where they enjoy gardening, raising chickens, and living a life in-step with God’s awesome creation.