Learn More About Us
Meet some of our leaders and learn more about what drives us as an organization
THE WHO, THE WHAT AND THE WHY BEHIND COMMITTED CHRISTIAN OUTDOORS
WHO CAN BE A PART OF CCO?
.- Kids that love the outdoors or desire the opportunity to experience it. They may not know that they have that passion until they get out and try it.
- It doesn't matter whether the kids have a place to hunt or need a place to hunt; the important part is that they want to be a part of the program. We desire to create an opportunity for them to be around other kids who love to hunt, where they can make friends and grow their relationship with God.
Committed Christian Outdoors is a 501c3 non-profit organization. We are not part of any particular church, so kids and teens can come from any church or unchurched background.
- Kids can come from any type of home life (single parent, divorced, married, no parents, raised by grandparents, and more). This does not matter to us. CCO is here for all kids who desire to be a part of it.
-Kids can be from ages 9-18. The only time age plays a factor is in some of our hunts, and those are based on maturity. (Safety, ethical shooting, and willingness to sit for long periods of time)
Parents are allowed to participate in the organization as well. We love providing opportunities for good, quality family time. The main thing we ask is that you participate in our Bible studies and activities, too. Also, if you are a parent and want to be involved, all we ask is that you give your child space to make friends and learn. The only way that the program can be successful for your child is if they have the freedom to enjoy it.
-Adults who love God and the outdoors can be a part by volunteering.
* Our only rule is that everyone who comes must be part of the ministry side of what we do and not just use CCO as a place to hunt or fish.
WHAT IS CCO?
Our goal is for Committed Christian Outdoors to be an organization that kids can grow up being a part of! Take a hunting club, fishing club, a form of scouts, and church and mix them all together and you have CCO! We want to create a fun, safe environment for kids where they can learn and experience the fun and freedom of the outdoors. Most importantly, while in this environment, they will learn good morals and learn the importance of a committed relationship with Christ.
Committed Christian Outdoors will hold events year round that the kids can be a part of. There will be two types of events: Open – where anyone is welcome to come, and Scheduled – where the CCO leader will communicate with parents to schedule the child’s hunting or fishing date.
Committed Christian Outdoors will always promote an environment that is: loving, safe, clean, supportive, friendly, motivational, committed, educational, helpful, and uplifting.
We hope that kids will come be a part of CCO and continue to stay involved long term. Our hope is that once they graduate and move into the adult world that they will continue
to be a part of the ministry
THE WHY BEHIND CCO!
We believe that helping the kids grow up with a love and appreciation for God's word and understanding its authority will help them understand their need for church and fellowship with like-minded believers.
Here are some stats that show the need for this program:
88% of children in evangelical homes leave the church at age 18.
61% of today’s young adults had been churched at one point in their teens.
70% leave the faith in college, and only 35% of that number will eventually return.
3 out of 5 young Christians disconnect from their churches after the age of 15.
And, those are just a few of the statistics that break our hearts and fuel this ministry.
We believe that this is due largely to the watering down of the gospel and the growth of seeker-friendly churches. The Church in America is a mile wide and an inch deep. People are not hearing the full truth of God's word, and we have taken the stories that point to Jesus and made them about us. Most American churches have become concert halls with worshiptainment and motivational messages to help you live a better life. The majority of churches are playing games with our teens and leading them to think that chill bumps during worship are more important than being under a pastor who is properly reading and teaching scripture.
So, our why is teaching the kids to love and appreciate the word of God, the importance of loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Train up a child in the way he should go ;even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
The other reason is conservation.
There's nothing more rewarding than seeing kids find success in the outdoors. Learning the ins and outs of the work and efforts that go into being successful in hunting and fishing. This is also a significant effort in conservation, as we believe kids who find success in the outdoors will continue to pursue their passion for it when they are older. And, in a world that gives them so many options the outdoors is usually not high on their list.
MEET THE CCO LEADERS
Robert Harvill President & Founder
Committed Christian Outdoors
The Story and The Vision
Robert Harvill founded CCO in 2015 after feeling the call to Ministry. In August 2014 he made the decision to put God first in his life, not knowing what that meant but knowing that he was going to be committed to seeking God in everything he did. Shortly after doing this, he heard a message about Commitment that God used to change his life. Not long after that message he felt that God was calling him to share that message of commitment with others. Robert kept working at his current job and trying to figure it out the calling and what the ministry would look like. Months later, after not making any progress toward this vision, Robert made a bold move that put Committed Christian Outdoors on the map. He quit his job to pursue the vision. It seems crazy, but he knew that he was pursuing something that he was being called to do. The Committed Christian, as it started out, had its first deer hunt on November 14, 2015. That deer hunt was confirmation that God was going to use his passion for the outdoors as the platform to share the message about Commitment. The Monday after that first hunt Committed Christian Outdoors was born
Les Hoy
Meet Les Hoy, to say that Les is one of our most popular guides would be an understatement. The CCO kids and teens love him to pieces and always request to hunt with Mr.Les. Les has been with CCO since we started and we are thankful to have his help. We are certain that if you come and join us at an event you will find Les to be one of your favorites too!
Dwayne Mercer
Dwayne Mercer came on board in 2020 and has made a huge impact. Dwayne's passion and knowledge of the outdoors has helped so much in planning and preparing hunting and fishing trips. His passion for the Lord and his committed prayer life have made a big difference in our planning and fundraising. Plus the kids love him and his cool truck and we couldn't be happier to have him on our team!
Rodney Middlebrooks
Rodney Middlebrooks has been here since the beginning. When Robert came to Rodney in the summer of 2015 to tell him the idea he had about taking the kids hunting and fishing and sharing the commitment message with them, Rodney was the one who said, "You won't believe me, but I just told my pastor last night that there is a need for an organization just like this". This was confirmation that we were on the right track. Rodney is another one of those behind the scenes guys that helps encourage and push this vision to its fullest potential.