Our Vision
Our Vision is to be the premier national character development organization for young men which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers, and citizens.
Our Mission
Our Mission is to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure.
Motto: Walk Worthy
Colossians 1:10 “… that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;…”
Oath
On my honor,
I will do my best
To serve God and my country;
To respect authority;
To be a good steward of creation;
And to treat others as I want to be treated.
Core values
We teach biblical truth, integrating a biblical Christian worldview in all our outdoor adventures and character-building programs.
Local churches own and direct Troops, ensuring alignment with biblical Christian principles and allowing for dedicated stakeholders and church-endorsed mentors.
Adventure outdoors builds godly character. Our activities cultivate leadership, resilience, and awe for God’s creation.
Trail Life USA is unwavering in our commitment to youth protection and safety in the outdoors. We implement the 1-2-3 Youth Protection Essentials and provide informed and common sense health and safety guidelines in an effort to ensure the safety of every Trailman.
We boldly stand firm in biblical truth, equipping boys and leaders with the courage to uphold Christ-centered values in a shifting culture.
Godly men mentor boys into godly men. Male leadership is essential, irreplaceable, and central to our mission.
We champion father-son engagement and family collaboration, partnering with like-minded ministries for holistic family growth.
Our organization thrives on passionate volunteers. This minimizes paid staff and maximizes member involvement.
Core principles are firm, but local Troops have flexibility to adapt the program to their unique culture and faith traditions.
Core principles are firm, but local Troops have flexibility to adapt the program to their unique culture and faith traditions.
We practice collaborative leadership, empowering individuals and multiplying influence by intentionally equipping others
We empower boys to lead boys, giving them increasing responsibility and decision-making authority as they mature.
Servant leadership is characterized by humility and a willingness to work alongside others and not just “boss” people around. Leading by example and sacrifice are also qualities of servant leadership.
Key organizational decisions require overwhelming support from our local Charter Organizations, ensuring fidelity to our mission and beliefs.
We are committed to a debt-averse and member-supported organization. While we appreciate the generosity of our donors, our financial independence is primarily sustained through member dues and store sales, allowing a large percentage of our donations to directly support ministry growth and enhancement objectives, not operational expenses.
Our mission and vision are firmly rooted in a comprehensive biblical Christian worldview, uncompromising in its application.
We believe there is One Triune God – God the Father; Jesus Christ, His one and only Son; and the Holy Spirit – Creator of the universe and eternally existent. We believe the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments) to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. We believe salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and that our eternal hope is rooted in His sacrificial death and resurrection. We believe each person is created in God’s image for the purpose of communing with and worshiping Him. We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to live godly lives. We believe each of us is called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We believe God calls us to lives of purity, service, stewardship, and integrity.
Purity
God calls us to lives of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word, and deed. We are to reserve sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman.
Service
God calls us to become responsible members of our community and the world through selfless acts that contribute to the welfare of others.
Stewardship
God calls us to use our God-given time, talents, and money wisely.
Integrity
God calls us to live moral lives that demonstrate an inward motivation to do what is biblically right, regardless of the cost.
Membership Standards
Membership in Trail Life USA has youth, young adult, and adult classifications. Each classification requires that the qualifications relevant to the particular classification and prescribed in these Standards are met.
- Youth membership is open to all boys at least 5 years old and less than 18 years of age.
- Young adult membership is open to men and women who are at least 18 years old yet have not reached their 21st birthday.
- Adult membership is open to men and women 21 years of age or older.
We welcome youth members who aspire to live in accordance with the values expressed in the program’s Oath and Motto and whose parents or guardians seek a faith-based outdoor adventure program that places an emphasis on character development, leadership, and moral purity. The program is undergirded by biblical values and unapologetically reflects a Christian worldview. Our goal is to enable families to place their boys in a program that endeavors to instruct and instill moral integrity and consistency in its members. All members must honor their God-given identity revealed in their biological sex by presenting as and living consistent with that sex. We affirm that sexual immorality—any sexual activity outside the context of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman—is sinful before God and therefore inconsistent with the values and principles of the program. All members, therefore, should refrain from engaging in or promoting sexual immorality or any other behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the program. Young adult and adult members must subscribe to and abide by the Trail Life USA Statement of Christian Faith and Values as well as the Oath and Motto.
What we believe
Trail Life USA’s Six Essential Concepts of a Christian Worldview
Truth
- There are absolute and unchanging truths about God and life.
- Morality and moral law are absolute and unchanging because they proceed from and reflect God’s unchanging nature and character.
- A Trailman should show respect, understanding, and charity to others different from him, while maintaining firm Christian convictions.
Creation
- The eternal God created the universe for His purposes and according to His plan which is evident by the design, order and complexity found in all of creation.
- All of God’s creation is good. The entrance of sin into the world has affected every part of creation such that it is now fallen and imperfect.
- Because man is sinful and imperfect, he is in need of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Human Dignity
- Out of all of God’s creation, human beings are uniquely made in His image and likeness, and therefore all human life, from conception through natural death has unquestionable value, worth, and dignity.
- Because each human person is sacred and has intrinsic value, worth, and dignity, they should receive proper respect and protection regardless of age, disability, economic status, ethnicity, location, race, sex or sinful tendencies.
Family
- By His design, God created men and women different from each other and uniquely for His purposes.
- God’s design for marriage and family is that one man and one woman be united in marriage, and from that union, the blessing of new life comes forth.
- Natural marriage which unites one man and one woman before God is an earthly reflection of God’s Triune nature. Marriage also depicts the loving relationship between Christ and His church.
Stewardship
- God has given all human beings dominion over His earth and commanded us to use its natural resources.
- Therefore, each human being must be a good steward of the resources God provides and responsibly cultivate and conserve them for His glory.
Providence
- God is sovereign over all history.
- God actively intervenes in peoples’ lives for His purposes. He mysteriously uses all things, good and bad, for His glory.
- God is good and can be trusted in all things.