Overview

Sarasota Christian Church has chartered a new ministry for the 2025-2026 year: Trail Life Troop FL-2923. The national Trail Life USA organization is a Christian adventure, character, and leadership program for young men. The K-12 program centers on outdoor experiences that build a young man’s skills and allow him to grow on a personal level and as a role model and leader for his peers. Living the Trail Life is a journey established on timeless values derived from the Bible. All boys ages 5 through 17 are welcome irrespective of religion, race, national origin, or socioeconomic status. We welcome boys whose parents are seeking a faith-based outdoor adventure program that places an emphasis on character development, leadership, and moral purity, and who aspire to live in accordance with the values expressed in the Trail Life Motto (Walk Worthy) and 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.

The Trail Life motto is "Walk Worthy" derived from Colossians 1:10:

“… so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, …”

Meetings

Tuesdays 6:00-7:30pm beginning September 9, 2025

Connect

Adult Participation and Leadership

Note: in the case of Foxes, adult participation is required due to the young nature of the Trailmen (Kindergarten - 1st grade). Trailmen ages Kindergarten through 6th grade are required to have a parent physically on site during the meetings.

The most basic recognized role is that of a "registered adult." Please consider helping us by requesting to register as an adult. This role simply requires you to complete the registration process as an adult and make yourself available to support your son's patrol. There is no obligation to serve beyond assisting the patrol. This simple registration allows you to help us meet our mandated ratio of registered leaders to Trailmen. Trail Life USA requires:

• Two registered adult-leaders per unit of boys (for child-protection purposes).
• A ratio of 1:4 for K-1st grade (registered leaders to trailmen).
• A ratio of 1:8 for 2nd-3rd grade.
• A ratio of 1:10 for 4th-12th grade.

Other opportunities exist to serve in direct-contact roles as the Trail Guide, Ranger, Trailmaster or Advisor. These leaders oversee the operation of specific age-level groups. They help plan activities, coordinate logistics and have many opportunities to coach and mentor Trailmen.

There are also more senior leadership roles that make up the "Troop Committee" which serves as the core leadership team. There are many ways to serve the committee and just a few roles include Chaplain, Treasurer, Secretary and Membership Chair.

A more complete overview of leadership roles can be found on this Trail Life webpage. Please consider serving in some capacity to help keep troop operations running smoothly.

Resources

Here are a few additional resources online to help you understand the Trail Life USA national organization a little better.

Trail Life Program Overview and Core Values
60 second Trail Life Overview (from the Trail Life YouTube channel)
Trail Life Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) -- over 60 questions!
Trail Life Online Store
Trail Life Connect Help