Our Mission Statement
To execute a Christian-based wilderness program through which teenage boys are guided into Christian Manhood. Through a combination of wilderness adventures, biblically based Campfire Talks, and modeling strong Christian manhood, we help impart masculinity in the young men we serve.
Who We Serve
We serve teenage boys (usually 12-17 years old, with a few exceptions) who are one of the following:
- Boys without an active father figure in the home
- Boys who do have an active father figure in the home, but the man needs help in teaching the boy outdoor skills or discussing Christian Manhood
Our Statement of Faith
We’ve adopted The Nashville Statement as our core Statement of Faith. It’s “an evangelical Christian statement of faith relating to human sexuality and gender roles authored by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) in Nashville, Tennessee in 2017. The Statement expresses support between one man and one woman, for faithfulness within marriage, for chastity outside marriage, and for a link between biological sex and self-conception as male and female.” Read more about the Statement’s 14 Articles.
We take child protection seriously.
Our Leadership
Steve Osterholzer
Director
Of Mountains & Men is led by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Steve Osterholzer. Following 23 years as an active-duty Army officer and seven years as an Army JROTC Instructor at a Denver inner-city high school, Steve founded the ministry in 2019. With more than 50 years of experience in the outdoors, he’s led nearly 100 wilderness canoe trips and 150 big game hunts. He’s a professional big game hunting guide for Tri-State Outfitters, has earned three Master’s Degrees, has been published in 20 magazines as a freelance outdoor writer, and is the author of two books of wilderness stories. You can learn more about his books and watch his Wilderness Skills classes at www.steveosterholzer.com.
Paul Woodard
Paul and his wife Megan have three young children. Paul served his country as an Infantryman in the US Army, including a combat tour in Afghanistan. An avid hunter and Boundary Waters veteran, Paul graduated with a degree in Forestry from Michigan State University.
Joel Tuning
Joel lives and works as a firefighter in Yellowstone National Park. Joel and his wife Amy have six beautiful kids whom they love to explore the Park with.
Jesse Simmons
Prayer Lead/Special Projects.” Replace the current description with the following: “Jesse has dedicated his life to helping others, particularly the fatherless. Having grown up without a dad, he understands the unique challenges and struggles they face. Jesse’s a veteran canoer and a successful big-game hunter.
Ben Hass
Ben’s an avid outdoorsman and passionate family man. Having grown up in a foster family that welcomed more than 200 youth through their doors, he has a huge heart for the fatherless. Ben also led a bible study at a county jail for ten years and is leading a weekly Men’s Bible Study. He currently serves his community as a School Board Member.