Good news hiking

On a 95-degree Sunday afternoon in Austin, eight hikers made their way to the green wooden picnic table marking the head of the Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail. They gathered around Nate Oinonen, a 42-year-old deacon of Grace and Peace Church (PCA). He welcomed returning and new hikers who found his invitation via the online service Meetup.

Oinonen read Psalm 56—“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you”—from his Bible app, asked if everyone had water, and explained that they would hike the first portion in silence to reflect on the passage. Then, he led the way into the woods.

The hikers marched along the rocky trail in a single, silent row. Other visitors passed by coming from swimming holes and juggling beach towels, toys, coolers, and devices blasting music. As the hikers continued down the path, the whirring of cicadas replaced the noise of music and conversation.

The hike was part of Worship in the Woods, a ministry Oinonen started in 2019 while pondering his New Year’s goals. Oinonen has been self-employed the past 10 years running a DJ company and frequently comes up with ideas for new ministries. Two years ago, he challenged himself to put one of his ideas into action.

He decided to combine his love of hiking with his love of telling others about Jesus. He jotted down some ideas, and Worship in the Woods was born.

Since then—with the exception of a seven-month pause due to the pandemic—Oinonen has led groups of strangers about once a month on hikes. On this Sunday, after 20 minutes the seven hikers followed Oinonen into a small, tree-shaded clearing. The hikers formed a circle and sat cross-legged on the dusty ground. They listened as Oinonen spoke about assurance of salvation. He used simple words and personal stories to illustrate his points. As he spoke, he drew lines in the dirt and glanced up at his audience from time to time.

Oinonen never knows how many people will show up. Sometimes groups are as large as 25 or as small as three. His primary goal for Worship in the Woods is to create a nonthreatening environment for people to hear about who Jesus is and what He has done.

Oinonen says the mechanics of the ministry are easy. He uses Meetup to publicize hikes. He reads Bible passages from his personal study to the group. He finds it a discipline to stay focused instead of moving on to his next big idea. Staying in the right mindset takes work: He has to keep wanting to connect with strangers and keep showing up.

Sometimes people on the hike tell him how much his Bible reading or message spoke to them. Other times, they don’t. Many people attend once and Oinonen never sees them again.

After one Worship in the Woods meeting, Oinonen’s father told him over the phone: “If one person is led to Christ—well then, it’s a triumph.” Oinonen said even if his work never leads anyone to Christ, the attempt glorifies God.

Last fall, a new hiker joined. During introductions, he told the group he was from India but had moved to the United States. He was exploring Christianity and had started attending a local church and Bible study. In his message that day, Oinonen described sin as the dirty, smelly rags we wear until Jesus gives us the clean coat of His righteousness. The man became a regular on Worship in the Woods hikes over the next six months.

Back in the clearing, Oinonen concluded his lesson after a few minutes and invited others to share. With a shy smile, the man from India spoke up: “I got baptized.”

For Oinonen, moments like this are a rare glimpse of how God uses his ministry. Most people come and go without him really getting to know them. He guesses most people signing up for a worship hike are probably Christians, but he keeps talking about the gospel anyway. For him, it is “the reminder that Jesus loves us,” and there’s no such thing as hearing that too many times.

At the trailhead after the hike, Oinonen asked if anyone wanted to close in prayer. A new group member volunteered. The hikers bowed their heads as she thanked God for His assurance.

—Grace Snell and Carolina Lumetta are World Journalism Institute graduates