GROVE CITY - Fishing, hiking and biking don't sound like church, but one group believes these activities can foster relationships with God and others.

With a mission statement like, "Empowered by God to experience the adventure in Christ," Outdoor Adventures Ministry takes the concept of spiritual adventure and applies it to outdoor settings. The idea is spending time with others in a healthy way is the first step toward a Christian connection.

"We are trying to encourage Christian growth and outreach and to reach out in a non-threatening, neutral environment," said Chris Barger of Pine Township, who started the group's Grove City chapter this year. "It gives us a chance to connect with people and build friendships with believers and nonbelievers."

Although the group officially began with a kickoff dinner in February, it also participated in the Grove City Christmas parade with a float that took first place in the contest. Since that time, the group organized a hike at the Wolf Creek Narrows trail outside Slippery Rock and participated in a hike and bike on the Allegheny River Trail in Franklin.

The next outing is set for June 5 with a family fishing day at Maurice K. Goddard State Park near Sandy Lake. The event coincides with the Pennsylvania Game Commission's free fishing day, when fishing licenses are not required. A fishing contest for children and a potluck meal will be part of the outing, which will take place at the pavilion at the marina.

The events include a prayer before the activity and a Bible reading that relates to the outdoors and God's creation. Beyond that, Barger said the idea is to offer a social and spiritual venue for individuals and families.

"The whole goal is to reach as many people as we can, and family is definitely one area we want to focus on. It's pretty tough nowadays to get families together at one time and do something," he said. He also stressed all denominations are invited to outings.

Barger, an outdoorsman who happened upon the national group's Web site, began the project about a year and a half ago by going to local churches and asking if pastors saw a need for the ministry. Although many of the pastors supported the idea, Colleen McFarland, the coordinator of ministries at East Main Presbyterian Church in Grove City, decided to get involved with Barger and the group.

"Chris came to me with this idea for this ministry," she said. "I think it's a really neat way to reach people who don't normally attend church.

"My title at East Main is coordinator of ministries, and part of my job is to help start new ministries. This is open to the whole community - not just our church, and I thought this was a way we could help promote this.

"It is a unique ministry," she added. "I don't know of any others. I guess it's a lot like the Christian bow hunters group, but what I liked about this was the aspect of the family. It's not just for hunters. It focuses on activities that whole families can participate in."

Barger said although the group is just getting started, his goal is to eventually attract participants with outdoor expertise they will share with others. During the kickoff meeting, which attracted about 70 people from a variety of churches, Barger said he conducted a survey to determine what types of events to offer.

Among them, a women's-only walk, camping, canoeing, hunting and fishing ranked highest. Although at this point the events have been geared toward all age groups, Barger said ideas like white-water rafting - also suggested in survey results - can be implemented later as demand increases.

The group hopes to coordinate some type of activity each month throughout the year, possibly adding sporting events to the calendar. The event will be advertised in local newspapers. Barger also notifies people with an e-mail and phone list he has compiled from the survey responses and from previous outings.

"We're open to people who like to do activities, who would want to come and join us and bring their ideas," McFarland also said. "Chris had talked about a white-water rafting trip. I said, 'Bye. I'll pray for you!' "

The group meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month at East Main Presbyterian Church. For information, call the church at 724-458-8270 or e-mail bargeroutdoors@wmconnect.com.