Fergus Falls Trail Life troop focuses on disciple-making, outreach

Trail Life Troop MN-1977 is putting disciple-making at the center of its work in Fergus Falls, where the boys’ ministry meets at Calvary Chapel Fergus Falls, 1500 S Cascade St., on the first and third Mondays. Trail Life Connect lists the meetings from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the church says the troop was founded in 2022.

The program is not framed as a generic activity club. Calvary Chapel describes Trail Life as an outdoor adventure, character and leadership development ministry based on biblical values, with boys moving through Woodlands Trail, Navigators and Adventurers while working toward advancement badges and the Freedom Award. Trail Life USA says its broader network now includes more than 1,400 troops in all 50 states and serves boys ages 5 to 17.

Tim Molter, the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Fergus Falls, is also the troop chairman for Trail Life USA. His background gives the ministry added weight inside the church: Molter is an Eagle Scout, and his biography says he and his wife, Anna, have three sons and are foster parents. That family experience fits the church’s message that Trail Life is part of a wider effort to strengthen spiritual leadership at home.

Calvary Chapel’s men’s ministry presents the troop as part of its focus on fathers and faith formation, saying it sees Trail Life as one piece of a broader push for spiritual leadership in families. That emphasis matters in Fergus Falls, the county seat of Otter Tail County, where the local landscape is defined by outdoor life and, according to county tourism materials, 1,048 lakes.

The troop’s outreach also appears to be tied closely to the church’s regular life. Calvary Chapel promotes Trail Life alongside its other ministries and events, keeping the boys’ program visible as part of the congregation’s weekly rhythm rather than as a stand-alone extracurricular. For families looking for a faith-based option that combines mentoring, outdoor activity and leadership training, Troop MN-1977 is offering a model that leaders say fills a gap other youth programs do not.