Outdoor evangelism in Lancashire

An interview with Counties evangelist Steve Cowles.

On a rain-soaked day at Capernwray Bible School, 21 Ministry Assistants from eight nations huddled under a newly built shelter in the woods to escape the rain. The downpour didn’t dampen spirits – in fact, it became the lesson. As water hammered the roof, Counties evangelist Steve Cowles pointed to the structure above their heads and quoted Psalm 91:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…”

Theology, discipleship, teamwork, and lived experience fused into one.

This is Steve Cowles’s ministry in essence: practical, relational, outdoors, and deeply rooted in the Gospel. Originally from the United States, he has spent more than three decades shaping lives in the UK through chaplaincy, evangelism, and innovative outdoor outreach—equipping others to share Christ using the gifts and environments God has already placed in their hands.

Steve’s relationship with Capernwray began long before he ever led students into the woods. He first arrived as a Bible school student himself in 1997. That formative experience planted seeds that would later bear unexpected fruit. Both he and his wife Debbie have been in full-time ministry for approximately 40 years. For the past 18, most of his time has been spent serving as a lead police chaplain, work that opened doors into trauma care, crisis response, and wellbeing support. Yet alongside chaplaincy, another passion steadily grew: using the outdoors as a place of restoration, discipleship, and Gospel≈conversation.

For over 15 years, Steve has helped organise the annual Police Family Fun Day at Capernwray’s grounds – a largescale outreach with indoor and outdoor activities, cakes and coffee donated by churches, a zip line, go-karts, and student involvement. One recent event welcomed 1,175 police officers, staff and family members, creating a joyful bridge between the Bible school and the wider community.

But it was Steve’s outdoor teaching days that truly captured the school’s imagination. For several years, he led Capernwray students to woodland sites off-campus to experience faith lessons through fire-building, shelter-making, and shared reflection. Several years ago, Capernwray asked if this could become a regular part of student formation. Recently, the school developed its own outdoor ministry site, and Steve was invited to help shape its vision and practice.

“It’s a very practical school, and this is just another way to live out faith rather than only talk about it.”

The vision of the outdoor days is simple but profound: to use creation as a classroom and catalyst for transformation. Steve describes himself as “a passionate outdoor person.” His background includes bushcraft, woodland management, deer management, long walks, and men’s outreach. Over the years, he discovered that shoulder-to-shoulder activity often opens deeper conversation than face-to-face discussion ever could. That insight first found expression in his police wellbeing programme, “Battling the Elements.” Officers spend a full day outdoors, divided into teams, completing challenges like building shelters, starting fires without matches, cooking over open flames, and taking an hour of silent solo reflection. The day ends with debriefing and shared stories. More than 900 police officers/staff have now taken part, alongside church and men’s groups, bringing the total to over 1,500 participants.

“The outdoors gets people away from stress, away from noise, and into God’s creation. Then hearts open. You can talk about home while building a shelter, about the power of our life and purpose while making fire. Every activity becomes an illustration.”

Capernwray’s outdoor programme adapts that same philosophy for emerging Christian leaders. It equips students not only to grow personally but also to learn how they might use similar approaches in youth work, men’s ministry, church outreach, and evangelism back home.

The recent event in September 2025 gathered 21 brand-new Ministry Assistants (MAs), representing Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, the UK, Spain, Australia, Canada, and the USA. These second-year students serve as ministry leaders-in-training, helping with outreach, pastoral care, and student life at the school. Steve led two outdoor sessions across different afternoons. October sessions welcomed over 20 students each time, and combined with other Capernwray students, around 50 participants engaged in the programme per day.

Students come to Capernwray to grow spiritually, learn ministry skills, and prepare for service across the world. The outdoor programme offers something unique: embodied learning. In the rain, they constructed shelters. They cooked together. They solved problems. They prayed around a fire. They experienced community, leadership, and faith lived out rather than merely discussed. Classroom teaching imparts knowledge. Outdoor ministry forms character. Some discover leadership potential they didn’t know they had. Others learn to trust teammates. Many encountered God in a new way — outside classroom walls and structured schedules.

Steve sees these days as a way of “passing on the skills” God has entrusted to him.

“I’ve taken out teenagers, men’s groups, and hundreds of police officers. Now I get to train young Christian leaders to do the same.”

In the woods, students confront real challenges: weather, teamwork, problem-solving, patience. These become spiritual lessons in humility, perseverance, and community. As Steve pointed out,

“Jesus did most of His teaching outdoors.”

The natural world provides endless illustrations: fire that must be nurtured, shelter that protects, bread that must be shared, silence that invites reflection. One of the most powerful moments in every outdoor day is the hour of solitude. Participants sit alone without phones, noise, or tasks— simply listening. Many describe it as the first true silence they’ve experienced in years.

“This is where God often speaks. Not through me, but through stillness.”

In recent seasons, Steve has been in discussion with churches about developing outdoor ministry models for young people, dads and children, and men’s discipleship. American churches, like those in the UK, face the challenge of reaching a generation saturated in technology and short on silence. Steve’s vision offers an answer: bring people outdoors, remove distractions, and let God speak through creation and shared experience.

He is also passionate about evangelism training — helping believers discover that sharing faith isn’t limited to street preaching or door-to-door visits.

“When I talk about evangelism, people get scared, but you can share your faith through whatever skills God has given you. My skill happens to be the outdoors. There’s more than one way to share your faith.”

This message has resonated strongly in both UK and US contexts, encouraging believers to see everyday interests as mission fields.

As Steve’s season of police chaplaincy approaches its conclusion, a new chapter is unfolding. Conversations are underway with Capernwray about expanding the outdoor programme. Churches are exploring ways to engage young people and families through similar models. Fathers are seeking help to pull children away from screens and into shared experiences. Couples are discovering that nature creates space for honest conversation and healing. Steve believes God is stirring a renewed call to practical, relational evangelism-meeting people where they are, using what we have, trusting God to open hearts.

From police officers finding rest in nature, to international students discovering new ways to disciple others, to churches reimagining outreach, Steve Cowles’ work stands as a vivid reminder that evangelism is not a programme – it’s a posture. Steve sums it up simply:

“I’m all in.”