Archery can be an incredibly fun sporting activity. Whether practicing for the big hunt, or just target shooting, people of all ages can participate in this low-impact form of exercise.
The equipment, however, is not cheap and could be a deterrent for someone wanting to try out archery, but worried about making the initial investment into something they ultimately might not like. If only there was a way to learn a little about archery, fire off a few arrows at a target, and decide if you like the sport or not, without that investment.
Fortunately for you, there is such a way.
Emmanuel Baptist Church in St. Clairsville began sponsoring Centershot archery classes back in September and they are held on the first, second, and fourth Saturdays of each month. The next class is set for Saturday, November 26. Interest parties only need to sign up ahead at www.ebcstc.org as the class size is limited.
“It’s been going really well since we started,” said Emmanuel youth pastor Ron Taylor, who spearheads the classes. “We’re averaging around 20 people per class, but we’ve had as high as 30 in one session. We’ve also ranged from ages four, all the way up to people in their 70s.”
Registration is required as Taylor noted they are trying to keep class size manageable, allowing everyone time to learn and practice.
“Initially, we started with 25 and that got a little hectic time-wise, so we try to go around 15 people each,” Taylor said. “The first class of each month is more geared toward the little ones, and the second and fourth Saturdays are more for the older kids and adults, the more advanced shooters.”
There are quite a few participants that keep coming back each week, and the hope is, with continued participation growth, that two classes might need to be held each week—one from 10 a.m. until noon and the other from 1-3 p.m.
No prior training? No equipment? No problem.
There are trained instructors to help even the greenest of beginners learn the proper steps of getting an error knocked and eventually into the target bales.
Taylor said they use equipment purchased through the National Archery School Program (NASP), which includes Genesis bows, Easton 1820 arrows, and targets to shoot at. The bows range in draw weight from 11-20 pounds, which is ideal for beginners. There are also mini bows for the younger learners that range from 5-10 pounds
The classes are held, weather permitting, outside of Emmanuel Baptist in its parking lot located along U.S. 40 in St. Clairsville at 50470 National Road East.
When the weather has taken a turn toward the sour, the class is moved indoors just down the road at the building across from the J.B. Martin Recreation Center by Red Devil Stadium.
“There is a round roof building across from the rec center that we shot in a week ago and, if the weather is bad again, we’ll be shooting in there,” Taylor said. “If it’s a nice day, we’ll have the stuff set up there at the church.”
Centershot Program
The theme of the Centershot program is “Making Christ the Target of our Lives” so each class does come with a devotional.
The church was looking for interesting ways to conduct outreach in the community. Taylor was a certified archery instructor many years ago and decided it could be a good idea for Emmanuel.
“Each session, we wanted to do some devotion time, and we talked to members of the Ohio Valley Baptist Association and they talked about how it used to be used down in West Virginia. So we contacted what is called Centershot Ministries and they set this program up in the early 2000s. It provides everything as far as the devotion times and we went with that program.”
There is an initial upfront cost of $3,600 for the equipment which included 12 bows, five targets, five dozen arrows, and the protective Kevlar curtain that sets up behind the targets. The church looked into grant funding through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, but with the backlog of applications, they took the idea to members of the church and one of the families came through and paid the entire $3,600 cost to get the program rolling.
It’s been a big hit and has helped bring not only church members together, but also both new members and visitors from other churches, as well as outside the church in general.
“We have a lot of people that have come in and have never shot a bow before,” Taylor said. “But it’s also brought some people into the church itself, and some have joined.
“Our hopes for this program were not to steal people from other churches, but we do have a lot from other churches that attend.
“We’re here to have fun and learn about putting the word about Jesus and salvation out there”
One of the aspects of Centershot is the Life bow, colored in red, white, black, green, and gold, and it is used to tell the story of salvation. That’s the faith component of the classes, to go along with the archery instruction and practice.
For more information, visit Emmanuel Baptist Church on Facebook or sign up at the location linked above.
