Our Story

Outdoorsmen Church began with the goal to reach Montanans, specifically Western Montanans. Western Montana abounds with opportunities to enjoy the outdoors whether it is hunting, fishing, white water rafting, rock climbing, snowmobiling, skiing, camping, hiking, or other various activities. Unfortunately, this has made it very hard to reach the unchurched. To tell someone, “Jesus loves you, and he wants you to give up every Sunday for the rest of your lives,” has been a barrier for Montanans in seeking Christ.

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In 2005, God began this new work with a unique vision to begin a culturally relevant church plant based on a relational ministry approach. In the Spring of 2005, Outdoorsmen Church began in Huson, MT, with church services on Thursday nights and a free BBQ before church. God greatly used this style of ministry to reach and bring people to Christ.

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Outdoorsmen Church moved to a permanent location in West Missoula in 2009. God gave the church a vision for developing leaders for church planting. They began actively raising and training leaders within the church body. In 2014 God brought Peter and Johanna Zipp to Outdoorsmen Church as church planting interns. They came from a 7 year stent with FamilyLife, a ministry of CRU. This is where they were first introduced to Montana and the great spiritual need to see the good news spread and lives reached with the hope of Jesus!

Two weeks into his internship Peter felt lead by the Lord that he wouldn’t go on to plant a church but that he and Johanna would stay at Outdoorsmen Church and eventually become the pastor of the church. This was confirmed when the founding pastor, in 2019, planted a new work in the heart of Missoula and handed the reigns over to Peter.
Peter, having loved the people of Outdoorsmen Church from the beginning, has been the lead pastor since December of 2019. His and Johanna’s passion is to do exactly what was set out from the beginning; to Outfit the body to Rescue the Searching, through uniquely Montanan ministries.