On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

“The Sanctuary of the Lost”

One of the most important logistical items is to confirm where the outreach events will be held. Where do the lost youth of the Reservation hang out? That’s where we go. We call it “The Sanctuary of the Lost.”

On most Reservations, there is an identifiable spot that will immediately come to mind. Often it’s a basketball court in a tribal park, or the gymnasium of a local school. Preferably, On Eagles’ Wings would like to host our evening outreach event at an outdoor, local basketball court, tribal park, or school facility. This would be our primary location where the team meets and interacts with the local people. It’s where people just passing by may see the team and be drawn to the activity. Wherever it is, we will always do our outreach events on their home court, where the local youth feel comfortable. Note: There may be rare cases when an indoor gym facility may be the better first choice. This would be in cases where an outdoor paved surface is not big enough to play a game of full-court basketball or other sports event. Either way, we want the outreach site to be in the heart of the Native community.

As local leaders, we ask you to help identify for us the right place that will draw the maximum number of lost people to the event. Once that site is identified, it is crucial for the local leaders to secure permission from the community or tribal leaders in charge, if permission is needed.

It’s also important to consider a back-up plan, especially if the main venue is an outdoor venue. Have a “plan B” ready, in case God allows the weather to move us elsewhere.

In both the primary and back up facilities, electric power is needed to run our sound systems and other electronic equipment. However, we do come ready with back-up generators when absolutely necessary.

It is also important for us to know if there is a curfew enforced in your area, since outreaches extend to around 11 p.m. However, in some situations when OEW is in town, curfews are disregarded.

When approaching tribal and community leaders to secure approval to use a site, it is helpful to share with them the following information:

1. The On Eagles’ Wings team is an all Native team, made up of positive Native youth from many tribes who have been well received across Native North America, including appearances at the Indigenous Games.
2. The team will provide several nights of positive influence to the local youth through a quality program that features sports events, slam dunk competitions, challenge basketball games, creative drama, concerts, and more. The hope stories (personal testimonies) of the team members have provided great encouragement to thousands of Native youth who have heard our team share in the hundreds of events we have held over the years.
3. The events will offer food incentives, including pizza, sno-cones, etc.
4. The On Eagles’ Wings team comes equipped with all the necessary equipment, including sound systems, lighting, video projection and screens, etc.

We ask for a written permission letter from the authorities to verify we have access to these public facilities during the dates we confirm for your area.

It is also a good idea to notify in advance the local tribal, city, and county law enforcement of the On Eagles’ Wings scheduled events. We have had occasions when tribal law enforcement have come to our events, heard the Gospel, and have responded positively to Christ! If your tribe has a local radio station, they may want to carry the events live. This has been done in several reservations with very positive results.