Greetings!

Well the 2003 Ohio Whitetail Season has came to an end and many of you are already looking forward to the thundering gobbles of an eastern long beard… I can hardly wait!

Make plans to attend the Annual FCH Ohio Chapter Wild Game Dinner and 2003 Whitetail Awards Banquet. The event will be held Saturday February 28, 2004 at the Mt. Tabor Fellowship Center just south of Chillicothe, OH. The meeting will begin at 6:00 sharp! For directions call 740-663-2563. We will have a great night of food, fun, and fellowship with a special guest little Caleb Potts. This little fellow will share his elk hunt of a lifetime. Little Caleb is handicapped and hearing impaired, but that can’t hold him back! He will have his grandmother there to put words to all his actions. Including video footage. You won’t want to miss this!

We will also be handing out our 2003 Whitetail Deer Awards. Remember any annual member harvesting an antlered buck will receive no less than a framed 8 ½” X 11” picture of them and the trophy, so we need pictures no later than February 25^th. Plaques will be given for Big Buck- Bow, Crossbow, Firearm, and Muzzleloader, a hunter’s first ever-antlered buck and all bucks scoring over 120 total inches. Don’t forget we will be handing out that most coveted “Skunked Award” as well! We will also be giving out a very very special “Christian Hunter Legend Award” to member James Speakman Sr. Believe it or not, at 83-years young this year, Jim harvested a 9-point buck with a crossbow! He tragically suffered a stroke shortly after completing his whitetail “tracking” effort, but he is back on his feet smiling from ear to ear! Don’t miss this huge celebration!

Our FCH Chef’s Bea, Terri, and Gerald Gallaugher will be preparing the food for the wild game dinner. If you have meat for the dinner, you can either prepare it yourself or contact Bea and Gerald to handle the chore. You can contact them at:(740)773-1463. You do not have to bring anything but an appetite! Rumor has it that we will have multiple venison dishes including meatloaf, meatballs, sloppy doe, deer stew, duck fajitas, goose, turkey, turtle, antelope, rabbit, squirrel and the list goes on. Maybe even some Mississippi Bobcat!

We will also have a large taxidermy display! Bring yours and fill the wall.... People love to see what you’ve got! We also received a “full body mount bedded whitetail doe” as a donation from Kasey Swepston, the owner of Swepston’s Taxidermy. This beautiful work will be auctioned off to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to the FCH Ministry. Thanks Kasey!

Plan to be there and bring a friend… Everyone is welcome!

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Other FCH News:

We have a “new” FCH Chapter located in Mt. Sterling, OH. President Tom Wagner is excited about what God has in store! This group has already established many outdoor events such as youth squirrel hunts, campouts, fishing tournaments and more! Their official kick-off meeting will be March 13, 2004.

We have another “new” FCH Chapter starting in Columbus, OH. The “Mother” church is Lighthouse Ministries on South High Street. The Columbus Chapter will be lead by President Ed Phillips, a former President of Apache Bowhunters. Their official kicking off will be in early spring!

I recently returned from Mississippi, where I had the opportunity to meet several leadership folks from our newly forming Petal, Mississippi Chapter. The Mississippi Chapter “Mother” Church offers great potential and ministry growth as the church exceeds an 850-member congregation. The mother church already has several functional interdenominational ministries, so we expect the Mississippi Chapter to virtually explode! God is truly on the throne!

We are also in serious discussions for FCH Chapters in Portland, Oregon, South Texas and New Mexico. Praise the Lord!

Mark your calendars early as we anticipate a double upcoming event in April. April 10^th will be the day for our Spring 3D Archery Tournament, which will be held at Jackson Bowhunters in Jackson, OH. That evening will also be our Spring Gobbler Kick-Off Meeting and Ohio State Turkey-Calling Championships! You will receive more information in the mail as time draws nearer!

FCH has made plans to host a display booth again at the 2004 Ohio Deer & Turkey Expo in Columbus, OH. This event will be held March 19,20,21^st. Stop in and check us out. We will be in Booth #522!

Obviously, God continues to work through the FCH Ministry and His great outdoors! He is blessing our interdenominational fellowship one with another. Please tell others about FCH and our vision. Encourage involvement and spread the Word!

“We’re Christian hunters uniting in His name”!

God Bless and See You on the 28^th day of February!

Mark A. DePugh

President FCH, National Chapter

(740) 663-5335