MIDLAND, Texas — Growing up on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, Jason Hatch, lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Midland, developed a lifelong passion for hunting. After winning a raffle for an all-expenses-paid trip to hunt a bull moose, Hatch had a new goal — to hunt and harvest all 10 big game species native to North America.

During his pursuit, however, Hatch discovered he was experiencing much more than just hunting. He was strengthening his faith on these trips.

While chronicling his adventures in his first book, “Chasing All Ten,” Hatch, a graduate of Dallas Baptist University, guides readers through the highs and lows of hunting while revealing valuable insights and lessons he has learned along the way. 

“One of the main reasons I wrote this book was to use hunting stories and adventures as a package to deliver some truths about Christ to a segment of people I love and have been around my whole life — hunters,” Hatch said.

“I hope many hunters, and maybe a lot who might not even consider themselves Christians, read this book and give some serious thought to God. I hope to stir up thoughts and exploration for folks about Jesus, creation, beauty, parenting, suffering, perseverance, work, the gospel and many other topics important to being human.”

For Hatch, part of those “important topics” include a painful journey of grief following his mother’s tragic death, which Hatch witnessed.

“I’ll never forget that morning,” he said. “She fell off her horse and was swept away in the current. I jumped in to try and save her. Despite my efforts for a few hundred yards trying to rescue her, the current won, I lost, and she drowned.

“The next few hours felt like time stopped while we waited for the selfless search-and-rescue team to find her body and pull her from the flooded debris.”

While the tragedy happened more than 20 years ago, the painful memories are still fresh. Hatch has found God to be faithful in hard times.

“My goal here is not to answer the question ‘Why bad things happen,’” Hatch said. “When you need God the most, don’t run away from Him. Run to Him. Bring Him all of your honesty. Take Him your anger, your hurt, your deepest pain. He can handle it. Because He understands what it’s like. Jesus has felt all those same feelings. There is no other God like that. Not even close. He has given you an open invitation to bring those things to Him.

“So for those with deep pain and unspeakable loss, when your heart is afraid, you are angry and hurt, I hope you will come honestly to God. You may not find every answer for every question, but you might just meet Jesus there and remember that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.”

Hatch said his purpose for the book was twofold.

“First, I wanted to use hunting as a sort of Trojan horse to smuggle some Jesus and gospel into the hunting world and hunters’ lives,” he said. “Second, I want hunters to realize just how much they can learn about and connect with God while out in the woods, if they are purposeful about it.”

People of all ages and life stages are connecting with the book. Willie Robertson from Duck Dynasty has also provided his endorsement.

“God has already used the book in some pretty encouraging ways,” Hatch said. “I had a college football coach who enjoyed it so much, especially some of the calls to true, biblical manhood, that he got copies for his entire team and coaching staff.”

The book has found an audience with people of all ages and walks of life, Hatch said, even those who aren’t avid hunters. For some, the book has served as a bridge to the hobby or a way to think about it differently.

“I’ve heard stories from dads who have read it and want to be better at leveraging the little time they have with their kids in the best way possible,” Hatch said. “It’s a sobering reality when you realize how fleeting the time is we have with our kids. This book stirred them to use it purposefully and wisely.”

The most important audience for Hatch is the hunter who doesn’t know Christ.

“I’ve had men who love hunting and are not Christians say this book gave them some answers about life but also stirred up some questions about God,” he said. “They are still on their faith journey but are thinking about God in ways they never have before.”