AU Alums Kevin and Kim Schwieger Make Nature Accessible
BY ZACH WADLEY ’14
4 MIN. READ
Kevin Schwieger ’86 has spent much of his life in ministry. Ministry can take many different forms, and Schwieger has dabbled in several. Born in Kenya to Church of God missionaries, he’s served on the pastoral staff at Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio, but his latest venture is a ministry that celebrates God’s creation.
Schwieger serves as the president of Luke 5 Adventures, a non-profit organization that helps families impacted by disability experience God’s creation in nature. His wife, Kim (Luedeke) Schweiger ’88, serves as the special events and expedition coordinator.
Luke 5 Adventures began with a conversation that never happened. Kevin had recently completed a hike and was anxious to tell everyone about the sights and sounds of it. That next Sunday morning, one of the first persons he encountered coming into church was Debi Rosen. Debi has been confined to a wheelchair for almost 20 years from a car accident.
Kevin wanted to share about his experience with Debi, but ultimately decided against it for fear that his excitement would be perceived as insensitive since Debi would not be able to experience what he had just done.
The feeling gnawed at Kevin and he decided to do something about it. After days of searching Google for something that would allow Debi to enjoy a hike, Kevin realized there were several pieces of equipment that would enable wheelchairs to be slightly more effective off the sidewalk, but he wanted to take Debi to places like the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the top of Pike’s Peak. It would require more than what was offered.
One day, he came upon the Joelette Co. in France that manufactures a “chair cycle” using the concept of old-fashioned mountain rescue apparatus. The company has a U.S.-based supplier in Denver and Kevin quickly went to work securing pledges from friends to order the first chair cycle, which he named “Rosie” in honor of Debi. Thus, Luke 5 Adventures was born.
The name comes from the Luke 5 story of the friends who took their paralytic friend to see Jesus. However, when they arrived the home was so crowded they could not get in. Undeterred, the friends went up to the roof, cut a hole, and lowered the man down to see Jesus. They made the impossible possible and that’s what Luke 5 Adventures now does for those who wish to experience God’s creation.
Luke 5’s story has since spread across the country and today there are nine chapters with two more launching soon. In the last three years, more than 1,100 people have gone on a hike thanks to Luke 5.
“This is a ministry in that we exist to bring families impacted by disability closer to Christ through this activity,” said Schwieger.
Disability is something that affects more than one billion people in the world according to the World Health Organization, but it’s not something that Schwieger had ever faced in his own life until his moment with Rosen.
“Looking back, it was the Lord who held my tongue in that moment [with Debi],” said Schwieger. “That awkward feeling caused me to have this idea. He gave me that restlessness that started this whole thing.”
As for what’s next, Schwieger is hopeful for more chapters spread across the country. His dream is 100 active chapters and 10,000 hikes collectively every year. And while he hesitates to make it all about numbers, he knows there’s a deep meaning behind each one.
“We know that every single one of those hikes is a life-changing, soul-quenching experience for that person and their family,” he said. “Every single hike is important for that reason.”
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.