Come Have Lunch With Us!

Hey, all. We're settling in for a week of work after a great week of Creative Arts Camp. I'm loading pictures to the Shepherd's Staff FaceBook group on and off this week, so be sure to stop by and join the group, then check out the pics and jump into a discussion.

We want to invite all of you to join us for lunch on Sunday, June 27, at Calvary Memorial Church in Gering, Nebraska. We'll be serving up some amazing spaghetti and garlic bread after the service. We'd love to have the chance to visit with you in person, to share what in the world we're doing out here in northwestern Kansas, and to answer any questions you may have. And hey, you can't beat a free Sunday dinner! (We will have a basket for a free-will offering.)

Creative Arts Camp went really well. Here's a picture of Jesalynn and another camper working on their devotions for the day. The kids experienced a good mix of Bible truths, creative fun, and more fun. The final program on Friday night was pretty impressive--everything from bell performances to karate demonstrations to puppetry and drama. Everyone played a part in the performance; Tyson and Jesalynn both had a chance to hold a puppet or two up and told me how tiring it was. They are already looking forward to next year.

Next on our horizon are a series of pulpit filling (Tim), a trip back to western Nebraska, and lots of meetings and phone calls to book dates for later in the season. We're working on getting promotional materials together for Paintball Weekends, our annual golf tournament fundraiser, an annual trap shoot, pheasant hunting, a Crop 'n' Clip scrapbooking weekend, a Pastor Appreciation Package, and more. If any of these strike a chord with you, email us (griffithsgang@gmail.com) for more info!

Creative Arts Camp

It's the end of the beginning in the picture above, as students practice holding up props for the big performance on Friday.

This week we've been hosting 20 or so kids for the annual Creative Arts Camp. The kids are learning about music, drama, puppetry, ceramics, leathercraft, and more, as well as participating in fun activities like paintball and the bounce house. Friday night they'll throw a big performance to show their parents what they've learned.

It's been a good chance to share with the kids about topics like God's love, respect for leaders, and sharing God's Word with others. Tyson and Jesalynn are campers and have really enjoyed it. Natasha has enjoyed this week of being an "only child", but will be thrilled to have her brother and sister back again.

New Adventures.

It's the day after Memorial Day weekend, and the atmosphere has sure changed in our little corner of Kansas. Last week we were making contacts, working on an update, figuring out the calendar, and puttering in our little garden in the evenings. This week, all attention is focused on the upcoming Creative Arts Camp.

Since we're brand new here, we're having to jump in right in the middle. Tim is out checking a pool for leaks and filling it, preparing the BB gun range, and making sure the campfire pit is ready to go. I'm trying to make sure my "best-laid" plans for a music class are doable, setting up music for chapel time, and teaching for a VBS in Oberlin (a larger town to the northeast of us). Tyson and Jesalynn are enjoying VBS and anticipating their week as campers next week. It's a little busy around here!

We'll be updating this blog as regularly as we can, and adding pictures as we have them. I wanted to draw your attention to the PayPal button to the left; you can use this for automatic monthly giving. (PayPal uses the word "subscribe" to describe that.)

I'll keep this short today because there's much to do, but I want to leave you with a few praises and prayer requests. Our home in Laramie is still on the market--one of our biggest prayers. We've unpacked all of our boxes and are settled into our new home--a big praise. Please pray for the kids who will attend Creative Arts Camp June 6-11--that they will not only enjoy the activities planned for them, but that God would use this time to draw them closer to Him.

(Picture is from the day we discovered Monument Rocks, about 45 minutes south of us. Who knew there were gigantic rock formations on the Kansas plains?)