closing up the year

Can't let the month of December get by without a post!

It's been a good month. We were able to spend a week and a half in Colorado and Nebraska with friends and family--resting and relaxing after a busy November.

One of our favorite parts of December was the Cookie Making Day on December 10. Eight ladies (women, daughters, granddaughters) worked together to bake over 1400 cookies. We had such a good time getting to know each one and delivering extra cookies to Rexford residents.

We enjoyed the Christmas holidays, getting to celebrate with Tim's family in Nebraska, just our family on Christmas Day, and then Gwen's family December 26. Then, on December 28 we drove to Holdrege to spend the day with Tim's sisters--the kids got to meet their month-old cousin, too!

A neat thing this holiday season has been talking to the kids about "needs" versus "wants". After a season of birthdays and gifts and Christmas, it gets hard to distinguish between what we really need and what we just want. The kids spent time poring over the World Vision catalog, looking for ways to help people who were really in need.

We're excited about a New Year of ministry, and so thankful for all of the ways God takes care of us. Happy New Year!

Ten Years of Ministry Collage

This month, we included a photo collage of pictures spanning ten years of ministry in our newsletter. Below are the photo captions:

1. Family Canoe Camp group poses under Smith Falls on the Niobrara River, 2005.

2. Camp Rock helpers celebrate Crazy Sock day.

3. Bailye Geller and Jana Peyton (Gwen's sister) celebrate Jesalynn's birth with us, 2003. We invested much time into the lives of these two girls, and are still involved with them today.

4. We took our Sidney E-Free Bible study group to Fort Collins (Faith E-Free Church) to practice the Evangelism Explosion material they had learned.

5. Ross Ohnesorg and Phil Merlino traveled with Tim on a scouting trip for the Family Canoe Camp, 2001.

6. Sidney E-Free Church brought their youth group for a winter retreat at Table in the Wilderness, 2010. We have worked with this church in Nebraska, Wyoming, and Kansas.

7. The mime troupe from Alliance E-Free church provided entertainment at the first annual Camp Rock Banquet, 2002.

8. Michelle Larington, of McCook Nebraska, teaches a workshop at the first Christian Workers Conference, 2011.

9. Tim and Gwen are happy to have survived three days on the river during a Table in the Wilderness white water rafting trip, 2008.

10. Tim chats with Kevin Shelton, a pheasant hunter from Lawrence, KS, 2010.

If you do not receive our newsletter and would like to, just shoot an email to griffithsgang@gmail.com, telling us how you'd like to receive your letter (email or postal service) and including the address. We look forward to hearing from you!

Old Friends, New Friends

Shepherd's Staff hosted two youth groups this weekend. The youth groups are pastored by twin brothers Kevin Larson and Kyle Larson, from Leoti KS and Sidney NE, respectively. We know Kyle, since he brought kids to Table in the Wilderness while we were there, and he is part of Sidney E-Free Church, one of our supporting churches.

While Kyle is an old friend, Kevin is a new friend. He actually attended the same college as Gwen's sister, during the same time period, but while she knew Kevin, we never met him. It's just been in the past year that we've gotten to know him.

So it was neat that the two brothers decided to do a combined youth retreat...and to hold it at Shepherd's Staff. We knew most of the sponsors for the Sidney group...and enjoyed getting to know the sponsors from Leoti.

It's always a blessing for us when familiar faces show up at Shepherd's Staff. It's a reminder that ministry isn't confined to one organization or locale--that the body of Christ is intertwined and varied.

Running

We've been running for the past week and are getting ready for a break. But it's a good sort of running. I am so thankful for the hunters who came for Opening Weekend of pheasant season. It's been a neat mix of new and old friends. We met our new board member and his Dad, a consultant from Texas, and a few more guys. We also had the chance to catch up with hunters we met last year and to connect with Robert Malone.

Robert Malone is a pastor from Kansas City. Every year he puts together a group of men together and they all come out to pheasant hunt. We met him for the first time last year. But the neat thing about Robert is that he has maintained contact with Tim throughout the past 12 months. They pray together on the phone and share what is going on in their ministries. I am so thankful to God for bringing this man into Tim's life.

Which reminds me: one of the reasons we left Table in the Wilderness was that we felt we weren't getting to build relationships in the way we wanted to. Here at Shepherd's Staff we constantly see God bringing people back into our lives (one of our pheasant hunters this week is a friend from Laramie; over the weekend we'll host a youth pastor from Sidney), allowing us to continue relationship-building that started years ago. He also continually brings new people into our sphere--some we minister to, some encourage us, and all of them are relationships.

That's ministry news. Here's an update on our family. We're almost into the 1900's in our homeschool history. Tyson has been reading "Farmer Boy" and Jesalynn is working on "Little House on the Prairie". We're learning about force and gravity in science. Natasha is starting to learn to read. And we're getting ready for Jesalynn's birthday on November 26.

The kids are such a blessing in ministry. They connect with people in a way that opens doors for future ministry. They have such helpful attitudes--most of the time. Yesterday the girls worked to fill the little containers that hold sweetener, sugar and toothpicks. It wasn't a big thing--I could have gotten it done in five minutes, but they chose to save me that five minutes and did it cheerfully.

So....that's it for now. We so appreciate those of you who pray for us and take the time to read our ramblings.

When It Rains It Pours

Have you ever had one of those times when it seems like everything is falling apart? I hit that point this week: our 8-year-old computer crashes regularly, Tyson came to tell me that the keyboard tray on the computer desk itself was broken, a drawer on my dresser wouldn't pull out right, and then the pencil sharpener quit working. Apart from the computer, none of these are big things, but put all together in one week, it was frustrating--especially when I kept watching the mileage on our van climb (224,000 miles and counting!)

My first reaction was to get cranky--to whine to God about how expensive it is going to be to fix/replace these things, about how much time it will eat up. And then it occurred to me--God has kept our van running long past the average lifetime for many vehicles. Same with the computer. And he gave Tim the skills to figure out how to fix the rest of the mess. I have no reason to throw a pity party, and every reason to thank God for His provision.

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As I type this, the kids are playing with balloons--P.E., right? They are each trying to keep their own balloon in the air while knocking down their siblings balloons. We've had a good morning in school with just a little work left for the afternoon. This afternoon we'll haul ourselves to Colby (dropping off a meal for a friend along the way), where Tyson and Jesalynn will hit gymnastics and Natasha and I will visit a friend. Then we'll have dinner before Tim and Tyson attend their first 4-H Shooting Sports meeting. By the time we all get home, groceries and library books in tow, it will be time to dump the kids into bed and try to get a couple more hours in on the computer. Wednesdays and Thursdays are definitely our busy days right now!

This weekend we begin to welcome pheasant hunters to our facilities. We'll also host the Teens for Christ (TFC) group on Saturday night. We love being able to have the kids home during the day--and when they choose to be a part of the work of the ministry.

See you soon!

So Many Options

I just got back from a training conference in Denver. It was a good conference, entitled "The Marketing and Social Media Conference". Right down my (Gwen's) alley. Exciting...and discouraging all at once. On the one hand, I've been doing some things right, without knowing why. And I came home with some ideas I feel like I can implement right away.

On the other hand, there are so many things that we could expand into or improve upon, but there's just no time. And this is the crux of many discussions Tim and I have lately. There's so much more that we could be doing here at Shepherd's Staff, but eventually we have to set limits on our work time, or it will eat up our lives and we'll be burned out and useless. We're at a point where we really see a need for more staff at Shepherd's Staff...but not at the point where leadership here is ready to pursue it.

You can pray with us that God will give us wisdom--to know which projects get our attention and how much, and in presenting the need we feel to our boss and our board. We will need grace and patience in the coming busy months: our food service/housekeeping person had a bad break in her leg this fall and everyone is pulling together to meet the gap. Please pray also that we will be able to step back when needed, to let things fall through the cracks--even when that means something important gets left out or not done quite as well as it could have been.

Just a quick update on our lives this week. You might see some changes in the way we market Shepherd's Staff (and our TAGG Team publicity) and hopefully those changes will reflect the things I learned today. Be watching!

Fall 2011

It seems like I just got out the fall decorations--and suddenly the forecast has snow in it! I honestly love this time of year. I don't know if it's the changing seasons or the lack of summer, but either way, I'm happy. I love fall, winter, and spring...and can endure summer if it only comes once a year.

Some updates:

• Serena, our head cook and housekeeper, took a nasty fall, breaking her leg and dislocating her kneecap. We don't know yet how long it will be before she is able to work again, but we do know that we have a very busy six weeks coming up. Please pray as we work to line up volunteer help.
• The pumpkin patch and corn maze (a first-time venture for Shepherd's Staff) were a hit! We had over 120 people visit so far and are hoping for a few more this last weekend in October. What a great way to reach out to the families in our area and introduce them to the ministry here.
• This weekend we'll serve youth from Lutheran churches all over Kansas and also hold a conference to train people to help those who are affected by tragedy. These two events will keep us running all day Saturday.
• Tyson loves being in T&T (Truth and Training) in AWANA, Jesalynn thinks being a SPARK is the greatest, and Nattie is cruising through her last year in Cubbies. We take between two and six extra kids with us every week!
• Homeschool has been going well--a big praise!

I think that's it for now. We'll try to keep you a little more up-to-date throughout the year, especially as our newsletter goes from a quarterly publication to a three-times-yearly event.

Thanks for your prayers! We couldn't do it without you!

Catching UP

I keep wishing that I could post pictures of the various documents I work on for Shepherd's Staff. I would love to share with you the poster for the Beth Moore simulcast that I'm working on this afternoon...or show you some of the recent brochures that I've done. I think it would give you a better idea of what it is that we do here. But so far I haven't figured that out, so you'll have to be happy with these new family pictures we had taken recently.

When I started this blog I wanted to give readers a more regular glance into our life: both ministry and family. Seems like I haven't done well on the "regular" part or the family part. So today, I'm going to share with you where our family is.

Nattie is 4 1/2 now and loves life. She always wants to be a part of what the older two kids are doing and had a great time being the youngest "camper" at Creative Arts Camp. Jesalynn is 7 and loves to direct her siblings and friends in various performances around the house. As I type this, she is setting up a puppet and streamer event in our living room. Tyson will turn 9 on Friday. He's losing teeth and loves to read. He has also discovered the joy of helping his Dad with various projects, both at home and around Shepherd's Staff.

I have been doing a lot of publicity work for upcoming events at Shepherd's Staff. It's also nice to have a break from school and so I've been trying to get some long-neglected projects done. Tim built a need "kid wash" out of pvc for Tyson's birthday and is trying hard to keep our garden alive. We both look forward to fresh produce later this summer!

So that's a little about us...next time I'll try to catch up with what's going on at Shepherd's Staff.

Summertime...

I think summer has finally arrived in Rexford. We've had a delightful spring, with cool weather and rain, but today was hot, humid, and heavy. Summer in Kansas...

I'm not even sure where to start in trying to catch up with news. Family-wise, things are a little slower right now. School and AWANA and other activities have finished, we already have VBS behind us, and the summer seems quiet. Work-wise, though, we're gearing up for Creative Arts Camp, the Village Missions conference, and a few assorted events--and looking towards August when things will start to build momentum again.

Would you pray for us over the next couple of weeks, that God would really guide us in the path He has set out for us? It's hard sometimes to be sure that we are following Him and not just chasing our own desires.

Thanks...and we'll be sharing with you about Creative Arts Camp soon.

Prayer and Drudgery

We had the pleasure of spending a few days in Nebraska last week, and I (Gwen) had the specific pleasure of visiting a good friend one afternoon. As we sat in her living room, we chatted about the place of prayer in our daily lives. We both felt the need for a more constant communion with God, but short of throwing our virtual aprons over our heads (a la Wesley's mother), we weren't sure how to achieve it. Jodi recalled that a friend used to attach a prompt or reason to pray to common household chores. For example, the friend would thank God for removing the filth from her heart while scrubbing the toilet.

This concept seems to have taken root in my mind over the past week, and as I've considered it, I've come up with many prompts. I'll share some below, but I thought it would be neat to hear what some of you come up with as well. So leave a comment--tell me how the mundane and the every day might inspire us to commune with the Great and the Unique.

mirror cleaning: praying that I might reflect Christ more fully
cooking: thanking God for the food He provides for us
laundry: thanking God for His provision, for the children that wear the clothes and get them all dirty
dusting: confession of the "buildup" of sin in my life

Picking Up

We sat in the conference room today with Serena, our housekeeper and food service person, and looked at the calendar of upcoming events. Starting with this weekend (March 26-28), we have eight consecutive weekends booked. This is a big deal for Shepherd's Staff, who had a total of 16 events in the first six months of 2010. It's also a big deal for the staff (all of us) as we adapt to the changes that a busier season brings. It is that odd phase of growth where we see huge potential, exciting new adventure, and the need for additional staff. However, we cannot bring on new staff before the ministry is ready and God has led us there, so the challenge is to be patient and wait for His timing.

Mostly, though, we praise God for how far He has brought our family and this ministry in the past year. Twelve months ago we were packing, wondering what the future held, and imagining life in Kansas. Now that we've been here a while, we seem to be finding our stride in family and ministry. Tim has met hundreds of pastors, made connections with many churches, and begun the process of discovering how we can serve them. Our family is reaching out to the community through the monthly Free Family Movie and relationships. And our family is growing internally, learning to relate more intentionally within the family and with those we come into contact with.

I was recently reading chapters from "On Being A Servant of God". The author makes the point that each place God puts us is in preparation...whether for growth, the next position, or for serving others. I think we are really seeing how God used our experiences at Camp Rock and Table in the Wilderness to prepare us for service at Shepherd's Staff. I pray that we have also learned from our previous experiences in relationships and service and are applying that to our current lives, too.

God's Grace Always Amazes Me

Really, that's all I need to say. God takes care of us, provides for our needs in ways I could never fathom. When I think of all the times I have whined to Tim or to God about money being tight, about how hard it is to raise support--I feel ashamed. God is in control of this, and He always has it taken care of.

Part of my job here at Shepherd's Staff is to process the mail: bills, information, contracts and payments, donations. I can't tell you how many times I have sat in this chair, almost stunned, at the contents of the envelope I have just opened. Today was one of those days.

God always takes care of His children, and all He asks from us is that we live for Him. How could I not, when He has so lavishly loved me?

O Lord, your grace, your provision...YOU amaze me.

Teaching Hebrews to Boys

Every week I (Gwen) help at the Rexford Kids Club. Somehow I ended up with the 3rd-5th grade boys, which is a daunting task at times. It seems like Wednesdays roll around twice as fast as any other day of the week! Since Christmas, our schedule has been thrown out of whack by snow days and scheduled days off, and it feels like we are just getting into the semester when it's really half over.

A friend from church gave me some Sunday School booklets put out when we was a young teen...in 1979. We're going to be using two of these booklets for the remainder of the year, starting with a study on Hebrews for March. At first this seemed too in-depth, too structured for a group of boys that is distracted by just about anything. But we're beginning this week, talking about WHY Jesus is the one we should put our hope in and trying to understand what Christian growth/maturity is and why we would want to pursue it.

Please pray for me on Wednesday afternoons as I try to maintain order with 12 boys who just got out of a long day of school and for whom learning about the Bible is a pretty low priority. I'll be explaining the need for salvation today so that we'll all be starting from the same base, so a lot to cover.

Thanks for praying!

The Conference Is Coming, The Conference is Coming!

Well, our first attempt at the Christian Workers Conference is coming: Saturday. We spent this morning setting up the Vendor Hall and we'll spend late afternoon working to get the workshop areas ready to go. There's still a lot to do: programs, bag stuffing, last minute details. So far we've sold around 90 tickets, which is getting ever closer to our goal of 100. God is working here!

Tim and I had the chance to retreat a little this weekend. Tim spoke at First Christian Church in Garden City, then we stayed in a Bed and Breakfast there before heading back to northwest Kansas for a meeting and a Valentines Banquet.

It's a busy time, but we are relying on God to supply our needs and to help us do what we need to get done. We appreciate your prayers, now and throughout the year.

In His Hands

It's amazing how we'll hit periods of time where it feels like all we can do is keep up--get the basics done, keep checking things off the list, and then fall into bed exhausted every night. And then all of a sudden we realize that a snow day or two (or a week of being too sick to really do much) has somehow caught us up, and there's time again for blogging and homemade valentines and digging through the accumulated piles on the desk at work.

We're in one of those caught-up phases right now, and it feels like the calm before the storm, or maybe the eye of the storm, since life was swirling at a frantic pace just days ago, and promises to be again soon. We're about 3 weeks out from our Christian Workers Conference, the first BIG thing we've launched since our arrival here. So far we've sold close to 80 tickets (our goal was 100, so we still have a ways to go), lined up speakers and workshop leaders, and confirmed vendors. We're very excited about what God is doing through this event.

He is always reminding us that no matter how much effort we put into something, or even how little we actually do for something, if it is His will, the event will succeed in His way, His time. We can't make the work of God happen, or judge what will be measured as success. We just have to keep striving to please Him and to be faithful in what He asks us to do. He's got the rest taken care of, is holding it all in His hands.