CHRISTVIEW MINISTRIES UPDATE
NOVEMBER 21, 2011
BEGINNING OUR EIGHTH YEAR
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS…ONGOING MIRACLES…A SPIRITUAL HARVEST!
Just over seven years ago God miraculously provided a friendly loan for the purchase of a ministry center, and John and Judy Turner moved to the Ozarks to start Christview Ministries. It is still a daily venture of faith, with God bringing the people and resources to make it all possible.
During this season of Thanksgiving, we think about the people we’ve had the privilege of walking with: teaching, mentoring, encouraging, praying for, and providing a place for them to be with God. What are those people doing? They are serving God in an amazing variety of settings: a model farm, church youth ministry, ministry with addicts and their families, artist studios, home fellowships, sales networks, and more. They are bringing people to Christ and helping people grow in Christ. We see a rich spiritual harvest, and give thanks!
Read all seven harvest stories on the following pages:
HARVEST STORY ONE
Rick and Karen Duggan, pictured at the Christview Ministries Center this summer, are now launching "The Shepherd’s Garden" model farm in connection with Fieldstone Orchard near Overbrook, Kansas. Rick is pictured working in a hoop house that will extend the food-growing season. Rick and Karen have Christian and organic produce connections stretching across several counties of Northeast Kansas. It is an area with lots of universities, and the Duggans are already in discussion with one church-related university about some exciting possibilities.
Karen writes, "We are serving the Lord by walking in faith to fulfill a dream God put on our hearts to grow food for God’s people. We connected with Christview Ministries while we were in Eureka Springs to learn about organic gardening. From the first day we met John and Judy, they listened to our hearts and helped us grow spiritually. We have never before experienced such prayer and support! They also help us in practical ways to see options and take steps to move forward. They were God’s messengers to tell us not to give up! When things looked bleak, God miraculously opened a door for us at Fieldstone Orchard in Northeast Kansas. We are helping to create a model farm, where we can teach people to grow and cook healthy food and practice good stewardship of God’s earth and of our own bodies. We will provide hands-on training in gardening, nutrition, and cooking. We both grew up on farms, and are concerned about agricultural practices that deplete the earth. We are concerned about the poor health of so many, and know that good nutrition can dramatically improve total well-being.
HARVEST STORY TWO
Artist-writer Jody Stephenson and her photographer-framer husband, Ron Lutz, use their gifts of artistry to glorify God. Ron designed and built the Christvew Ministries sign of which we are so proud. When people walk into Studio 62 in Eureka Springs, they receive God's loving welcome. Jody and Ron host a work group for Christian writers and "Food for Thought" events where local Christian artists share their work and their witness. For many of their friends, Jody and Ron are helping connect the dots of faith, life, and art.
Jody says, "I have been to group studies at Christview—and also to private spiritual direction and inner healing prayer sessions. John and Judy are compassionate, gentle, and thorough in determining the root causes of long-standing problems—helping a person to correct unhealthy thought patterns and emotional blockages, clearing the way for more abundant life. Christview is a wonderful retreat center. Going there for a session is like stepping through the wardrobe and getting a taste of a better reality."
HARVEST STORY THREE
Scott and Amanda Frame have been connected with Christview for seven years. Readers of our updates have watched them grow. Here they are pictured leading a Wednesday night worship service at First Christian Church of Berryville, and baptizing a new follower of Jesus! Last May, they celebrated that seventeen youth and adults associated with their Wednesday night worship service received their high school or graduate equivalent diplomas.
Amanda says, "I’m very thankful for the privilege to learn, work, and serve Christ under and beside Christview Ministries. The spiritual assets we have gained have equipped us with the necessary tools to be youth pastors at a local church in our community. We have an opportunity to reach lost souls for Christ, and to be servants of the most High God. John and Judy have mentored Scott and me for several years and hopefully several years to come. Our youth group started with 8 kids that were raised in church and grew to an average of 40 people both youth and adults, but all young at heart. We now have a regular church service every Wednesday evening. As I am writing this we are preparing for our first two Wednesday evening baptisms. Praise God!!! [Editor’s note: There have been many previous Sunday morning baptisms connected with their ministry]. We have seen so many lives changed and given to Christ, souls choosing to serve God and pressing in to be the men and women that God designed them to be. We are seeing families restored, spiritual lives healed, and hearts mended by the love of Christ. All because God chose John and Judy Turner of Christview Ministries to open a retreat and training center and move to the Ozarks. What a wonderful God we serve."
HARVEST STORY FOUR
Carolyn Biossat presents a workshop, based on a Bible study she wrote, "Faith: Antidote to Fear." She is now working on a study on Love. Carolyn is a regular participant in Judy’s spiritual direction events and John’s Bible studies. Carolyn has an extraordinary gift for helping people to trust and follow Jesus. She and her husband Bay, a realtor, lead Bible study groups in their home.
Carolyn reflects on how her partnership with Christview Ministries has helped in the development of her ministry: "I feel so blessed to be in partnership with Christview Ministries! The quality of the events provided shows the leading of the Lord--for He does everything well! This past spring, I attended a Christview Directed Silent Retreat, where an atmosphere of clearly hearing the Lord was maintained preparing me for the unexpected death of my father just two days later. John and Judy have been caring prayer partners, mentors, and teachers. With their encouragement, I teach Bible studies in our home, I am gaining insight to author a second Bible study, and I mentor individual women. Bay adds, "Judy and John from Christview have been a super spiritual help to my family in the many trials that we have faced in the past few years. They have stood with us in prayer many, many times, and the wisdom and knowledge they have shown has been a tremendous help."
HARVEST STORY FIVE
Cindy Harness is a gregarious senior sales director for a network marketing firm that handles skin care, grooming, and cosmetic products. She attended one of Christview’s silent retreats and has done a personal retreat at Christview as well. Four other women have taken personal retreats at Christview on Cindy’s recommendation. We expect that there will be more. We have encountered a number of people outside her marketing network who value her Christian influence and personal compassion.
Cindy says: "My work is about enriching women’s lives. Some of my customers join my company, and I become their business coach, investing much time in group and individual sessions to help them succeed. I also speak or teach at larger events. At all levels of my work, there are five sayings that I always try to follow: (1) A friend of mine said,'True beauty starts in the heart.' (2) My company teaches, 'Put God first, family second and career third.' (3) My company also teaches, 'Live a life of harmony so that you are able to give of yourself from a heart of abundance, love and pure joy.' (4) 'I cannot lead others well until I lead myself well.' (5) My personal mission statement is, 'Empowered by faith, I empower others, all for the Glory of God.' In order for me to follow these words, it is vital for me to stay spiritually strong. Along with daily personal time with the Lord, one of the most helpful things I do is to plan for additional time away with the Lord. I love going to Christview Ministries to experience solitude with Him. Judy and I have grown in our friendship, and she is a treasured spiritual mentor. Each time I have taken this special time to be with the Lord, He has blest it richly, and my walk with Him grows more intimate. When I am faced with important decisions or needing wisdom to help me grow through trying times, I have found that Christview is an excellent place for me to experience rest, healing, and renewal. I am so thankful for John and Judy and their ministry at Christview and I highly recommend it to others."
HARVEST STORY SIX
J. R. and Vickie Poulson, Soul Purpose Ministries, serve people caught in addictions and their families, bringing the healing and hope of Christ. Vickie was among the first dozen or so people we met in Eureka Springs. We met her in a prayer garden. She turned out to be the listing agent for the property that we bought for the Christview Ministries Center. J.R. sang at our Christview Dedication Service. We have admired their ministry through all the years and are honored that they have called on Christview’s resources in a wide variety of ways.
J.R. and Vickie Poulson baptizing a new believer for their church.
Vickie says, "My first contact with Christview Ministries was as a partner in helping them find a location for Christview. It was an honor to be part of that plan and to meet 2 people, John and Judy Turner, who would become such an important part of our walk with Christ as teachers, spiritual mentors, prayer partners, and most of all as 'God- sent friends.' I was not a good reader of the word, and to be honest, I thought that Bible study was sort of boring. But, by getting together with John and Judy, I have found that the word of God IS truly ALIVE and WELL. They have brought the word in a way that it makes me WANT to study, learn, and share God's Word, and most importantly, God’s love for his people. Christview Ministries played an important role in helping us fulfill the vision God put in our hearts for ministry, supporting JR with his gift of song, and helping me accept the fact that I do indeed have 'gifts'! John and Judy showed us kindness and support, the importance of rest, and prayed for and with us on a continual basis, which has helped us more than I can express in words. They have been played a huge role in the development and success of Soul Purpose Ministries!"
HARVEST STORY SEVEN
Artist Susan Morrison was our first student at Christview seven years ago. She came to learn more about Jesus. This year is big for Susan. With the 11/11/2011 opening in nearby Bentonville, Arkansas, of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, she will have greater exposure for her art. The new museum holds in its permanent collection a substantial number of Susan’s original works. At any one time, the new museum will display approximately one-third of its collection, so you may not see Susan’s work every time you visit Crystal Bridges, but being in the permanent collection definitely extends Susan’s influence.
Susan says, My relationship with Christview is one of the most important in my life. Through, not just the amazing teaching ability, but the clear and honest faith of both John and Judy I truly came to know Christ. This gave me the knowledge and opportunity to change my relationship with God and the world. From this has come my "Ministry" in my Gallery, where we are able to use my "Heart of a Lion" drawing and that experience to bring people closer to God. I can honestly say that when I prayed for a Teacher/Mentor I was given the gift of Christview. God certainly knew what I needed... "
Nice stories. So what should we do about them?
Luke 10:2 tells us that Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
We hope that our seven harvest stories have shown that people who have been mentored by Christview Ministries are being sent out into many kinds of fields to harvest of transformed lives for the kingdom of God.
We believe our first seven years have just brought us to the threshold of what is about to happen. Christview’s reason for being, to mentor spiritual leaders for Christ’s mission, is being fulfilled in an incredible variety of ways, touching all kinds of people. But the best is yet to come! This is not a time to sit on our laurels! This is the time to take big strides forward to multiply the laborers. What can you do to help?
1. Pray. That is the first thing Jesus said to do:"Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Seriously asking God to bless the ministries to which he calls us is not wasting time. Indeed it makes all the difference.
2. Play. (get in the game). Jesus said, "Go your way." That is, start harvesting. Let us know how Christview Ministries can help.
3. Pay. Give to encourage ministries that are making a difference. We humbly believe that God is blessing Christview to be worthy of your support. We intend to keep it that way.There are two ways you can make a big difference with your giving. 1. Your generous end of the year gift will encourage us to make bigger plans at our January Christview Ministries Board meeting. 2. Consider becoming a monthly giver for 2012.
We often receive a generous gift from a faithful servant who notes on the check something like, "For those who can’t pay."
We are deeply grateful for your gifts. Your generosity has been astounding.
A HARVEST TO COME ….IN 2012!
THROUGH CHRISTVIEW RETREATS, WORKSHOPS, AND CLASSES
Here is what is already on the calendar:
January 3 or January 7, 2012
“The Bible and Your Life: Living God’s Passion for Restoring Love” Class
9:00 – Noon at the Christview Ministries Center
Rev. John Turner teaches on "Discipleship and Evangelism", weaving together major themes of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation
Suggested donation: $15.00
February 7 or February 11, 2012
“The Bible and Your Life: Living God’s Passion for Restoring Love” Class
9:00 – Noon at the Christview Ministries Center
Rev. John Turner teaches on "Worship, Spiritual Warfare, Renewal of All Creation"
Suggested donation: $15.00
March 24, 2012
“Nurturing your soul with monastic wisdom: a day to ABIDE”
9:00 – Noon at the Christview Ministries Center
Led by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, a member of the Benedictine St. Scholastica Monastery, a wonderful writer and retreat leader.
She has recently published her eighth book, Abide: Keeping Vigil with the Word of God.
This morning with Macrina will help us prepare for Holy Week and Easter.
Suggested Donation: $25.00
March 31, 2012
“Releasing the Power of Prayer:
Changing Your World Through Intercessory Prayer”
9:00 – Noon, Christview Ministries Center
Learn from scripture the principles of powerful prayer; hear the witness of Christians who have seen amazing answers to their prayers for others and for the world.
Led by Judy Turner, Vito Sawtell, Carolyn Biossat, and Grace Gladden.
Donate to Christview Ministries, as you are able.
April 13-15, 2012 “Directed Silent Retreat”
Beginning Friday at 3:00 PM, Concluding at 3:00 PM on Sunday
Led by Judy Turner and Gail Pitt, at the Little Portion Retreat Center,
171 Hummingbird Lane, Eureka Springs, AR
A rare and wonderful opportunity to spend a weekend with God, without noise, busyness, and with no agenda but to receive what God has for you!
For more information: http://www.christviewmin.org/events/index.php#Directed
September 14-16, 2012 “Directed Silent Retreat”
Beginning Friday at 3:00 PM, Concluding at 3:00 PM on Sunday
Led by Judy Turner, at the Little Portion Retreat Center
Experience the rest, peace, and closeness with God you are longing for.
Loking for a great gift idea?
Give a Christview Retreat!
Gift certificates available.
Consult Judy Turner, Judy@Christviewmin.org or 479-253-5865
Check out our Christview Ministries Page on Facebook.
It would be great if you “liked” us!