February 2025
Dear Friends of God’s Resort,
We are grateful for your partnership in helping people, through this Christ-centered community, choose freedom from the past and reach their potential as a child of God. We continually pray God’s blessings on you!
Brendon’s single mom did her best to pay the bills and raise three kids. They moved a lot, but they never escaped poverty. At a young age, a family friend abused him. From there, a deep anger began to surface, and he began to commit crimes and was totally out of control. He was raised in state custody, going from group home to group home. As he aged out of the system, he fell deeper into drug and alcohol abuse and a life of crime that led to prison. He lost everything of value and wanted to die.
The next stop in Brendon’s journey was our partner ministry, the Forge. There he decided to surrender his will to God. He said, “I told God ‘I can’t do this anymore!’” God began to change him and take away all that hurt and anger that he had carried his whole life. “I began to realize there had to be less of me and more of Him.”
Brendan came to God’s Resort and reunited with his wife, Destiny, and their family! “I was overwhelmed by all that needed to be rebuilt with me and my family. But God showed me He has been with me the whole way. He has taken me to a place of peace and has helped me slow down and wait on Him to establish what He can do with my family. I am receiving the heart of the Father for them so I am less selfish and wiser so I can lead them to Jesus.”
“God’s Resort has been a refuge for us and we have all been built up. Jon-Michael, my Life Transitions Coordinator, has helped me so much. I have never talked to anyone like I talk to him. I really open up, and I am getting healing here. God’s Resort is helping us build a solid foundation. I love it here because we are all on the same path with God. I have never had this before. My kids are getting what I never got!”
I can’t say it better than Brendan has! Thanks for helping us give people that kind of community and transformation! If you’d like to give special gift towards continuing our mission to help people like Brendan and Destiny, you can click here (https://pushpay.com/g/godsresort) .
Love and prayer,
Jay St. Clair
Executive Director
Volunteer Spotlight
Faith Community Nurses
This month, we would like to spotlight our dedicated faith community nursing volunteers!
Did you know that when individuals first move to the God’s Resort community, they benefit from a compassionate assessment by our dedicated faith community nursing volunteers? These unsung heroes work tirelessly behind the scenes, and their contributions are truly invaluable.
Often, when new residents arrive, their focus may not be on their physical health, as they juggle many other pressing concerns; that’s where our amazing faith community nurses step in. They offer needed support by evaluating residents’ health needs, accompanying them to doctor appointments, and being a reassuring presence throughout their healthcare journey. This personal touch can make all the difference for the residents, providing them with comfort and guidance when they need it most.
We want to shine a spotlight on three remarkable volunteers: Joyce Allen, BSN, RN, Dick Crabill, RN, and Stephanie Budding, RN, who embody this spirit of care and service. Thank you for your unwavering dedication!
If you or someone you know is passionate about making a difference and serving as a faith community nurse at God’s Resort, we invite you to reach out to our volunteer coordinator, Machaela Cantu, at machaela@godsresortjoplin.org (mailto:machaela@godsresortjoplin.org?subject=From%20Newsleter) . As our God’s Resort community continues to grow, we urgently need more dedicated volunteers in every area. Join us in making a lasting impact in the lives of our residents!
The Well at God’s Resort
We are very excited to share a window into some of our activities and what we have seen God do through The Well at God’s Resort. I hope these stories will encourage you to pray more for The Well and to be moved by God’s love and his plan for our ladies!
Bible study
God led us to a Bible study at The Well called Flourish. We have been doing the Bible study weekly since January and it is so good to share a meal and God’s words together. The Well staff and residents have also been reading a book about how to build an intimate relationship with God. We all love this time together growing deeply with each other and God!
Spiritual mentor
We’re blessed to have found spiritual and wise mentors for each of our residents, which is an important part of our discipleship journey. We designed some guidelines on how to be a good mentor for The Well. Mentors meet with our residents weekly and have been doing that since January.
Cooking Classes
One of our great volunteers comes weekly to teach and cook a healthy meal with our residents. This has been going on since January. The ladies enjoy learning new recipes and gaining knowledge about ways to prepare healthy meals while keeping a budget.
Financial Training
We’re so excited about this new class! We started by posing good questions with the residents, seeing how much they know about finances and what their experiences have been with things like budgeting. We received many insightful and honest responses, which will help us craft lessons that meet them where they are.
God’s Resort Youth
What an exciting month with our youth at God’s Resort! This month, we have continued in our Faces of the Faith series, learning about a new person in the Bible every week. Since the beginning of the year, this series has created growing retention and knowledge of Bible characters, their stories, and lessons on how each child can put lessons learned into practice in their own lives. They are learning to practice their faith in their interactions at God’s Resort, at homes, and in their schools.
This month, we have learned about the power of forgiveness in the story of Jacob and Esau; familial love from the story of Joseph; and trust and obedience from the life of Moses. We have also been able to celebrate many victories, big and small, from holding services in the Rock Room, the newest addition to the Blessing house (see pics accompanying this article). This has given us a place specifically for our kiddos to learn and play. Whether it is weeks of Valentines activities with crafts made for loved ones or punching the cards the kids use to keep track of the different ways they are learning to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit – we love spending time together in our new space! We look forward to hosting a spring kick-off celebration in the Rock Room as well as preparing to send our kids off to various camps in the Summer! Your support helps us provide these opportunities for our youth to grow in their relationship with God and make meaningful connections with other young believers.
Thank you!
Incense Rising
On Friday and Saturday February 7th and 8th, God’s Resort was blessed to host a 24-hour prayer and worship event called Incense Rising. This is a quarterly regional gathering of extended worship, put on by a local ministry, Encounter Culture, led by our friend Josh Coate. This ministry has several resources and events that range from weekly to annually, as they work towards unifying the Church by “Pursuing relationship on purpose.” Incense Rising aligns with this goal by bringing local churches together in one place to create “a continuous sound of worship, expressed to God in music, art, and dance.” Attendees are encouraged to “come and express their heart and encounter God’s presence.” It was a powerful time together and God’s Resort is thankful to have this partnership with Encounter Culture, and Incense Rising. We pray that this event will be a springboard to further moves of the Holy Spirit throughout our communities!
** Supplies Needed for New Residents
Could you help supply some items to prepare homes at God’s Resort for new residents? Here is a list of items that we currently need. Items can be dropped off at the God’s Resort Community Center (1501 S. Pearl, Joplin) Mon-Thurs, 9-noon or 1-4, and Friday, 9-noon. Thank you for any items you can provide!
** · Full-size mattress pads/covers
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** · Brooms with dust pans
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** · Toilet bowl cleaner
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** · Spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner
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** · Bathroom/kitchen cleaners
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** · Used plastic hangers
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** · Walmart/Target plastic shopping bags
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** · Spring/Summer doormats (Approx. $600 if you’d like to provide them for all our homes)
Let Us Gather
** Sunday Night Fellowship
Sundays at 5:30 pm
No Sunday Night Fellowship March 16
** Bible Study
Mondays at 6:30 pm
** Refuel Prayer Service
Tuesdays at 6:30 pm
** Recovery Meeting
Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
** Coffee & Chat
Thursdays at 9:00 am
** Men’s Bible Study
Saturdays at 8:30 am
**Men’s Prayer Breakfast
Saturdays at 8:30 am
** Women’s Bible Study
Saturdays at 8:30 am
The Blessing House at God’s Resort
1505 S Pearl, Joplin, 64804
