Pastors, ministry workers, and spouses, are in the “front lines” of bringing hope, help and healing to the people, ministries, and communities that they are called to serve, including many right here in Florida. Just like cars that need to go to the shop in order to keep running well for years, our church workers need the help, hope, and healing they can get, by God’s grace, from a Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat in order to continue sharing the Gospel and leading people to our Savior.
Recently, a pastor wrote: "I have become a spiritual zombie - dead but moving. It's more than just a dark night of the soul. At this point I am not even sure God exists. Can you help? I really have nowhere to turn." He came to a Shepherd’s Canyon retreat and before he left, he thanked the staff and volunteers profusely and said, “This has been the best week of my life!”
Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat provides week-long counseling retreats and has successfully helped hundreds of ministry workers over the years who are in various stages of burnout, stress, depression, compassion fatigue, and conflicts of all kinds. SCR is an LCMS Recognized Service Organization.
Recently a pastor’s wife wrote: “I am the wife of <name withheld> who spent a week at Shepherd’s Canyon in November. My dear husband came back transformed from his retreat under your excellent care. It is like he came back home after a long time away in a darkness where I couldn’t walk with him. I was losing sight of hope but God, of course, had everything in hand. The counseling and time at your retreat was exactly what we needed when we didn’t know where to turn to save ourselves.”
About 10% of churches in the LCMS are needing pastors. Recent data from The Barna Research Group shows that 41% of pastors say they’ve considered quitting ministry. When one of these servants calls it quits, it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to train their replacement.
Dave Anderson and his wife, Barbara, who presented concerts at Faith years ago, along with the new Executive Director, Rev. Kevin Bueltmann and his wife, Tawn, will share moving stories about this important ministry at the Sunday Bible Study on January 14.
Ever since COVID, the demand for this ministry has been increasing! In order to help more people, donations are needed to help continue to make sure that no one is turned away due to lack of funds. Will you help?
To help pastors, ministry workers and spouses go to: