Family Camp and Church Launch

Our Story -

 Since the beginning of the year, we have been seeking God about what our next step will since we heard from God that we were to step down from pastoring at a great church in Nashville.  I have been so blessed to be able to serve in ministry as a pastor for almost 20 years now,  but there is a new season for our family - one of a BIG step of faith.

Awhile back, Nili and I were doing our prayer walk around our neighborhood and she asked me, “If you were able to do anything for God, what would it be?"  Instantly a 25-year-old dream came back to me and I said, “I’d start that church/camp/retreat center we talked about years ago”.  She smiled and said (in her prophetic, supportive and bold way), “Then let’s do it. I think it is time, Ben”.

It felt like something fell off of us, and there was a new freedom resting on us. We shifted our thinking from “what” to do next, to “where”. 

The next night, when I was doing my research online (I love to learn), I found a property that had literally come available the day before - a church offering their camp for sale. This camp/church facility has a rich history of powerful moves of God, moves of the Holy Spirit, plus... it has an incredible view of the landscape of Northeast Arkansas where the Ozark Mountains begin. 

The facilities have overnight accommodations for up to 45-60 people, 80-100 seating people in the dining hall, and a worship center that can hold over over 200 people. In addition to the buildings, it also has almost 20 acres of land overlooking the Ozark Mountains. 

Now, you know me enough to know that this feels like... wait, what?, slow down - but God is not letting off the gas, and He is telling me to keep my foot off the brakes.

Our Vision -

The Church
We feel like it is time for us to move from the Executive Pastor roles into a lead pastor role. Our family is ready, our kids are ministry-minded and our foundation of church planting, church growing, and church culture is rich. The facilities are perfectly placed for impacting the community around it.

How are we different? We feel so strongly that God is equipping us to focus on a multi-generational model (full family, passing on of the faith from older to younger). We also know that we want to equip believers to engage in the local community and their own personal community (I’m personally tired of being church-centric).  We have to reach the world with the love of God! Oh man, to engage a group of people into falling in love with the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the love of a Father, the sacrifice of our Savior,  to want to pass that on to others and to do that as a family... that is what church is supposed to be.

We are also excited about already having our non-profit status set up, from being obedient 9 years ago to start one and set it up for whatever God desired. Little did I know that it would be in position for this!



Family Camps
This is an opportunity for us to teach, host, and engage families into a God experience TOGETHER. I think families are falling apart because there is so much cultural emphasis on “living” their own dreams. At the same time there is also a growing demand for “returning” to family in our American culture.

For the last 5 years, Nili and I have developed and led family vision experiences; where families come together to learn how to set goals, create vision and mission statements, and write out core values for their families. We teach families how to strategically plan for their God-given call for their children and their family unit (teaching on how to financially plan, engage the entrepreneurial mindset, and learning and releasing the gift/call on their children’s lives - as well as their own).  We want families to learn that each member of the family is uniquely called with their own assignment to be in that family.  There is more that can be done together, than as individuals. With this facility, we would be able to provide hands-on unique experiences as well as being able to house the families on-site.

Executive Coaching
I love building up culture within teams. The ability to bring teams onsite would allow us to intensely focus on leadership development and sett up strategic solution finding experiences. I have been able to do this, for fun, for over 20 churches the past few years, and a few for-profit businesses. I have been dreaming of owning a place where we can host executive teams, providing a different environment for coaching, strategic planning opportunities, conflict resolution and synergy exercises.



Our Family 
I wouldn’t want to start a church or ministry that didn’t involve our family doing the ministry together. Nili and I have been blessed with 8 children who have the heart of God, and we have been seeking God for a higher avenue to do the work of ministry “together”.

As stated above, I believe that family ministry is biblical, and I also believe it is potentially a culture shaping, perfectly timed movement. Studying the trends of our country and the 5 generational cycle that our culture has been through for the past 200+ years - - - the next two generations are trending into a completely different family path than their parents and grandparents. These next two generations are seeking to invest their lives into their children instead of for their children.

I was recently reading that the number one reason why millennial families are only attending church 1.6 times a month is because after spending most of the week being separated from their kids, they would rather do something with their family than to go to church and have to “go our own separate ways” in ministry.

Human Resources
Within my own family (my kids) we have a photographer/videographer, a horse trainer, a chef, a solution finding robotics pre-engineer , as well as many other undiscovered gifts. We also already own some of the farming equipment needed to maintain the property. Plus, for local community, God has given me a lot of favor with local and national government officials - already having a unique connection and prayer support from one of the Senators of Arkansas. I also have a lot of personal ministry experience, launching several campuses, growing ministries, developing healthy staff cultures, overseeing multi-million dollar budgets, and loving on people. I love to love on people.

Financial Resources
My newly started real estate wholesaling business will provide the everyday life expenses for our family, as well as restarting my marketing business. God told me almost 9 years ago that I will need to become financially independent and sow ministry money into ministry. I also have a small retirement account that I can tap into if needed for rainy day needs, as well as physical assets that we could sell. We’ve also been blessed with some severance that started this month giving us time to develop our income. As a family we have no debt, we own all of our vehicles and equipment free and clear.


Financial Miracles We Are Believing for:
Cost of property: We have been able to secure a deal with the church that owns the campground for the price of $90,000. They were asking more, but the favor of God is already showing up for us! We feel God has challenged us to believe for the entire amount of $90,000 to come in to pay for this and be debt free. Within the first 10 days, three ministry friends of ours have already committed to blessing us with $40,000! In total we have been blessed with $52,200! I am blown away!

Cost of repairs: To get the camp up and running, we estimate a cost of an additional $20,000. That can come in the next few months as we earn our living and save to invest in the property.

Cost of Improvements: First phase of improvements will cost 25,000. Those improvements include clearing of land (approximately 3 acres for parking and pasture), updating cabins, adding bathrooms to a few units, and creating outdoor recreation.

Our Faith:
Our faith is stirred up to have the cash to purchase the property to get this dream started (90k). I know - Crazy right? We’ve never believed for something like this for what we feel God is leading us to do - but I know that God is a big God! Plus, it helps that our kids are crazy faith activators in our life!

In addition, we needed to go back to our roots - believing for the crazy stuff. Believing for the supernatural, stepping out in faith, and knowing that someday there will be a story to tell to our kids and to the next generation. After all, God has been so faithful to us - and we believe that He will provide our every need.

In addition to this, my mom called me that week with a dream that she had - that we were buying the retreat center with people coming alongside us.  That we would be able to pay cash for the property, and challenged me to reach out to some relationships in ministry from the past - and wow, God has given us favor and we have been humbled by all those who have given.  

And then, my mother in law(love) sent us an encouraging passage from the 2nd book of Kings, when the prophet Elisha told the widow to gather as many vessels as she could - to go borrow them, and not a few!  And then the oil poured out until all the vessels were full, and she was able to pay off all her debts.  Faith is being stirred and we are asking you, can we borrow your vessels, can you pray with us for the miraculous to start in this next step of faith. 

Would you consider sowing a seed into this ministry? 
Would you pray to ask God if He would have you to partner with us? 

We love you and thank you for your kindness in supporting our Great Adventure!
Ben and Nili (and our 8 kiddos)