SOWER Ministry Newsletter March 2025 | | |
Dear Stephanie,
Happy March! The days are beginning to get just a little bit longer and most of us have moved to Daylight Savings Time. Slowly but surely those spring flowers are popping through the snow. Right? Right!
Many of you are halfway through your final winter project of the "season" before beginning the long trek home. I'm sure all of your project hosts have said thank you again and again, but speaking for the SOWER Ministry, I'd like to add our heartfelt thanks for a wonderful season of service. Many tiles have been laid, nails hammered, rooms cleaned, walls painted - well, the list could go on and on. Ministries have been blessed, and I trust you have been blessed also! Let's remember that even though our busiest season is drawing to a close (and there is information in this newsletter about 2026 sign-ups!), there are still so very many opportunities to serve throughout the year - and many are even close to home! Our northern projects are already beginning to get ready for their busiest season - Summer Camp - and truly value SOWER help in getting their facilities ready to share Jesus with children of all ages. Check out a project in your home state (or neighboring one) this summer and be blessed! If life's circumstances have kept you on the sidelines this winter, I hope you have found your ministry niche, and may you continue to feel our Lord's arms wrapped tightly around you. We've missed you and hope to see you down the road - if not at a project, maybe at a SOWER Rally!
Thankful for His Mercy, Resting in His Grace,
Stephanie
Stephanie Conrad #2509
Editor
stephanie@rvthereyet.org
P.S. Have you been praying about helping with this newsletter? Click HERE for more details about the general process. Let's talk, OK?
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From Where I Sit (Office) by Gail Fieler & Katie Gay
New dates regarding Sign-Up Procedures for winter 2026: This year we will be using new roll out dates for winter 2026.
• You will begin to see projects post their 2026 winter requests as usual – last weekend in May. This will give you time to prayerfully plan your next opportunity to serve.
• The 2026 Annual Registration will begin July 1, 2025, and you will be able to do this online. Your signature verifies that you have read and understand the current SOWER Ministry Constitution, Bylaws, Membership Guidelines, Admin Policies, etc. and agree to abide by the requirements and conditions described in them. This may be a good time to review them.
• Sign-ups for 2026 winter projects will begin at 9:00 a.m.(CDT), Monday, July 28, 2025, and should be done online. No more staying up until midnight to push that “Submit” button!
• You will NOT be able to sign up for 2026 projects if you have not submitted your annual registration.
REMINDER: Project Sign Up Procedures according to Membership Guidelines. Page 3, state:
#7. [SOWERs] Understand that if they cancel a project within six weeks of the project start, they will not be able to request another project for that month. If there are extraordinary circumstances for cancellation within the six-week window, any change requested will be directed to the office for Trustee and host approval.
#8. [SOWERs will] Notify the office if they want to change a project assignment. If change is greater than six weeks prior to project start month, change will be honored with one exception. If you are assigned as the GL at the project and others have been assigned with you, the change will require Trustee approval.
#9. [SOWERs] Understand that if requesting a project less than six weeks from the project start, request will require project host approval.
Thanks so much for serving the Lord through the SOWER Ministry!
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Trustee Nominations
It is that time of year again to solicit nominations for the Board of Trustees. The Trustee Nomination Form is now available on the Member Site. Pray about whom you would like to nominate for a 3-year term on the board. Nominees must have worked at least 12 projects with at least 8 of them being different and they will need to have been Group Leader at least 3 times. If you have worked with an experienced SOWER who has demonstrated strong Christian character, a willingness to work together as a team and loves the SOWER ministry, consider asking them if they would be willing to be nominated to run for the Trustee Board. There are three openings this year that need to be filled. Contact any current Board member for more information.
| | | | Underserved Project Highlights | | |
Acadian Baptist Camp
LA-509
Eunice, LA
Bill and I served at ABC in Louisiana on our second project as new SOWERs. We didn't take many pictures but it is a wonderful project. The Camp is in a beautiful part of Louisiana, they have a 30-room motel and several cabins for rent for conferences, along with a large new worship center. The staff were great to work with - we helped serve meals, stripped and made beds, folded laundry and made general repairs as needed. The area is rich in history and we were invited to dinner by a board member who gave us a tour of his rice/crawfish farm, which was so awesome. The RV area has several spots to choose from and is right behind the cafeteria building. There are lots of old live oak trees and a nice pond area for walks. The Board and staff are committed to reaching the lost. SOWER Alumni Bob & Billie Wakeman (3114) are the SOWER contacts and love to welcome SOWERs to ABC!
Bill & Kellie Blake (3776)
ABC asks for SOWERs during MAR25, APR25, MAY25, SEP25, OCT25, and NOV25.
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Calvary Commission/Bible School
TX-303 Lindale, TX
Be sure to put Calvary Commission/Bible School TX-303 in Lindale, TX on your bucket list. This underserved project already is a busy place but plans to build a 90x90 student academic building soon and have a 50th anniversary celebration in 2027. They need lots of help just maintaining the current buildings and even more help with constructing the new building. For the anniversary celebration they need lots of organizing and sorting donated items and prep work.
This 2-year Bible school is for men and women released from prison for discipleship and Bible training. The students are grounded in the Word in a protective environment to promote growth into productive citizens. The students go to school in the mornings and work in the afternoons on campus or in the community. These students are eager for fellowship and encouragement, very quick to give their testimony of how God delivered them.
Please make plans to sign up for this worthwhile project. Currently an SOA request is in the process.
For His Glory,
Nelda Thompson #3445
Calvary Commission asks for two (2) SOWERs March through December
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A complete and 'real-time' updated Underserved Project list is now available on the New Member Site! Check it out!
Underserved Projects List
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Let's try to shorten up that Underserved Project List! Send in highlights about your favorite project on the UPL along with a couple of pictures to stephanie@rvthereyet.org to help get it OFF the list!
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The SOWER family does not get the opportunity to see the many positive comments sent to the SOWER office. You do not realize how many SOWERs are praying for your safety on the job, while traveling or at other times. We thought you might like to see this note we recently received from a long-time SOWER: Irene Hobaugh #528
Bruce Gay, Office Director
| | | | Area Representative Needs | | |
We are praising God that many of our Area Rep positions have been filled! We are still looking for an Area Rep in Eastern Canada -
ON - 554 Ethnos Canada
ON - 556 Elim Lodge Ministries
ON - 559 Maple Grove Christian Retreat Centre
If you would like more information about this opening or are interested in learning more about the Area Rep position, please contact Evan Asby (3945), Western and Canadian Project Coordinator.
| | Seen recently on Facebook | Thank you, Linda, for sharing about the great work that was accomplished this "new to the family" SOWER project - Tri-State Christian Camp (FL-580) last month! Looks like they had a great start! | |
Have you stopped by our Facebook Group lately? We have recently updated our guidelines for adding posts:
This group serves to keep our SOWER family connected, and to share the blessings that we both see and receive as we serve the LORD at our ministry partners.
- No political posts will be allowed.
- No memes will be allowed.
- Posts must be SOWER related.
Please use caution and respect when posting. This is a Private group (only members can see posts and add posts), but it is still good Facebook etiquette to get permission before you post someone's picture. The administrators reserve the right to remove any post that they deem to be contrary to the purpose of this group.
If you're a member of Facebook but haven't joined the SOWER Group click on the icon to join the family! Just enter your member number in the question, and an Administrator will approve you.
Since the SOWER Facebook group is a ‘private’ group, we try to limit our members to folks who are SOWER members or project hosts, and couples who are interested in joining our ministry.
If you invite other interested folks to join our Facebook group, they will still need to answer the membership question. Thanks!
| | Thank you to everyone who has given our SOWER Facebook Page a "Like" or follow. Currently, we have over 1800 followers! If you haven't already given it your thumbs-up, head over there now! It's a great way to spread the word about our ministry. |
While the SOWER Facebook Group is for sharing SOWER stories (and is something that you join), the SOWER Facebook Page is where the ministry shares information and works to generate interest in our ministry (and is something that you 'like').
| Don't forget to check out your favorite ministries on Facebook. Many of our partner ministry locations have a Facebook page, and it's a great way to stay up-to-date on the places you love to serve! | |
Clicking on the sun poking through the trees above will take you to the SOWER website where you can sign onto the Member Dashboard and get "Real Time" updates for our partner ministries' needs.
The February/March SOWERGRAM is now available on the website! Check it out HERE!
Questions?
The office is happy to help!
903-882-8070
sowers@sowerministry.org
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His Passion, Our Mission – SOWERs in Action!
The SOWER Ministry will be represented at the upcoming ESCAPEES RV Escapade in Tucson, AZ being held this coming March 16-21. SOWER couples Marty & Janelle Jorgenson (#3871), Gary & Diane Smith (#3627), and Jeff & Sue Reynolds (#3961) will be setting up a booth and making a presentation about our ministry to the Escapade attendees. Keep them in your prayers as they seek those that have a heart to serve. And stop by the booth if you’re in the area! (Tip - Wednesday (19th) is Community Day, and admission is free for Day Visitors!)
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It is our desire to bring new members into the SOWER Ministry by getting the word out to Christian couples who love the Lord and want to serve Him through an RV work ministry - there are many more host projects than we have members. If you too have a desire to represent the SOWER Ministry at an event, church, RV club, etc., please contact the SOWER office to get more information on how we can help you do that.
| | Let us not forsake gathering together! | | Whether you're an Alumni, a Seasoned SOWER or New to the Family, there's nothing like a SOWER gathering to connect with friends old and new and get recharged about the ministry. If you live in close proximity to a SOWER project, let them know you're nearby! There are often impromptu gatherings of SOWERS happening all around the country all year long! Whether you're camping together or just meeting for a meal at a local restaurant, a SOWER Gathering is always a blessing! Below are some regional Rallies that are in the works! | | |
ALERT Academy (TX-410), Big Sandy, Texas
Arrive Thursday, April 3 - Leave Sunday, April 6, 2025
Join us for a joyful celebration of God in our lives. We are so looking forward to this time of seeing old friends and new friends we haven't met yet.
The program is coming together. lots of food, fun and fellowship. A few new highlights include the opportunity for everyone to talk about their favorite SOWER project, a welcome supper Thursday night, and an opportunity to put together printed books of John and Romans so they can be distributed to mission fields around the world. Other programming will include a chance to interact with our host, the International Alert Academy, a movie night, Q & A with SOWERs board members, and Sunday church service.
Click HERE for the preliminary schedule.
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COST:
• $15.00 registration per couple. To register, mail a check to Margaret Gearhart, 230 West Laurel Lane, Big Sandy, Texas 75755 Payable to Margaret Gearhart.
• CAMPSITE - $25.00 for 3 nights with full hookups - ALERT has been so generous to us. All 3 nights for only $25.00 total. (Coming early or staying later? Campsite is $25.00 per night.
• Lodging is also available. Contact Margaret for pricing.
• MEALS - $10.00/person per meal
• An offering will be taken for ALERT Academy, our host ministry.
For more information, contact Margaret Gearhart #3263, magrv@mailfence.com
970-214-4626
| SOWERs working on the John and Romans project. | | |
Western Wound Up
SOWERs Intentionally Following Jesus Christ
September 21-25, 2025
Aldersgate Camp & Retreats
(OR-320), Turner, OR.
Costs include 5 days/4 nights will be as follows (includes 3 lunches and 2 dinners):
Full hook ups - $100 or $25/night
Dry Camping - $50
Lodging - $30 per night
2 additional dinners available at $5 per person per dinner
Monies (cash only) will be taken at Rally
Registration: contact Ann Ekberg #3702 at 559-260-6368 or acekberg@gmail.com
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The Florida SOWER Rally @ Florida Baptist Camp last month was great fun! Fifty-four (54) SOWERs gathered together to enjoy the day! Along with a Q&A time with two trustees, we all were blessed with a sweet time of singing, eating, and a lot of talking.
Diane Zaharako (2983)
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This month 154 SOWER couples/singles are serving at 53 different ministries all around the country. Praise God for all the work that's being accomplished! Check the Member site for information on where YOU can serve!
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SOWER Blog Roll
See what other SOWERs are doing around the country!
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Group Picture - The February 2025 Group serving at Deer Creek Camp (TX-404) L-R Terry & Caroline Friesen (4031), Stella & Neil Vandendort (4079), Mike & Jackie Barber (3601), Bev & Lee Dick (3786). Photo by Caroline Friesen
Header Photo -Sunset at Sherry White Ministries (FL-485) Photo by Barb Garant (2969)
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Dear Sam & Sally,
We haven’t been able to use our regular devotional spot this month, so we’ve been meeting at varying places. To avoid having to bring our songbooks and then return them to our rigs, we gave the online hymnal that was recommended to us a try. We loved it! Someone has a Bluetooth speaker, which really helped with hearing the accompaniment. Could you go over that information again so others will give it a try?
Signed,
Love to sing along!
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Dear Sing along -
So glad you asked! Many of our members have asked for an easy-to-use online songbook to replace the hard copy book we bring to devotions each morning. The Songbook Committee, comprised of members with extensive musical experiences, believes it has found a great solution. This online Hymn Index - https://gccsatx.com/hymns/ - offers a wide variety of hymns, along with praise and worship songs, and has an easy-to-use index for use in our devotion time. It also comes with piano accompaniment, if desired, and many songs have guitar chords available. Once you are on the site, you can add the link to your home screen (on your phone or tablet) by using the “Share” button, making it easy to find when you need it. (More detailed directions on that feature are available here).
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There are a few other phone Apps that the Board has recommended that might be useful. You can find them in your phone's App Store.
Baptist Hymnal Audio (App) - hymns only.
Worship and Praise Lyrics (App) - traditional hymns, modern praise & worship songs.
Favorite Hymns (App) - hymns only.
Find what works best for your group! Starting the day with songs of worship and praise, while not required, is always a great way to start the day!
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Happy to sing along,
Sam and Sally
Do you have a SOWER etiquette question? Or maybe you'd like some clarification about a policy or rule. Sam and Sally would love to hear from you! Contact them at - samandsally@sowerministry.org.
| | To send in a prayer request or praise item- | | | | |
