News from New Creations Chapel

"...Save the Lives of Many People"

I know many of you want to know what happened that caused New Creations Chapel to close the Christian Residential Boarding School, the College, the Christian Camp Program, and the sale of the New Creations Campus. First of all as CoFounders, Bonnie and I, and as President of New Creations I thought we would never ever sell our campus of 720 acres plus all of its buildings and the Cross!

Today I believe it was the leading of God! We had been doing great and growing since the day we moved onto that campus. We went from a choir to a church, with a focus on residential boarding school for troubled youth, a college, accreditation programs, helping other churches, ministers and missions.

The Following Is What Happened!

We were growing and reaching many for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. As we grew, our overhead grew; but we were ministering to so many youth, and many were surrendering their lives to Jesus! Then, I believe with all my heart God wanted us to change from a church with a focus on troubled youth to a church with a focus on ministering, coaching, training, pastoring, and assisting young people, new ministers, missionaries, and religious leaders, (men and women) and seasoned pastors and their churches to grow and develop for the next great move of God.

My problem was I could not believe that God was taking us from what I would call the most stressful and challenging ministry any man and wife could ever undertake. Even though we knew a change had to be made, we just couldn't do it, because we loved every child with all our heart, and we had a contingent plan to carry on and to aide in this ministry until our deaths. We had trained Revs. Jeff (48 years old) & Marilyn Lowery and Revs. Kevin (also 48 years old) & Jennifer Bodey to assume control and continue ministering to the troubled youth God would send to New Creations. All the time while Bonnie and I would travel and raise funds for this great calling.

Then on May 17, 2014, things began to change when Rev. Kevin Bodey, with all the much needed degrees (BA and Masters) New Creations Boarding School and College needed to carry New Creations into the future, had a major stroke that caused long term disability. Five days after that Rev. Jeff had a massive heart attack. This meant we had no future leadership trained to take over. I don't believe God caused this, but God took a bad situation and turned it to good. "You (devil) intended to harm me (Pastor Tim), but God intended it all for good. He (God) brought me (Pastor Tim) to this position (ministering and working through others) so I could save the lives of many people." (Genesis 50:20 NLT) As of today July 2018, Revs. Jeff and Marilyn are in the country of Panama building a ministry, and Revs. Kevin & Jennifer are in the state of Texas building their ministry. So, we went from May of 2014, believing the two would return from their illnesses to take over, to August 2015, when Marilyn had a major stroke, and we realized it was NOT going to happen.

We tried to get other ministry leaders in to take over New Creations, when we had a God realization. Having a church that focused on troubled youth in Richmond, Indiana, was over, because God was saying it's time to close and go to your next ministry. So on July 31, 2016, we closed the boarding school, and on August 30, we closed our camp program. From the day it was decided that we would close, July 7, 2016, I was a mess. We did not have the strength to carry on, the time to train new leaders, or funds to wait on new leadership. With the aging and retiring staff, the high cost of overhead and knowing God was changing our (Bonnie & my) calling and our direction, we would have to sell the campus and buildings.

We want to thank God for those that helped us during our time of transition with the sale of the property. They did a tremendous job. They sold the property in October of 2016. My whole heart's desire was that whoever purchased the property would keep the cross open to the public and keep the lights on it at night. I trust this happens.

Bonnie and I never would have been able to get everything moved off the campus, or to sell the property had it not been for our two sons, Jason and Mark and our spiritual son Jeff Raatz. No words of thanks could ever be spoken to express the appreciation for all the help which Bonnie and I received from Pastor Ray Rothwell, former staff, friends and supporters, who also helped Bonnie & I financially and moving off campus. We now will be able to see and take part in the next great move of God. We left the property on January 30, 2017. The closing of our 40 years of vision on our US 40 and Interstate 70 property.

We were exhausted. God made it clear we were to take a Sabbatical from January 31, 2017, to February 1, 2018. God knew what He was doing. After eight months of crying, praying and begging God, I surrendered and was to the point where I thought He would never allow me to be in a ministry again. During that time we got really close to God. I knew I would not be retiring, but redefining our Church to what I thought would be a new vision. Then on February 1, 2018, God said we would start over. We would continue to do most of what we had been doing, but our focus would no longer be on a residential boarding school or college, but to make the church focus on solid Bible training for all; with a spotlight on training, coaching and mentoring ministers, missionaries and pastors (new and seasoned) for the next great move of God. We are going to reach out and help children, youth, adults and religious organizations to help their communities and to grow in God. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1112) "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28)

New Creations Chapel did have some funds left from the sale of the old campus that will be used to start our new vision on a new campus. It is also our plan to raise and donate money to missions, churches and other religious organizations. We have never been able to give more than $50,000 a year, however, we are believing in the future that the Lord will generously provide in order for New Creations to be able to give over $1,000,000. Thanks to all who have kept donating to New Creations. You have made it possible for New Creations to continue and now again to "...save the lives of many people."