God's Resort with Jay and Julie St. Clair - 8

Ever wondered how a simple childhood prayer can set a lifelong path of inspiration and service? Join us as we uncover the remarkable story of Jay and Julie St Clair, spiritual mentors who have enriched countless lives, including my own. Introduced to them by my daughter at a youth group gathering, I was immediately struck by their heartfelt dedication to nurturing the spiritual growth of young people. Our discussion traces their extraordinary four-decade journey in ministry, from establishing Neighborhood Lifehouse to their transformative work at God's Resort in Joplin, Missouri. Jay shares an intimate glimpse into his spiritual awakening, revealing how a pivotal camp sermon ignited his devotion to serving God and others.

The episode also shines a spotlight on a special guest whose life has been intricately shaped by a legacy of evangelism and compassion. Growing up with an evangelistic father, they recount vivid memories of faith-filled conversations in unexpected places like elevators and national parks. These formative experiences instilled in them a profound mission to reach beyond church walls and touch the hearts of the broken and marginalized. Together with their partner, they have embraced this shared calling, contributing significantly to initiatives like God's Resort. We explore how their unwavering commitment to seeing others through the eyes of Christ has enriched their journey and impacted their community.

Discover the heart and soul of God's Resort, a beacon of hope for those overcoming life's challenges. This Christ-centered community fosters spiritual and personal growth, aiding individuals transitioning from generational addiction towards independence. By emphasizing stability across nine essential life areas, God's Resort provides a nurturing environment that champions love, community, and support. We dive into the importance of genuine connections in spiritual healing, sharing stories of transformation and the critical role of prayer and local church participation. As we wrap up, we share our gratitude for the volunteers and partners who enhance this ministry's reach, offering blessings of grace and peace to all who join us on this journey.

Visit our website at www.itstimetoriseup.org for more about our ministry.

Chapters

• 0:09 Spiritual Heroes
• 7:16 Legacy of Evangelism and Compassion
• 19:27 Transitioning to Healing and Community
• 29:23 Building Community, Creating Transformation
• 42:28 Community Impact and Prayer Needs
• 56:03 Blessings and Gratitude

Transcript

Kim McIntire: 0:09

Hey everyone, welcome to the it's Time to Rise Up podcast. I'm your host, Kim McIntyre. Thank you for joining us this week. If you're not familiar with our show, please check out our website at itstimetoriseuporg, where you will find our social media links and for our podcast platforms. You'll find us on YouTube, apple Podcasts, spotify and anywhere else you find your podcast. We would love to hear from our listeners, so give us a thumbs up, leave a comment or a review on Apple Podcasts.

Kim McIntire: 0:40

We do have an exciting announcement that Rise Up Revival Night is going to be held on February 1st at 6 pm at the Cornell Complex in Joplin, missouri. There's going to be amazing worship, a powerful message and times of crying out to God for revival over our city and nation. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there. We're going to jump right into this interview. I am so honored to have two of my spiritual heroes in the studio with me today, and when I say that it's you guys, when I think about people that have influenced my life for Jesus, you are at the top of the list. You guys have had such impact on my life not just my life, but my daughter's life so I'm going to start this interview with sharing my first memory of you guys, which would have been oh my goodness, I didn't think about the years, but Alex, I know, was in high school and she was probably 13 or 14, and we were actually attending a local church in Joplin, but she was going to College Heights Christian School.

Kim McIntire: 1:50

A lot of her friends were going to the Wednesday night youth at College Heights and she was begging us to go to youth group. So we decided we would take her to youth group at College Heights, we would go to the local church we were attending, and one night we came and picked her up and she goes Mom, I really want you to come and meet Jay and Julie St Clair. And I was like okay, kind of half-hearted, I'm just being honest. So I go in with Alex, you know, I mean it's 830, a little bit tired.

Kim McIntire: 2:20

So I go in with Alex and she's like, well, julie's talking to those girls, but we'll wait a minute. And you're in a circle with some teenage girls just listening with all your heart and I just knew in that moment that is a woman I want to know. And then she's like, well, that's Julie and Jay's over, he's over there and and pointed to you and you were doing the same thing with a group of high school boys and that is my first memory of you. Far, that was long before, you know, I ever knew your face or your name. It's just like I just think back to that moment and I think, wow, I had no idea that night that I would know you for the rest of my life, because I'm going to and into eternity. Some people you meet and they're an acquaintance, right, but you guys have become my spiritual heroes. You taught me how to serve outside the walls of the church and that's been hugely impactful to me and my family. So I want to thank you just for being here, taking your time. You guys are busy, busy people and it means so much to me to have you here to talk about a few things, but primarily about God's Resort. But let's start with this.

Kim McIntire: 3:35

Jay and Julie, you guys have been youth pastors in the local church. You've done outreach ministry through College Heights in Joplin, missouri. You pioneered a nonprofit ministry called Neighborhood Lifehouse in North Joplin, missouri. You pioneered a nonprofit ministry called Neighborhood Lifehouse in North Joplin, which I was so honored to be part of for about 12 years. So I remember that was just not really abandoned but it wasn't being used. It was a church building that wasn't being used. And, jay, you convinced a lot of people to show up and pray. One Sunday night and I think 200 people flooded the North Joplin Christian Church to pray and ask God what do you want to do with this property? And God showed up A really thriving ministry in North Joplin for families that need Jesus. Yes, and you guys are currently leading a mission called God's Resort in Joplin, missouri. What a large spectrum of ministry over 40 years. So the question I have to start out with is when did you first feel a call toward ministry?

Judy Sinclair: 4:53

feel a call toward ministry. Oh my, I was such a little boy and you know God, so good to us at every age and I remember my grandpa was he had a heart attack or something. He was sick and I just remember being so afraid he was going to die. So I went into the bathroom and I said in my own little, nine or ten year old faith, which you know, obviously is very tender.

Judy Sinclair: 5:20

And I just said, God, if you will just save my grandpa, I will serve you all my life. And he did, and I'm sure that stayed in my heart. And then, when I was a teenager, I went to camp when I was 16.

Judy Sinclair: 5:46

And at that camp we were studying Ephesians 3. And that night the preacher, which had been Paul Merritt's dad, he was preaching, yeah, he was preaching, and he just preached so powerfully on that passage of Scripture and I'd always struggled with fear. And he, when he preached on visions 3, 20 and 21. Now to him, who?

Judy Sinclair: 6:21

is able to do a measure or yeah and anything you could ask, or even imagine his power at work and use. To my knowledge, you know, obviously, when the spirit speaks something to you, it's much different than when you hear it just with your ears your human ears and that night it was like god broke through whatever fear I had because I had much fear to even do that, obviously and I, just I gave my heart to him, to serve him my whole life, and so then, the rest is history.

Kim McIntire: 6:57

You've been walking with Jesus for a long time, jay St Clair, I have walked with Jesus. I'm not going to say you're an age over the air, but eight years old that's a long time ago. That's right. How about you, Julie? When did you feel the call for ministry in your heart?

Jay Sinclair: 7:12

We were talking how in our childhood. So I have very early memories of a dad, particularly, who was very evangelistic a dad particularly, who was very evangelistic. So everywhere we went there was he created or god created the opportunity and dad just walked through the door, so sometimes those opportunities were embarrassing to me, like being in an elevator every time we're in an elevator everybody's looking up at the numbers right, which floor getting to, which floor we're getting to? And he would make comments like um going up. I'm going up. Someday are you?

Jay Sinclair: 7:52

mm-hmm so everything was about who's around you, who needs to know Jesus everywhere, like going to national parks as a family on vacation and, of course, a park ranger is giving credit to evolution for this unbelievable mountain area with sunsets that were amazing, and as a family we'd stand in line and wait to talk to the park ranger about that theory called evolution and the truth that was found in the word of god that it was made by a creator not something that just happened.

Jay Sinclair: 8:30

So, um, it was in me. I just thanks to how we lived and how we loved people were always welcome in our home. Lots of car rides to complete strangers that were hitchhiking. Every day was an opportunity to tell somebody about Jesus. He called them divine appointments. What a legacy. Yeah, I'm so grateful to him because his parents were first-generation Christians and then my mama's story kind of similar, but anyway, I was also a teenager, went to something at Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly Missouri. I grew up in.

Jay Sinclair: 9:12

Columbia, missouri. Okay, and I don't remember the passage of scripture or the message. I just remember it being so heavy on my heart, right, that what I was to do was to give my life to that calling to tell, make sure everybody was ready yeah, in my path it marked you, it marked me, yeah what they did as a little girl marked me.

Kim McIntire: 9:36

I'm grateful for that it's so uncommon to have a couple who at such young ages like you both experienced that. Calling that prompting to ministry at such a young age. That's really cool that you have that in common. I haven't heard that very often among ministry couples.

Jay Sinclair: 9:58

It's a thread, then that follows in, even how we got to know each other and the calling at 15. And then the calling on our lives already had picked the same Bible college to attend the path. We can look back and go. Oh, god was already bringing us together, yeah.

Judy Sinclair: 10:21

Because we're better together.

Jay Sinclair: 10:23

Yeah, that's always been our theme.

Kim McIntire: 10:24

I love it. It's pretty obvious that you guys feel that way about one another. I love that. So let's talk a little bit about God's resort. And before that, though, when did the Lord put a passion in your heart for taking the message and love of Jesus outside the church walls? Because, really, that's what you're doing at God'sort, it's what you were doing at Neighborhood Life House, it's what you were doing with outreach through College Heights Christian Church in Joplin. It was kind of always about how can we get outside and influence the community for the kingdom, which is really the place that Jesus is most needed, you know, I mean he's needed within the church walls, don't?

Kim McIntire: 11:05

I don't mean to misspeak, but wow, jesus went to the hurting. He didn't spend all of his time in the temple. So when did that happen? Was that just always in your hearts or was there a shifting?

Judy Sinclair: 11:18

We always remember our parents inviting the broken into our homes and into our lives so we had people around our table um constantly that other people probably wouldn't have had in their home or would have chosen to have gone to the church. Yeah, yeah, I just I, I can't, obviously it's it's. You look back and it's humbling because you don't realize what's happening at the time, but you're actually being wooed into the heart of christ by your own parents, showing you to love people because of their story that are the least of these.

Judy Sinclair: 12:02

Yeah and um. Then when we get married and we have, we start our little family and we just got so convicted I don't even know how it all got started but we started taking our little girls down to the park at 4th and Main Street with our supper every night and just eating with the homeless guys and from that he just kept tenderizing our hearts and just yeah, helping us see the broken and the hurting in this town. Yeah, See him. He's the God who sees people.

Judy Sinclair: 12:52

We were just visiting her brother John and his wife Allie in Kentucky, and there's this picture in his office of this woman and she's, she's outside of a church and she's down on her face and she's got a cup in front of her, and so the photographer, his focus is on her, but all these people are coming out of a church and not one of their eyes are on her and, um, so he was just telling us that that's the, that's the heart, uh, that he wants to create, that god wants to create in his church, is that when we come out of the church, so to speak, our eyes are on him. And, and when you say that, you know, when you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it unto me. And so to see people, like Julie said, she said it so good. And so to see people like Julie said she said it so good to see people in the light and the love of Christ is something that challenges us constantly.

Jay Sinclair: 14:17

My first week at God's Resort as an employee, not just a volunteer I was missing a sweet little lady named Mary on Sunday night worship and we went three Sunday nights without her being there and I thought but she was married and Nelson was coming, but she wasn't there. Nelson had been beat so much as a child in his head that his speech had been affected Special needs and so she was literally the only person who could understand what he was saying. So I thought I can't really ask about her, but I did and he was trying to tell me she was laying down. So that third Monday I went to find her to their apartment and she's obviously been laying on this sofa for a long time, because the smell let me know that she hadn't gotten up to go to the bathroom and he was trying to with excitement. He was so glad I was there, you know, for her she could barely talk and I sat down on the arm of the sofa with her laying there and there was this smell.

Jay Sinclair: 15:30

Obviously that should have been very putrid to me, but instead my mind went to and all of my senses went to very that. That was a very familiar smell to me Because my mom and my dad. But my dad would pick up people and give them a ride and always talk to them about Jesus. But that's how those people smelled too, and I thought I'm not offended by that smell. It's actually very familiar and actually sweet to me, so it was very natural to us. I don't even think we had a conversation about that's how we would raise our children.

Judy Sinclair: 16:24

Yeah, it just came out of. We asked Mary that night, or that late afternoon did she want to go to the hospital and she said yes, three weeks later, and so we actually Carried her, danced, we called it she and Jay. We danced to the.

Jay Sinclair: 16:47

it was such a small apartment we couldn't hardly get out, had to get her down a bunch of stairs so we told her we were going to dance, but he was really holding her all the way out and all the way down into the hospital. She died 10 days later. She was full of cancer well the story.

Kim McIntire: 17:06

And all the way down into the hospital she died 10 days later. She was full of cancer. Well the story. The story's just layer upon layer, from childhood to just what's happening today. It's just so much of it. We know all of it is the Lord, but it's tied so much to legacy.

Judy Sinclair: 17:22

It all comes full circle. It really does, but it's tied so much to legacy. It all comes full circle. It really does. I mean the first.

Judy Sinclair: 17:36

Sunday night after I had left you know college heights and we had started full time, my mom was still with us and she would attend college resort with us on Sunday night. On Sunday night and that first Sunday night I come in and we're kind of we're in the back row and the way the chairs were kind of in a circular at that time and mom was on the back row and then I sat beside her and then somebody came in and sit right in front of us and I have never smelled that that kind of smell in all the years that I've been alive.

Judy Sinclair: 18:18

I thought I was going to throw up and I remember going back to one of the other people and just saying you've got to pray because I don't think I can do it and they said, they just said, yeah, we'll pray. And I went back to my chair beside my mom, who taught me these things.

Judy Sinclair: 18:43

And we started worshiping. She did, and the smell changed to perfume the sweetest aroma that I have ever. I have never smelled the aroma of Christ, but I think I smelled the aroma of Christ. Oh, that's that man that made me. I smelled the aroma of Christ. Praise smelt the aroma of Christ, and it stayed. It wasn't human perfume.

Kim McIntire: 19:13

It was heavenly. I never Heavenly perfume. Yeah, jesus is so good.

Judy Sinclair: 19:18

That was my first night at God's Resort as a director of God's Resort.

Kim McIntire: 19:27

Wow, your mission statement there is. Our mission is to help people, through a Christ-centered community, to choose freedom from the past and reach their potential as children of God. So, on that note, I would love for you guys to both just tell our listeners about the Ministry of God's Resort I'm sure some of them know about it, but I know there are a lot of people who don't and so tell us about some of the things that are happening at 1501 South Pearl Street in Joplin, missouri.

Judy Sinclair: 20:02

So tell them about what we do.

Jay Sinclair: 20:08

We're a transitional housing ministry, which means we are not an emergent place for people you meet on the street. That's Souls, harbor and Water Gardens. We're so blessed in this town, right Actually had someone brag on God one Sunday night who had been homeless and was doing really, really well and she said if you're still homeless in Joplin, shame on you, because this town loves us. Yeah. So there's a place all along the way. Right.

Jay Sinclair: 20:36

And then we're not permanent supportive and then we're not permanent supportive, so we're not like what economic security can help you with financial help or help you find something you can't afford.

Judy Sinclair: 20:48

And you're going to live out your life with maybe some people helping you.

Jay Sinclair: 20:53

That's not us, yeah right help people at the some of the interesting, most interesting intersections but have a lot of um partnerships in the town. In Joplin with like uh Water Gardens Forge program would be a really good example of that so after men graduate from that program or not graduate, now it's actually phase four, isn't it, jay? They can come.

Kim McIntire: 21:26

The transition.

Jay Sinclair: 21:27

Yeah, they transition to us and they continue to finish at the Forge, but they're beginning to live independently. You have to have a job. You have to have a job to live at God's resort, be able to pay rent. Have a job. You have to have a job to live at god's resort, be able to pay rent. If there's been an addiction which not everybody at god's resort comes, having lived in a broken world and getting hit by the falling debris, the debris is different. Sure, for a lot of people. Sure, but a lot of people currently, that problem has been generational addiction, like it's all they ever saw, just like what we saw and was a blessing to us. Sure, they saw the opposite of that. They didn't see people at work. They didn't see people pay bills. They saw people exchange money for drugs Right Right.

Jay Sinclair: 22:16

So we've had a variety of people, a lot of reasons for people to come live at God's resource variety of people, a lot of reasons for people to come live at god's resource.

Judy Sinclair: 22:24

Mostly people are there because they are isolated from the kind of relationships that bring healing to you, and we say that you know, isolation in any form is poison to your progress. Right and uh, community that is centered around jesus is the pathway to healing. And so, whatever, whatever they find, wherever they find themselves, um, we're that place that can help them, through this christ-centered community, get to a place they couldn't get to by themselves. So, economically, economically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, all those places that you have to transition in, a healthy place with healthy people. That's who we are, and so we have life transition coordinators and they have to meet with them, and they have to. They are working through Julie says we offer them a stability plan and an apartment happens to come with it, the program of stability that we're offering them as we take nine areas of their lives where we think they need.

Jay Sinclair: 23:47

Where all of us have to have stability in those areas.

Judy Sinclair: 23:50

If you can have stability in these nine areas, then you can go forward and be successful and be a blessing to the community that you're in yes, successful and be a blessing to the community that you're in, yes. And so, yeah, we just have lots of intersections then where people can come and love on people and be loved. You know, obviously anybody that comes to God's Resort is going to be blessed, but they're also going to be a blessing, right, and so that's the whole point. It's something to give yeah.

Jay Sinclair: 24:20

Everybody has something to give, a blessing, and so that's the whole point. To give, yeah, I remember, um, but I think people have a misconception that you have to be, uh, financially poor and, um, we've had several that that's not been the case at all. I had a dear friend and we had homeschooled children together. She's pulling weeds with me at God's Resort one day and she's crying and I said what's going on? Why are you crying? And she said Well, he's done with me. The last child's gone and wants me out. And where am I going to go? I didn't finish my college degree, I haven't worked, I've been at home. Well, what am I going to do?

Jay Sinclair: 25:08

And I was new to God's Resort as an employee and I just I said, well, we're transitional housing, I guess you could move here. And she said I can't, I can't live here, I live on a golf course. Wow, you know, and you know. That's exactly what God did. She graduated from college and got a job.

Kim McIntire: 25:31

Praise God.

Jay Sinclair: 25:33

And is being reunited now with children. You know, after all, that Sure, all the debris that falls Sure.

Kim McIntire: 25:41

So it's not. I'm glad you talked about the misconception.

Jay Sinclair: 25:45

Julie.

Kim McIntire: 25:46

It's anybody, because you kind of, I think, have a picture in your mind, if you know, about, like Water Gardens or God Resort, the Forge, just all of the amazing ministries in Joplin. It kind of seems like there's just this box and everything fits in this box, but that's so not true.

Jay Sinclair: 26:05

None of us are immune to it. No, we are not. It could happen really quickly to any of us. We had another woman, 82 years old, and she was living with her 50-year-old son, 82 years old yeah, and she was living with her 50-year-old son and COVID hit. Covid hit him and she had let him have her. You know, Social Security check.

Judy Sinclair: 26:29

She didn't know where he banked. Well, he stole her identity. Yeah, so he dies during COVID and she is destitute, nothing to eat.

Jay Sinclair: 26:37

And so no money, no access to her own money.

Judy Sinclair: 26:41

She would have been a successful middle-aged woman when we first met her years before. She actually was a church secretary and she ends up being homeless with seven dogs in a house isolated out in the country and I go out there.

Jay Sinclair: 27:00

I find her.

Judy Sinclair: 27:03

I find out that this is happening, I go out to where they say she's living somebody told us and I drive in the driveway, go up to the house, I go by the picture window and I look and I see this woman and I'm thinking, oh well. I'm thinking, oh well, I'm at the wrong place, I don't know that person. And I go back and I realize this is the house. So I go back up to the door and there she is. I mean, she is surrounded by these dogs. There is no food in the house, there is nothing, and so we bring her to God's resort and she is surrounded by people that love her, she's connected to, she ends up connecting to a local body of believers.

Jay Sinclair: 27:51

Sings in the choir at 82.

Judy Sinclair: 28:02

And then she gets cancer and we help her transition to one of the local, one of the local nursing homes and she she passes away and you know that was her transition to one of the local, one of the local nursing homes and she, she passes away and you know that was her transition.

Jay Sinclair: 28:08

Yeah, her transition at god's resort was to heaven.

Judy Sinclair: 28:10

It was to heaven and we've had several people that came to god's resort to to transition to heaven.

Kim McIntire: 28:16

Yes, yeah, we've had. I know some of those stories. Yeah, you know some of those stories.

Judy Sinclair: 28:20

So transition happens looks different for everybody.

Kim McIntire: 28:25

Yeah, what a loving God.

Jay Sinclair: 28:27

Yeah, what a loving God. So personal, he is so personal, he is so personal. He sees you, yeah, knows exactly what you need.

Kim McIntire: 28:34

He definitely does. One of the questions I was going to ask you guys was what are the biggest struggles in this kind of ministry? But I feel like you've probably touched on that a little bit, but you want to just express any isolation, just yeah, it's just, it's where people go. So I just give you a text that we got.

Judy Sinclair: 28:57

I just read it to Julie.

Judy Sinclair: 29:00

I mean, I just read it to someone else who was asking about this person one of our employees and I just asked about how we ended up having a conversation with him last night for about an hour, and so this kind of gives you the heart of what happens at God's Resort. Good morning, I just wanted to say from the bottom of my heart how grateful I am that you two sat and talked with me yesterday. You two sat and talked with me yesterday. To be honest, it felt like coming into Mom and Dad's house and telling you that I need you. And you were there and you listened and you loved me through some really heavy and hard stuff. I know my circumstances don't define me. I am who I am because the I am says who I am. God's got such a perfect plan for my life and I'm just so thankful to be able to be on this journey with you and God's resort in my life.

Judy Sinclair: 30:08

I love you guys so much. I can't tell you how much, how free and peaceful I am today and I am refueled with joy. Jesus, so good. So that's what people need. They just need the love of Jesus, and so, whether it's through Julie and I are the many volunteers or employees that we have, people just get to be loved on, and love changes everything, yes, in the twinkling of an eye. It never fails In the beauty of a conversation.

Jay Sinclair: 30:46

We didn't really do much talking.

Judy Sinclair: 30:47

Yeah, we just listened, but it is interesting too.

Jay Sinclair: 30:50

The other challenge is to help people who come Like he'd been isolating. He'd been doing that, but on his own. He came after hours, knocked on the door. I could hear it down. But to get them to trust enough to make God's people their people, Right, you know. So you have to be available, you have to put yourself out there a little bit Sure. And church is great. We love church. We couldn't do it. We were taught to love the church too.

Kim McIntire: 31:22

Absolutely.

Judy Sinclair: 31:24

We're actually reading a book as a staff called Renovated, by Jim Wilder. And Dallas Willard. He was a protege of Dallas Willard and he just talks about the way God made the brain. That character transformation cannot happen without relationship. So it's not just a matter of what you know.

Judy Sinclair: 31:55

It's who you know, the context of who you know and that relationship, and literally there is a special place in the brain where who you know and what you know come together and your brain actually changes the part of your brain that is the development of your character.

Kim McIntire: 32:16

Wow.

Judy Sinclair: 32:16

Isn't that amazing how God made our brains to reflect how he made us to live together. Yes, are the tool that we use to help people connect what God wants them to know with who God wants them to know.

Kim McIntire: 32:40

Yeah. And that's where the transformation of their character happens Absolutely, and I know there are many, many things throughout the week that allow people to come together and to be more connected. Yes, so maybe we could just talk a little bit about that. If you're looking at the calendar, sunday through Saturday what does that look like?

Jay Sinclair: 33:00

And that's what we would invite anybody who's listening to come be a part of it, and I promise you that your life will never be the same, it's for sure, true, yes, Because every time I'm there, it's true for me, yeah, true. Yes, because every time I'm there it's true for me, sunday nights. We tell everybody we may look, walk and sound like a church, but we're not the church. We want our residents to be a part of local churches.

Kim McIntire: 33:24

Absolutely.

Jay Sinclair: 33:25

To choose one. Get busy serving, let people love you so that when you transition from God's Resort you have this wonderful other circle of people who are going to walk really closely with you.

Judy Sinclair: 33:38

I think actually there's like 18 different churches represented among our residents.

Jay Sinclair: 33:43

It's pretty fun.

Kim McIntire: 33:45

It's fun because I know some of your residents go to my church and it's really awesome because, they're serving and they're taking the truth that you're teaching at God's resort, and they're living it out by not just receiving, but giving in time to the service of the house of the Lord and the people of God. So good, so yeah. So Sunday night I know you have a- service, so somebody brags on God tells their story.

Jay Sinclair: 34:10

And then we have a meal. That's the only night we have a meal, so we sit around and fellowship. And then we have a meal. That's the only night we have a meal, so we sit around and fellowship. And then Monday night is a co-ed Bible study. Anybody's welcome to any of these things. You don't have to live at God's resort to come. So these are all in a community center at 1501 South Pearl, 630. Monday night is a co-ed Bible study. Tuesday night is a we call it refuel prayer Amazing time. Tuesday night is a we call it refuel prayer. Yes, it's an amazing time. Not just it's worship, but it's a really, really deep, wonderful time in the Word. Yes.

Jay Sinclair: 34:41

And application of the Word through prayer. Mm-hmm, that's probably my favorite.

Judy Sinclair: 34:46

Yeah, we say that the greatest part of prayer is listening to.

Jay Sinclair: 34:50

God. Yeah, we don't usually practice listening to God.

Judy Sinclair: 34:53

That's true. It's really beautiful and I want to hear Him just as bad. I spend the morning listening to the Lord as I walk through five chapters of that day.

Jay Sinclair: 35:03

And then I'm sharing with them what I heard from Him. But you know what I always tell them?

Judy Sinclair: 35:07

I want to hear Him better tonight than. I heard Him this morning yeah. You know, and so, and the other thing I think we've learned is that we have to bring them to the body and the blood of the Lord, yeah, that's right. Because there's healing in the body and the blood of the Lord. That's right.

Judy Sinclair: 35:26

And that's what we all need. You know Julie likes to say this and um that. You know every their, their swirl is just falling apart and everybody gets hit by the falling debris of this fallen world. Sure, and everybody. Nobody gets to not get hit, and especially our people have been hit especially hard, and so we especially need the body and the blood of the Lord. So every Tuesday night we center it around the Lord's Supper and we help them discern where they need the healing of Jesus and especially forgiveness. Especially forgiveness and especially forgiveness Especially forgiveness.

Kim McIntire: 36:16

Oh yeah, it's so big.

Judy Sinclair: 36:17

It's the thing that many people stumble over, and it keeps them stunted and immature, selfish, and so bringing all of us to the throne of grace to receive help and mercy, especially the mercy of forgiveness, both to receive it and to give it yeah, so powerful.

Jay Sinclair: 36:40

When's thursday morning, then coffee and chat. It's just a time. Put 10 tables together, huge table like a dining room table and we sit and eat a breakfast to home-cooked breakfast together and we have a short little devotion and a prayer time together, but mostly we sit and have coffee and chat and then Friday, nothing. Usually Saturday morning is a separate men's Bible study from the women, and that's really powerful.

Kim McIntire: 37:10

So that's Lots of opportunities. Yes, there are lots of opportunities.

Jay Sinclair: 37:14

Yes, lots of opportunities, lots of opportunities for people to join us. Our residents have to choose at least two, but we're noticing that the ones who choose more things and are part of the community better. Then they heal faster they do things. They spiral up. That's something we talk about going from one degree of glory to another, they do that faster.

Judy Sinclair: 37:39

Yeah, that's. One of our greatest joys is watching people spiral up.

Jay Sinclair: 37:43

Yeah, that's really true.

Kim McIntire: 37:45

I've watched some of those people spiral up. And I don't have as up-close a personal view as you guys do, but it's pretty incredible to watch God do it. You've had some real close works, I mean seriously he's done amazing things through the ministry, so it's grown immensely as well. Yes, I was it. I'm really not sure what year the ministry launched. When did god resort actually?

Judy Sinclair: 38:11

started showing up in 2006. Okay, that's when. Rob.

Jay Sinclair: 38:17

The first block party.

Judy Sinclair: 38:18

Yeah, Rob came to me and just said I want to show you something, and he drove me by part of Pearl Street. I would have never gone down and it was at that. I mean, that was the appointment that was the divine appointment. And he said this is what you've been praying about. And uh, two weeks later he comes back to my office and we find ourselves on our knees. And that's when the holy spirit said this is no longer the last resort because that's what the that called. If you couldn't make it in that place.

Judy Sinclair: 38:58

You were on the street or in a mission or on somebody's couch and he just said this isn't the last resort anymore, it's my resort. So that's how it got its funny name. Yeah, it's a great name. It's a great name.

Kim McIntire: 39:11

It's changed so much from what it was at the beginning and every time we go and do the tours that you guys have in the fall, it's amazing, just year to year, even the change and the growth and what changes and is added to. So what are the dreams for the future for this ministry?

Judy Sinclair: 39:29

Well, we just finished, and we're just finishing, in addition to the Blessing House, which is right next to our community center, and so that's been a dream of Julie's and we just hired a Kylie Wayman who is our next-gen coordinator, and so I'll let Julie talk about that beautiful addition, because it's been a dream of hers, for a long time.

Jay Sinclair: 39:59

We shouldn't be surprised, but we now have almost equal number of children to adults, and so children are being reunited with their parents, which is really a beautiful thing, just like God, right, yeah, yeah.

Jay Sinclair: 40:17

So my burden has always been, and my faith, my belief has always been that the only way that most generational sin is going to stop would be for children to learn differently and not repeat where they came from right so I had a mama who came from a lot of brokenness and she would actually say out loud to me and my brothers I'm making your home what mine never was, and I didn't realize at the time, sure, how powerful that was, but she was actually calling things that were not as if they were.

Judy Sinclair: 40:57

She was living that out. She was, she was living it out, and my mom was rescued from an alcoholic grandfather Her dad, her dad. And so you know it's just like God's redeemed our families and we're paying it forward. You know, God's been amazingly gracious to our families.

Kim McIntire: 41:25

I'm glad you used the word redeemed. It's been used in every interview so far Redeemed or redemption.

Jay Sinclair: 41:32

It's my favorite name of God.

Kim McIntire: 41:34

That just runs through this podcast he is a redeeming God. He redeems from the pit and crowns with love and compassion he's so good. He's very good, so I know we have listeners who are looking for a place to serve in the community. So if you're a listener who is local to Joplin, Missouri, this would be an awesome place for you to serve. It would be an awesome ministry to pray for. We need you An awesome ministry to financially support. So what roles specifically need to be filled in this season?

Jay Sinclair: 42:09

Well, we have 40 homes, as Jay mentioned, and if you're listening. I'm sure you know. Even if you're just renting a home, you know what the upkeep of that one home takes. Sure, not just your money, but it takes your time if it's taken care of well. And our words for our housing, our goals are safe, affordable and dignified. Yeah. So we want them to be proud to say where they live and have people drive by and go oh, you live in a really nice place, so we want it on the outside.

Judy Sinclair: 42:43

And we don't want, we want to do with our properties. In other words, we wouldn't want people to live someplace. We wouldn't live, we wouldn't want to live.

Kim McIntire: 42:54

Right, why would you do?

Judy Sinclair: 42:55

that that's right.

Jay Sinclair: 42:58

So we need help with painting, cleaning in between residents and the next one moving in, maintenance, mowing our yards in the summer and helping us when there's ice and snow in the winter. We have some facilities, people employed, but um, it's a big job. Last year we had over 15 000 hours in volunteer um accrued wow hours and most of that would have had to have been just our facilities and the grounds and yeah, all the things you know, our community center.

Jay Sinclair: 43:36

Now we have another sure home that's like an office building to us, so you're retired. If you're young, we don't, we don't care, we just need help to keep maintaining those and bringing the dignity and would you say that's your greatest need in this season?

Kim McIntire: 43:53

No, that's not my greatest need.

Jay Sinclair: 43:54

The greatest need is loving people.

Judy Sinclair: 43:56

Relational. Yeah, it's an intersection, it is truly a God intersection, and so, yeah, their physical dwelling is very important to the mission. But their spiritual dwelling and the upkeep of that and the renovation of their own hearts. Like we said it happens in community. It does so loving people in those intersections that Julie mentioned.

Jay Sinclair: 44:28

So that you know, like with our kids, it would be really wonderful if, when we do something with them while their parents are staying upstairs for prayer and we're doing something with them, wouldn't it be? Amazing if there was an adult to every child downstairs Loving on them, listening to their day, helping them learn to play, helping them learn to forgive somebody who just took their toy.

Jay Sinclair: 44:50

It's really hard to find people to do that you know, and then we have a real burden for marriages that are being reunited at God's Resort. You know they go into different programs, or one doesn't and one does, and then they restore their relationship. So we would love for more people to come just model marriage. But then help us, help them learn how to talk together and resolve things. Sure More is caught than taught. Yeah, absolutely.

Judy Sinclair: 45:22

You know. So, like I said, sometimes people are afraid of this context because they don't know. You know, know what to say or what to do, or you know, but literally it's just being present because our people yeah, our, yeah, our people have lost so much, and grief is is. It is something that either you heal from and is a blessing and becomes stronger through, or it's something that will destroy your life. And if you know anything about grief, then you know that you don't have to say anything to people.

Judy Sinclair: 46:13

Dealing with people who are grieving is not a matter of't have to say anything to people. Dealing with people who are grieving is not a matter of knowing what to say it's a matter of being present and you know that's. That's what an intersection at God's Resort is about. You know, if you know how to be a friend, then you know how to be at God's resort.

Kim McIntire: 46:35

That's so good, so everyone's qualified. Everybody's qualified. And if you feel like you're not, then let me tell you, god qualifies those who feel unqualified. So he's a great qualifier he is. So that's good. Okay, that's so good, and I'm going to have you share some information about how people can get in contact with the ministry in just a minute. But what prayer needs can we be lifting to the Lord on your behalf at God's Resort?

Judy Sinclair: 47:04

Well, one, and it kind of goes with an earlier question you had about what the future looks like. About what the future looks like, and one of the prayers that we have constantly is God, make more room for more people. Yeah, we have quite a waiting list, and so we always have a waiting list, and because of our partnerships and that's one thing I would say about our partnerships in the community we're better together as different organizations and churches and ministries.

Judy Sinclair: 47:39

We're so much better together than God's resort out there trying to do it by itself. We are so much poorer by ourselves and we are so much better when we partner with all the different ministries. So, god, help us to connect as a body in this community. And then, god, help us to see the opportunities you have for us and give us the provision that we need to take advantage of those opportunities. And thank you for the vision that you have given us from 13th street to 20th street. And God, you know what is ours. You said you give us the nations as our inheritance, and so, god, we're, we're asking for our inheritance on Pearl Street, the Pearl of Great Price.

Judy Sinclair: 48:37

God, what properties, what development do you want to do to make room for more families, for more individuals who need community, who need the love of Jesus? And so, god, we need another fiveplex, we need another duplex that would house families from Washington Family Hope Center, god, those mothers who need to go someplace after they leave that homeless shelter. And it's not out there by themselves. God, it's in a community. And God, the gift you gave us to build a children's center and a multipurpose building. We don't even know what that looks like. We just know out of the blue. You gave us a huge gift of money and you said build it.

Judy Sinclair: 49:36

And so, god, give us a vision for what that building even looks like, what you want to do there. It's obviously for children, it's obviously for the wider community, the community there at God's Resort. So, god, we've asked you to prepare us for growth. So we stepped out in faith and, god, our budget is 30% more this next year than it was last year. And, god, we just felt like you were saying step out in faith. And God, I was just praying today In John 14, you said you can ask for anything in my name and I will give it.

Judy Sinclair: 50:18

And so, god, thank you for the new employees that you brought online to help us love on our name, on our, our, our people. There are people there, your people were identifying with you and loving what you're doing in taking people and changing all of us into the very image of Jesus, more and more Amen. So, protection, god. We ask for your protection. God, thank you for the covering that's over God's resort, and when people come into one of our homes and come into our community, they're coming under a canopy of grace and protection from demonic forces that have literally come within a breath of destroying the lives of everybody.

Judy Sinclair: 51:15

That's come there, and yet you've rescued them out of darkness and brought them to the kingdom of the Son you love, at whom there is redemption, the forgiveness of sin and so much more. And so we plead the blood of Jesus for protection and grace and provision that the Spirit only gives us through Jesus' holy name and power and blood and, julie, anything else that you can think of.

Jay Sinclair: 51:44

In the name of Jesus, amen, yeah, thank you In the name of Jesus.

Kim McIntire: 51:47

Yes, I have a passage of scripture I want to share before we close, with information on how to get connected.

Jay Sinclair: 51:57

Okay.

Kim McIntire: 51:57

So if you can share that at the end, that would be amazing, awesome. So many years ago 2007, I believe we had a prayer walk at the Neighborhood Life House. So this is etched in my memory forever. So this is etched in my memory forever. And, jay, before we started off going like two by two to pray over the neighborhood and the school, you read this passage of scripture and I just felt.

Kim McIntire: 52:23

I always try to meditate on a scripture or share scripture after or before an interview, and this is what the lord told me to share. I've never forgotten it. It's Isaiah 58, verse 6 through 12. And I just pray that our listeners would really receive this word tonight or today, as you listen and ask God to do this work in your heart, because this is what I'm asking God to do in my heart and in the hearts of his people. That's when revival will start.

Kim McIntire: 53:02

Yes Will truly come to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke. Is it not to share your food with the hungry and provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, to not turn away from your own flesh and blood, then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear. Then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call and the Lord will answer. You will cry for help and he will say here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression with the pointing finger and malicious talk, if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will shine in the darkness. Your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land. He will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Kim McIntire: 54:19

I love this part. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations. You will be called repairer of the broken walls, restorer of streets with dwellings. And Jay and Julie, I don't know if there's a scripture in God's word that would describe the two of you better than that. So what I'm asking God to do in my heart and the hearts of the listeners is what I have seen God do in your hearts, have seen God do in your hearts, and I am so grateful for this, the example of the love of Christ and the mercy and the grace. Compassion, love, kindness, generosity, all of those things and so much more is what you guys are to me.

Kim McIntire: 55:06

So thank you for your time, thank you for the words that you've shared, the passion that you have for the broken, the lost, so I'm believing that this is going to bring volunteers, prayer support, financial support For anyone who wants to become part of this amazing work. How do we get connected to God's Resort, Julie?

Jay Sinclair: 55:29

So we are on Facebook. You can find us Awesome. Yes, you can also find us at godsresortorg. Okay, and we will respond. That's our website and there are lots of ways to reach out for all of the things we've talked about. Yeah, and somebody will return a call to you or contact you. Okay, and then our phone number is 417-553-4080. And then our phone number is 417-553-4080. And you can leave a message for JRI or just tell them what you need and we'll get back to you and we'll figure it out.

Kim McIntire: 56:03

So good, so good Thank you again, Jim.

Judy Sinclair: 56:05

thanks for your prayers.

Kim McIntire: 56:07

You've sustained us in many ways through those prayers. We're very grateful. It's my honor to pray for both of you. I love you both so much.

Kim McIntire: 56:15

And I love God's resort. I love that ministry. I hate to show favoritism, but it is my favorite ministry. I'm just saying my favorite outreach ministry. Thank you for listening today. Be sure to check us out on our website at itstimeteriseuporg, our Facebook page or Instagram. At the underscore official underscore rise underscore up. May God's grace and peace be with you, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.