How Garden Ministry Got Started

Garden Ministry got started on the week of June 1, 2009. I was going through some attacks by the enemy through a colleague in ministry. At that time, my day to day work was a full time Bible Instructor and Seminar Instructor for the church. I was also coordinator and director for Prison Evangelism with two weekly Bible classes in the Prison with Sister C. Tucker.

Beside these things, I was the president and speaker of the oldest local religious broadcast called, "Religion Through the Years", which airs twice a week on radio, the operator and speaker for a church broadcast radio ministry on Saturdays.

Government Work:

I sit on two government boards of which I was the chairman and C.E.O. of a rest home. As head of one the nine parishes in Bermuda it was a joy to serving God’s people out of a heart of love. For what little money was given in the ministries outside my full time work, I gave it all to the Religion Through the Years broadcast to help keep it on the air with a few others to contribute. 

Feeling sad:

As I was saying, I was feeling down on the week of June 1, 2009 because a person said that they are going to see to it that I no longer minister in ministry in the church.

Ray of light:

By Sunday June 7, 2009 my mind was very heavy and it was in the heaviness that the Lord said to me, “there are people like you who need a word of encouragement. Stay with the task before you and don't give up!"

Stopped from leaving ministry:

It was at this point, I was going too finished with working for the church, and step out by faith into another area. Then the Lord spoke to me the second time and said, “Listen to my voice, I have called you to ministry unto me in these last days, and your ministry shall be through My Garden.”

 It was there that I realized that there are some who are called by God to do a little more than others in ministry. So I asked the Lord, "What would have me do?" The Lord spoke and said, "As the plants in a garden have needs, so My people have needs, and you must minister to them.” But as you minister, you must consider the workers in My vineyards. This new ministry shall be called Garden Ministry."

After I got off my knees on that Sunday morning, I knew that there was something different about the way I would do ministry. As for the new ministry, it shall go to everyone on the face of the earth.

The purpose of Garden Ministry is to encourage the workers in the field of the Lord, and to keep them looking up. Through it, we have seen hope brought back to the lives of those who minister in the Lord's vineyards around the world, and people in general. We have also seen people baptized.

It is clear form its early beginnings, Garden Ministry has a wonderful propose to those who need hope in a time of hopelessness.

Ministry must change if we are going to keep current:

In these closing days of earth's history, the way we do ministry has to change if we are going to help people in ministry, our neighborhoods and countries we live in. It is the goal of Garden Ministry to help to bring about some of these changes. God has given me, through Garden Ministry, a community approach to ministry.  We solicit your support by sending these devotional to your friends and telling your friends to send them to their friends as we see the world lighten with the message of hope.

This is the day that, “Every minister should now feel that there is a greater work for him to do than to repeat again and again the same sermons to the people.” “When Christ sent out the twelve disciples on their first missionary tour, He bade them, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:7, 8).

“To the Seventy sent forth later He said: “Into whatsoever city ye enter, ... heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke 10:8, 9).

“After Christ's ascension the same work was continued. The scenes of His own ministry were repeated.”

Today God encourages us to do the same work, but in a new way. “The giving of the gospel to the world is the work that God has committed to those who bear His name. For earth's sin and misery the gospel is the only antidote. To make known to all mankind the message of the grace of God is the first work of those who know its healing power."

“What is the condition in the world today? Is not faith in the Bible as effectually destroyed by the higher criticism and speculation?”

“A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.”

“Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”

“There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.”

Keep us in your prayers as we pursue this focus.
Your Brother
Chaplain Dr. Kevin J. T. Santucci