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BigHouse Ministries

Thorn Creek Youth Ranch
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The Father's House of Prayer & Conference Center
on Thorn Creek

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A Christian Prayer Retreat & Conference Center: hosting prayer summits, and individual and group lodging for prayer walks, conferences, youth ranch camps, and more.

Now offering free tent camping, RV parking, and limited cabin space for individuals seeking to have an encounter with God.

Our focus:
Developing a place in the mountains where people of all ages can find God in peace, and retreat to pray, much as Jesus also often retired to the mountains and solitary places to pray.

NOTE 1: Though we are still in the startup phase of the ministry, and have not yet begun commercial operations (as of 7-15-2007), we can still offer tent camping, RV parking, and limited cabin space, on a donation basis only.

NOTE 2: All staff positions, with a few exceptions, are for individuals that are self-supported or have a base/foundation of people sponsoring them. Some room and board accomodations can be provided for those that live onsite, as housing becomes available.

After a lot of heart searching prayer about this ranch location, our personal place in the project, and God's leading, God's words came to us on June 28'th of last year (2007) through a friend that did not know we were even praying. His words?

"Let Tim & Karen open a Prayer Center for all nations", "This will be the healing center for all the people who are afflicted by different sicknesses, be it emotional, physical, spiritual, mental, psychological and financial etc." And then they gave us these Bible verses, Psalms 1:1-3, Revelation 19:6, 22:1-2, that had likewise come to their mind about us.

We desire to provide a safe place for people, a sanctuary of peace, where they can find God, pray, find healing, find new direction in their lives, and in general just relax in the presence of God for a season, whether it's done through an individual prayer cabin reservation, or a group camp setting sponsored through us or a local church.

Call 208-392-6723 (local from Boise), if you need to schedule a church related retreat or a solitary prayer time (either for your group or by yourself), or simply to come up to be prayed for, or even just to schedule time to come up and work to help make this a more welcome place for other people to meet God.

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Current Events

Newsletters Read about some of our progress :-) Email me (bighouseministries@gmail.com) if you have questions or want me to include you on the email newsletter list.

We have 7 full-time youth here now, and one part time, 7 of whom came to me (Tim) by way of marriage to their single mother on August 19, 2006. My daughter from my previous marriage is also here part time. All 8 kids were wounded kids, but have thrived being here. They love being here, and pray often that God works things out here so that we as a family can start hosting camps for other wounded youth too. Indeed, some of their friends are starting to hang out up here quite a bit, and we often find ourselves with up to a dozen or more kids in the house on any one weekend.

As a family, we are currently living in the main lodge, slowly renovating it, room by room, making it liveable as a home (rather than just a bachelor pad or a run down 70's style hunting/camping lodge *chuckle*).

Our biggest single prayer request (2-14-2008) WAS that we somehow finish raising the money to buy the ranch property so that we can begin renovations and "marketing" our services in earnest. It is now (4-20-2008), that God lead us into deeper prayer with Him, and that our core team comes quickly and seamlessly together in prayer and passion. The property will come when we are ready for it.

Check out our powerpoint presentation for more information and pictures! Powerpoint Presentation (13.5MB) Download

Response to an email letter recently addressed anonymously to me (Tim), encapsulating the current thrust of my life and activities.
Dear Anonymous

Here's an updated, cleaner version of the business plan that we are now presenting to people and fund raisers. BigHouse Ministries, Inc. Business Plan

Download a copy of the nearly completed "The Innocence of God" manuscript that I (Tim Benedict) am working on. I don't know everything that there is to know about our Yahweh God, but here are some of my own musings on His character. Read it, share it, download it, but don't change or plagerize it. Give me your thoughts and feedback too if you like. I would love to hear from you. The Innocence of God (404kb)

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Someone asked me to include a paypal link here so that they could donate to the basic prayer/youth center project more easily......
(amount)
Donate thru Paypal to the project
(You can make donations via credit card or direct withdrawal through PayPal - it IS secure, even if you don't already have a PayPal account and don't want to sign up for one.) Be sure to include your name and address so that we can send you a tax deductible receipt.
Visit
HowToGetBetterGasmileage.com,
101WebTrafficGenerators.com,
HandwritingSelftest.com,
or TimsBooks.net
sites that were specifically set up to support this ministry, and thus donate all of their proceeds to either this ministry or the staff behind the ministry.

Or if you would rather send your donation through the postal mail, please make your check or money order out to either BigHouse Ministries Inc, or Tim Benedict (and earmark it for The Father's House of Prayer on Thorn Creek), then send it to:
The Father's House of Prayer on Thorn Creek
21 Yellowpine Ln
Boise, Idaho 83716

Thanks.

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Property Stats: Main Property: 88 acres mostly timbered, almost 4000 sqft lodge with huge kitchen/dining area, pool, stable, bunk house, multiple cabins, 1500+ sqft Rec hall, 1500+ sqft shop, multiple creeks, several buildings that need either razed or rebuilt, ballfield, ampitheater firepit, and more.

Staff: Already onsite: Tim Benedict (since April, 2004) and his family of 8 children, a staff chaplain and his family (just down the road), and a good friend who is helping with lots of ranch projects and miscellaneous stuff. Committed to move: several singles & couples are seriously considering the decision/move but mostly they are just waiting until the contract for the land is finalized. Several dedicated volunteers are also helping out with stuff, working from their homes in the Boise area.

Support: A number of local businesses have already pledged logistical, material, monetary, and staffing support

Pictures

See the downloadable presentation above. :-)
Tim Benedict
The Father's House of Prayer on Thorn Creek Conference Center
21 Yellowpine Ln
Boise, Idaho 83716
(208) 392-6723
bighouseministries@gmail.com
www.bighouseministries.com
Otherwise, Press Crtl-D to Bookmark!

Maps to site

It is one hour straight up HWY 21 towards Idaho City (Gowen Rd/Hwy21 exit off of I-84 in east Boise). At mile marker 31, turn right on Thorn Creek (Forest Service Road 377). Go 4 miles and go straight at the fork, 1 more mile, through summer cabin subdivision, then right on Yellowpine, then left at the "T" in the road.

Main house is two hundred yards up on the left. Big rock house. Call first if wanting to visit (208-392-6723 -a local call from Boise).

Created By: Tim Benedict