LongLetterHome
#2 • VOLUME 58 • 2015
A publication of Cookson Hills Christian Ministries
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PAGE 4
A
W O R D
F R O M
T H E
D I R E C T O R
LEADING
FORWARD
AN INTERVIEW
g
HEATH
HOSTETLER
By Rick Bayless
Executive Director
IF LEADERSHIP IS VITAL TO MISSION
FULFILLMENT, and I believe it is, then
the transition from one leader to the
next merits our careful and prayerful
navigation. The steps we’ve taken over
the last 18 months led us to Heath
Hostetler, one of our former students
who graduated in 1993. His college
education at Manhattan Christian College and Cincinnati Christian University, coupled with both ministry and
business backgrounds, provides Heath
with well-rounded skills for leading
a Christian non-profit organization.
Heath’s heart for impacting families
and making disciples is already having
impact in our ministry. Heath leads a
disciplined and purposeful personal
and family life and brings the same to
his leadership. His “on purpose” style
will be vital in keeping the main thing
the main thing, and it combines with an
entrepreneurial tendency to bring welldevised and fruitful growth in all areas
of our ministry.
I couldn’t be more excited about what
Heath brings to Cookson Hills. I am
also grateful that we have the next year
for training and mentoring while we
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LONG LETTER HOME • #2 2015
complete the Building on a Legacy of
Love campus renovation project.
One of my mentors once said to me,
“A good leader hires people who are
smarter and better than themselves.
When that happens, the future of a
company is bright.” It was good advice
in assembling our current leadership
team. They are outstanding. I believe it
has been accomplished in the Board’s
selection of Heath as my successor. As
you read this short interview, I think
you will come to believe it, too.
RICK: Tell us a bit about your family
and priorities.
HEATH: I am so grateful that Cindy said
"yes" 16 years ago. We have two lovely
children, Beulah (3) and Ira (1). After
fumbling through life for years, I came
to realize there are three identities I
take with me wherever I go. I am a son
of God, a husband, and a father. These
identities have become the lenses by
which I view nearly everything in life.
RICK: Why did you want to come back
to Cookson Hills?
HEATH: I have grown to really love
the place over the years. But let’s be
honest, it is unfortunate that places like
Cookson Hills need to exist. The fall of
mankind introduced sin that caused
humans and their families to struggle in
ways that are unnatural to the way God
had intended for us. When mankind
seeks to live independent of God, there
are ALWAYS dreadful consequences. I
believe when fathers seek to live independent from God, their families will
suffer (possibly for generations).
I look forward to the day when Jesus
comes back and all the wrongs will be
made right. Until then, we need believing men and women to stand up, in
places where others will not or cannot, and fight for the next generation.
I came back because I know firsthand
the consequences of this kind of sin
and the struggle that will ensue. I know
it will be a long road for many of these
kids, but given the right tools and with
Jesus on their side, I believe they can
make it.
RICK: How is the leadership transition
going?
HEATH: Our leadership team and
staff have been wonderful to work
with. Assuming responsibility of a new
department every couple months has
allowed me time to dig in with each
departmental leader and team to better
understand their goals and challenges.
I will continue to take over responsibility of each of the five departments until
the transition is completed at the end
of 2015.
I am fortunate to step into an organization that is well-managed. Props to Rick
and his team for what Cookson Hills
has become over the years.
RICK: What do you see as the greatest
challenges Cookson Hills will face in
the next 10 years?
HEATH: Three things: economics, technology, and programming.
Economics
Our organization has been blessed with
many individuals and churches who believe in what we do and have supported
us for many years. We thank God for a
lifelong support base that continues to
make our ministry possible.
With excitement I have watched the
building project over the last several
years and thought, “It’s great that we
have facilities that can serve our mission for the next 50 plus years. I wonder
do we have an economic model that
will work for the next 50 years.” Given
the economic state of our country, I
think it’s important that Cookson Hills
explore additional nongovernmental
funding models that will help support
the demands of our services in the
future.
When I go to gatherings with other
non-profit leaders, it seems there is
one thing we all have in common. We
are all competing for a pool of dollars
in a world that is getting crowded with
many worthy causes. We want to make
sure that Cookson Hills remains on
task with the mission at hand, a good
steward of all that is entrusted to us,
and worthy of being high on the list of
our donors.
While I trust that God will provide
all we need to continue to serve His
purposes, I will also do everything in
my power to position Cookson Hills for
longevity and a bright future of serving families in need. You can expect to
see us getting creative with individual,
church, and business partnerships this
year and beyond.
Technology
For Cookson Hills to remain a viable
ministry for the long term, we need to
selectively embrace technology that
will help us get there. We will make significant changes to our web presence
over the next year. This will allow us to
better market our services to families in
need and increase our capacity to communicate with our donors, more often
and in real time, what is happening at
Cookson Hills. Our printed communications, such as newsletters, continues to
be one of the biggest expenses in our
donor services budget. We will make all
these services readily available online.
You can support this initiative by changing your delivery choice to email by
visiting: cooksonhills.org/email.
We also plan to dive into the waters
of video storytelling and social media.
Cookson Hills is ripe with social media
fodder, all over the place, seriously.
With good strategy and execution on
these fronts we can readily communicate our mission and the fruit of our
work.
Programming
There are two areas I’d like to see us
step into more: family and discipleship
training. I believe the family is God’s
primary method for the making of disciples and bringing His Kingdom to this
earth. It goes without saying that an
organization like Cookson Hills cares
about these things, too. In addition to
the already great training Cookson Hills
offers, I’d like to see us have formalized
training in both of these areas within
the next 2-3 years.
Heath & Cindy Hostetler
with Beulah and Ira
COOKSON HILLS CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
3
E L I S A S H A R E S
H E R S T O R Y
mY
earliest memory is playing soccer with my
dad when I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I
used to play with him a lot. I would watch
him play soccer every weekend and cheer him on. I got my
passion for soccer from him!
When I was 6, I was very excited to get a little brother.
Then a couple years later, my dad got sick—maybe it was
pneumonia, but I don’t know. I remember him being in
the hospital hooked up to machines. A couple days later, I
remember my mom standing beside my bed telling me my
dad passed away. I didn’t want to believe it.
After my dad died, Mom moved into the other half of my
uncle’s duplex. My uncle did his best to watch over us and
be a good influence in our lives. My mom stayed home
while I was young and only went back to work recently. She
tried to give me a normal childhood.
When I started going to middle school, I became very disrespectful. I wanted to go places, and my mom wouldn’t let
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LONG LETTER HOME • #2 2015
me. I just yelled a lot and was really mean. I started being
with the wrong crowd (although I’ve never gotten arrested
or gone to court).
A few months later, I got mad at my mom and ran away
with some friends. My uncle, who really is like my dad,
called Cookson Hills because he saw where my life was
heading. Mom didn’t want me here, but my uncle really felt
that I needed to be straightened out. Even after our tour of Cookson Hills, I didn’t straighten
out much. I was still hanging out with the wrong people. I
didn’t do drugs, but I stole money from mom to pay for my
friends’ drugs. One time, three guys and I were hanging
out, and they were getting ready to do drugs. I saw some
cops and told the guys to cut it out. They put their drugs in
the washing machines and left. The cops searched them, arrested one guy and let the others go. I went home, but that
incident shook me up.
Three months after touring Cookson Hills, my mom finally
agreed with my uncle that I needed help. I was so mad at
them! I hated it here and cried every night. I didn’t want to
be here … But now I’m so glad I came, because this is what
changed me.
At first, I was quiet and didn’t really talk. It was two weeks
before I talked to my houseparents. “Oh my gosh, I want to
go home. I don’t want to be here,” was all that went through
my mind. Being at Cookson Hills has helped me not be so disrespectful. For that I am grateful, but the day of my life that I’m
most excited about is the day I got saved. In the book our family was reading for devotions, the main
character put his hands on someone’s head to pray, so one of
my housesisters suggested that we do that. Someone started
crying and then I started crying … and my housesister’s
hands were on our heads and … it was really intense. It felt
like God was there in the room giving these emotions. I was
thinking, “I want to get saved” and kept praying. Something
happened and I felt different. “ ...the day of my
life that I’m most
excited about is the
day I got saved.”
The next day, I got up extra early (and I’m not a morning
person). I told one of my friends at school that I was saved,
and he said, “That’s cool, I’m saved too.” And we started
talking about it. I started reading the Bible and paying attention in Bible class. Everything started changing from that
day on.
Now I can’t wait to get home. My mom and I still argue
a little and I know that I still have work to do, but it’s so
different now. I filter what I’m going to say and try to think
before I speak. I’ve gotten stronger since being at Cookson
Hills.
When I go back home, I’ll be 16, getting a job, and hopefully will not go back to public school. I think I want to go
to a charter school where there will be a better group of kids
and teachers to help keep me on track.
I am so thankful for the people who donate money to Cookson Hills so that I could be here. They are so awesome! The
biggest accomplishment in my life happened here…when I
first started following God!
COOKSON HILLS CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
5
This semester's 4-Him extracurricular
activities included the following
choices for students: Disc Golf,
Elementary Drama, Farm Living,
Martial Arts, How To Fix What's
Broke, Outdoor Recreation, Cooking,
Horsin' Around, Model Rockets,
Scrapbooking, Woodworking,
Sewing Can Be Fun, Worship Band,
Fit & Fabulous, and Exploring God's
Creation.
Many thanks to the teachers, staff,
houseparents, and grandparents
who donated their time to mentor
the kids.
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LONG LETTER HOME • #2 2015
M E M O R I A L S
MEMORIALS
Kitty Aston
Larry & Valerie Naumann
Kimberly Crew
Gerald & Shirley Zuck
J. W. Belknap
Denver & Carolyn Waltrip
Bob Crawford
Norbert & Lyla Harold
Bruce Crawford
Melvin & Ethel Newland
Dewey Brady
Bill & Sandy Fernandez
Helen Ferguson
Gayle, Danita, & Kim Keely
Norman Carter
Bud & Marion Ritz
Robert & Penny Lanyon
Delta Tau Delta/Delta Chi Chapter
Stephen & Sue Ann Reel
Miriam Carter & Family
Charles Moore
Joseph & Linda Millar
Rita Garrett
Walt & Norma Miller
Todd & Stacey Breitmann
Robert & Lila McClung
JoAnn Hudson
Joseph Lee Core, Jr.
Amy Faruque
Leonardo & Lorri Avila
Ruth Cash
Curtis & Dorotha Becker
Jay & Lauri Chon
Anne Mathay
Nancy Holmes
R. D. & Jane Allen
Michelle Botley
Richard & Karen Hockett
Charlene Campbell
Danielle Logan
Leon Harper
Denver & Carolyn Waltrip
Bobby Geary
Harold Spalding
Joe & Phyllis Diaz
Joyce Jackson
William McHenry
Eileen Johnson
Lee Duges & Beverly Cottle
Doug & Beverly Westeman
Lois Austin
Dennis & Donna Glasgow
Robert & Lila McClung
&
H O N O R A R I U M S
Kent Johnson
Lois Austin
Dennis & Donna Glasgow
Esther Kellhofer
Ken & Jane Kellhofer
Hugh Kring
Lendell & Lawanda Bass
Helen Londagin
Allen & Zelma Braswell
Coy Morse
Dorothy McPherson
Dave Mostek
Richard & Wendy Earl
James & Joan Edge
Dennis & Debra Mostek
Barbour Energy Corporation
Oklahoma City, OK
Patrick & Jeanette Gorrell
Loren & Deanna Trethewey
Tommy & Cathy Mitchell
Jeff & Vicki Hensley
Paul & Diane Hensley
Glen & Cheryl Armstrong
Jason & Paige Redwine
John & Diane Denkinger
Keith Shrum
South Hutchinson Christian Church
South Hutchinson, KS
Keith Shrum cont.
James & Madelyn Corbett
Larry & Valerie Naumann
Tootie Robbins
Bob & Alyce Park
Millard & Jane Reschke
Jeana Hayes
Judith Lindsey
Fred & Betty Shade
Jeana Hayes
Glenna Dellenbach
Chuck & Elma Hunsinger Sankey
Ben & Sue Killion
Mae Wyland & Family
Robert & Mildred Ellerman
Jeana Hayes
Dan & Candace Fields
David & Lana Aspinwall
Richard & Erin Ellerman
Charles & Dorothy Morris
Linda Krenzin
Keith & Linda Dellenbach
Scott & Jill Fields
Odie Smith
Larry & Valerie Naumann
Dick & Laurine Vegher
Mike & Julie Vegher
Laurine Vegher
Phil & Sandi Jarke
Marge Bargmann
HONORARIUMS
Donnie & Vivian Clary
Kasham Laine
Ben & Sue Killion
Dewey & Betty Daniels
Jerl & Dani Joslin
Jane & R. D. Allen
Anne Allen, Jon & Kalista
Janelle, David, & Sean Turner
Robb & Anna Lenardson
Bernard & Annie Barber
Scott & Ellen Klaus
Betty Stevenson
Bill & Sandy Fernandez
Stuart Todd
Doyle & Wilma Rahe
To make an online Memorial
or Honorarium, please visit
cooksonhills.org and click on
the Donate button.
Cookson Hills Christian Ministries does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies,
financial assistance, scholarship, athletic, and other administered programs. Long Letter Home is published by Cookson Hills Christian Ministries, 60416 Highway 10, Kansas,
OK 74347. Cover and contents of Long Letter Home are protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any way without permission. Please send change of address
notification to: Long Letter Home, 60416 Highway 10, Kansas, OK 74347. Printed in the USA.
COOKSON HILLS CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
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#2 • VOLUME 58 • 2015
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OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST
NeedsList
INVESTORS CHALLENGE
Recently, two teams of Cookson Hills high school students
had the opportunity to participate in Junior Achievement’s
Investors Challenge event in Tulsa, OK. Each team was
given $500K in fictitious money to invest in 26 simulated
companies, competing with over 40 other Tulsa-area teams
to earn the highest ROI. Prior to the competition, each student spent a couple of hours learning about different types
of personal investment options, the risk vs. the potential reward of various investments, and how to read a stock quote.
Though neither team won the competition, they thoroughly
enjoyed the experience and each team earned about $20K
on their investments during the computer-simulated 60
days. Not bad for a day’s work.
SCHOOL ITEMS
a Colored Pencils
a Markers
a Backpacks
a College Ruled
Spiral Notebooks
a Clipboards
a Stop Watches
a CalculatorsRegular
and Scientific
a Duct Tape
Decorative
a 8.5x11 Sheet
Protectors - Clear
a Rubber Cement
a Glitter Glue
a Ink Pens - Black
and Blue
a Tennis Balls
HOME ITEMS
a USB Laser Mice
a Twin Mattress
Covers
a Shower Curtain
Curtains/Liners
a All-Surface Mops
FOOD ITEMS
a Toaster Pastries
a Chocolate Chips
a Cake & Brownie
Mixes
a Granola Bars
a Cereals