REST Ministries: Recent Episodes
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Sometimes you have to read the first chapters in order to fully appreciate the “new chapter” so stick with us as we give you the super condensed version, starting at the beginning!
2002 / REST Ministries began when through a 40 day fast, God gave us, Chuck and Becka Lehman the call to establish a place of rest, where adults could come away from the busyness and noise of life to just be still. A place where God’s people could be be blessed, encouraged, and equipped through spending dedicated time with Him.
2003-2010 / It may be an overused statement, but we learned first hand that where God guides, He provides! So as we followed God’s lead on this journey, the first chapter was working alongside and being mentored by others who were doing the same type ministry work.
2010 / Seven years to the very day of launching into ministry, through incredibly divine circumstances, God gave REST Ministries the opportunity to step foot on a sacred piece of property which 40 days later was the beginning chapter of Shepherd’s Gate Inn, southwest of Indianapolis, Indiana.
2021 / Fast forward 11 years…after serving many groups and individuals for times of retreat, at Shepherd’s Gate Inn, REST Ministries was given an opportunity to develop another retreat property, for Personal Retreats only, in Goshen, Indiana.This holy ground became Shepherd’s Gate Cottage and after extensive remodeling, opened for guests in January 2025.
The Garden Suites at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage
2025 / Side note and fact of life…we’ve learned at the age of 69 years old, you can’t just can’t do what you used to do! So after much prayer and seeking the Lord, God was gracious to allow us sell Shepherd’s Gate Inn. After 15 years of this large estate property being used for ministry, it is now being used by it’s new owners as a single family home. On September 30, 2025 we moved to our Goshen, Indiana location and the focus for REST Ministries is now only on Shepherd’s Gate Cottage.
Looking Back
Shepherd’s Gate Inn holds many special memories for it’s past guests, as many have been impacted on those sacred grounds. We praise God for all that He did in the lives of those who came through the doors at the Inn.
Looking Ahead
We are enjoying getting settled into our portion of the Cottage, making it our home, and being available to meet and pray with our Personal Retreat guests staying in the 2 Garden Suites at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage. As we embrace a slower pace of life, we look forward to spending more time with family, writing, speaking, and encouraging others whom God is calling to begin a retreat ministry.
Chuck & Becka Lehman
Please visit our recently updated website to learn more and / or inquire about booking your Personal Retreat at the Garden Suites of Shepherd’s Gate Cottage.
For 22 years REST Ministries has been providing a sacred space for God’s people to push life’s pause button and strategically withdraw from the noisy world we live in to spend time in retreat with God.
For the past 15 years, Shepherd’s Gate Inn, our retreat home in Martinsville, Indiana has been the place which many people return to again and again to be still and hear God’s voice.
While Shepherd’s Gate Inn continues to be a place where groups and individuals retreat, we are excited to introduce to you our 2nd retreat home, Shepherd’s Gate Cottage! As indicated by its name, it is a cozy cottage, not a large inn like our other retreat home. The Cottage will be for personal retreats only, not groups.
In 2021 God directed us to purchase an existing home in Goshen, Indiana in the heart of a peaceful Amish community. For the past 3 years we have been doing extensive renovations to develop our 2 Garden Guest Suites for 2 individuals or 2 married couples to stay for a time of retreat.
When guests arrive at the Cottage, they will begin their retreat journey as they walk the lighted pathway through the gardens. As they walk down the stone steps, they’ll catch a glimpse of the koi pond and waterfall which borders the walkways to the Garden Suites. Providing a secluded atmosphere, are the stately and mature pine trees on both sides of the property, which are an accent to the beauty of the gardens.
Guests who enjoy being in nature, will enjoy the many sacred spaces provided to watch the birds, squirrels and other wild life scampering throughout the property.
Each of the Garden Suites is fully furnished and includes the following amenities:
- Living room with fireplace
- Kitchenette
- Bedroom
- Bathroom
The Cottage will be open for retreat guests beginning in January 2025! If you’re interested in learning more about a personal retreat at Shepherd’s Gate Cottage, in Goshen, IN and /or making a reservation to retreat, CLICK HERE.
Please join us in praying for Shepherd’s Gate Cottage as we open the doors for God’s people to be renewed and refreshed!
Will You Help?Would you consider giving a gift to help REST Ministries as we launch our new retreat home, Shepherd’s Gate Cottage? Your gift will help to fund expenses to maintain the Cottage.
Give a Gift
Chicken soup has long held the reputation for being a “good for you” food when you are sick. Trust me, you won’t want to wait until your sick to give our version of this recipe a try!
While it is does have chicken and is packed with veggies, it has a couple of surprise ingredients which give a new spin on a old favorite. Our guests at the Inn are raving about this soup and you will too!
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Servings: 8
Ingredients
• 1 cup bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 celery heart celery, dice all ribs
• 1 pkg matchstick sliced carrots (approximately 4 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth (keeps the soup from tasting too salty)
• 1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
• 2 cups baby spinach
• green onion, chopped for garnish
Instructions
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Heat a large pot over medium high heat and cook the diced bacon. Remove the cooked bacon from the pot and set aside.
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Add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots. Saute the vegetables until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pot and saute for just a minute.
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Add the chicken broth, ranch dressing packet, pepper, parsley, shredded chicken, sour cream, cream cheese, and cooked bacon. Cook and stir continually until the cream cheese melts into the soup evenly.
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Add in the cheddar cheese and spinach, cook until the spinach has wilted and the cheese is melted.
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Serve soup with additional cheddar cheese and chopped green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.
I was a “city slicker” when we first moved into Shepherd’s Gate Inn back in 2010, according to my neighbor, Bob…and rightly so. Bob took this nearly hopeless city boy under his meticulous tutelage stemming from his many years of “in the forest” schoolhouse experience, and I am now a bit more nature and country wise!
Bob has been volunteering for REST Ministries for the last decade performing a process in forestry known as TSI – Timber Stand Improvement. In performing TSI, the ability for maturing trees to become renewed is greatly enhanced. As you can see from our winter photo at the Inn, on our 42 acres, there is A LOT of forest to renew and enhance!
Much in the same way maturing Christians often need to be renewed in order to grow stronger, thrive deeper and realize the full potential God intended for them.
Timber Stand Improvement involves:
- The removal of vines and invasives, such as grapevines, Multiflora Rose and Honey Locust, that endanger healthy trees.
- Removal of dying and dead cull trees.
- Erosion prevention and trail grooming.
- Thinning of saplings, thus, renewing the ability for more mature trees to flourish, prosper and grow by having better access to sunlight and nutrients.
Scripture in Psalm 51:10 teaches us to ask God to create a new, clean heart…a fresh start, not the reworking of our old heart! And that is highly important, because just as Multiflora Rose is impossible to eradicate unless you dig up every inch of its root system, the same is true of our deep running roots of sin in our life. Create a new heart God, remove the invasives, vines and the dead and dying, so I can be fully renewed!
Slowly over time life can erode our foundations, alter existing paths and undermine what God wants to do in us and through us. So, much of the work in forestry and in Christianity is slow work, without immediately seeing any results…even for months or years. The work toward renewal by preventative work to eliminating or stopping life erosion must continue relentlessly.
Saplings themselves aren’t a bad thing: just as many activities and focuses we have in our Christian lives aren’t inherently bad by themselves. Saplings become a bad thing when there too many of them in a small area. They cause the more mature trees to lack for nourishment and crowd out its root system, so it never has the chance to develop a root system that will keep it strong and steadfast.
Too many good activities cause our lack in ability to be spiritually fed as well. Being overly busy with activities and things, create a lack of time to focus on the best things. The things that renew our spirit such as, time for deep introspection, prayer, reading God’s Word, fasting and developing a rhythm of Sabbath rest. When we ask God to provide a new heart, He will! When we spend time with a spiritual X-Ray machine and take inventory of our heart, and deeply take it to our core, asking God to renew our spirit, He will!
When we combine those two requests from the heart, the result is a renewal of us spiritually. A resolute, faithful, loyal unmovable renewed spirit that cannot be upended! When I look out my third-floor office window at the trees in the woods during a windstorm, the tops of some of those 100-foot-tall trees move up to 20 feet each way. What a beautiful depiction of a renewed steadfast spirit! Take time to allow God to create and renew your spiritual walk today!
Caramel Apple Cream PieGoodness from the Kitchen of Shepherd’s Gate Inn
3 pies – 24 servings
2 – 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 c. applesauce
Cinnamon to taste
1 qt. cream, whipped with ½ c. powdered sugar
3 – 9 inch graham cracker pie crusts
2 cans apple pie filling, for garnish
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form; transfer to another bowl
- In mixer bowl (no need to wash) mix sweetened condensed milk, applesauce, and cinnamon
- Add whip cream to milk / applesauce mixture and gently mix together
- Pour into graham cracker crusts and freeze until ready to serve
- Take pie out of freezer shortly before serving; cut into 8 pieces per pie
- Top each piece of pie with a small spoonful of apple pie filling, followed by a drizzle of salted caramel sauce…recipe below
Salted Caramel Sauce
½ c. butter
6 T. brown sugar
6 T. white sugar
¼ t. salt
2 t. vanilla
4 T. cream or milk
2-4 T. powdered sugar
- Mix and heat all ingredients except powdered sugar over low heat; boil and cook for 1 minute
- Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar 1 T. at a time until desired thickness
- Store unused caramel sauce in frig and heat in micro when using again
by Chuck Lehman
We hate to wait! Our culture’s influence has caused many of us to lose “the art of waiting.” We get angry if we need to wait a minute for our fast food. We make instant pudding, whip up instant potatoes and wish it was split second rice instead of minute rice.
We creep forward in anticipation of the changing stoplight or blow through a yellow-red light so as to not need to wait. Checkout lines in the grocery store with more than three people aggravate us in a heartbeat!
We instant message…most of us wouldn’t consider mailing a handwritten letter. At Shepherd’s Gate Inn we have the privilege of owning a commercial dish machine…it will wash a complete load of dishes, sterilized and dried, in two minutes; yet often I find myself tapping my foot and checking the time on my phone as I await the finish of the cycle! We hate to wait, waiting agitates us!
When we wait, we find it anything but restful.
The dictionary, however, defines waiting in the following two ways:
1) to rest in expectation
2) to remain or be in readiness
The secret to the lost art of waiting is to rest, anticipate and be ready! The key to resting is confident expectation. The foundation of confident expectation is to know and trust the source of that confidence and to remain ready. Waiting, therefore, is the working out of hope… expectant dependency. There is divine purpose in the pause!
Waiting is a privilege! In Scripture we are shown the pleasure gained in the opportunity of waiting on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “The strength of those who wait with hope in the Lord will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired.” Waiting, in Scripture language, is a term used to denote dependence and a willingness to be directed by the one waited upon.
Waiting isn’t easy, but the results of not waiting and running ahead aren’t very pleasant either. Waiting isn’t just a killing time as we often think…it is a time when God accomplishes things in a mighty way, if we are “actively patient.” Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 24:49, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Stay in the city…wait…wait in active patience and God will empower you!
I’m sure the disciples weren’t just loafing around, they were in busy preparation for the mighty work ahead of them, but a huge part of the preparation was the waiting. If they had indeed not waited on God to clothe them with His power, they would simply been just working through their own power and that just doesn’t work!
After all the prophets of the Old Testament finished predicting the coming Savior, Jesus, there were 400 years of silence and waiting! To those watching, nothing was happening, however, God was constantly, fully working in the background to line things up for the “suddenly!” Luke 2:13-14 announces the arrival of Jesus to the shepherds…Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Four hundred years of waiting for suddenly!
I believe the majority of those reading this are deeply involved in waiting on some level…it may not be for 400 years, but it certainly may seem like it! I remember struggling through a 40 day fast where it “appeared” to just be silence! Then, suddenly…on day 39 of the fast, God provided a glimpse of future hope!
It wasn’t until three months later, when God provided a bit more dialog of purpose; and still 13 years in passing, He still provides triumphant hope welling up of future purpose! Waiting on God, in eager anticipation, is God’s gift to us that keeps on giving!
REST Ministries is in one of those times of waiting right now…we’re still working, we’re still preparing for the work ahead, ministry to others is still happening but we are also waiting on the Lord…expectantly dependent, resting in confident expectation.
Please join us as we praise God for how he has blessed and strengthened us in this time of waiting on the Lord. Also unite with us as we praise God for the ongoing prayer and financial support He provides. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we continue to develop our next ministry steps and for continued divine appointments (God connecting people) for REST Ministries.
Thanks for being a part of REST Ministries! As much as you may not enjoy waiting, try to focus on resting in the Lord, and waiting patiently for Him. When your “suddenly” arrives, you’ll love soaring like an eagle and not growing weary in your renewed strength!
Serves: 10
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or fully cooked diced chicken)
2 T. butter
½ t. powdered rosemary
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. thyme
½ t. Kosher salt
¼ t. fine grind black pepper
4 Very large, sweet onions (do not substitute yellow or white onion) sliced into thin rings
4 T. butter
1 t. Kosher salt
3 T. minced garlic
½ c. beef stock
½ c. Chardonnay wine
1 ½ T. balsamic vinegar
1 Loaf Everything French bread (bread with everything bagel seasoning)
½ c. melted butter
2 – 3 cups Swiss or mozzarella cheese (to taste)
Directions
- Combine first seven items in large skillet over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink; drain off excess liquid (if using gully cooked, diced chicken just stir ingredients together in a large bowl). Remove chicken from skillet.
- Combine next 4 ingredients in large skillet over medium low heat until very caramelized and sugars are released, stirring frequently; low heat is preferable to higher heat.
- Once onions reach desired caramelization, stir the next three items into the onions and simmer for 20 -25 minutes until ¾ of the liquid is dissolved.
- Meanwhile, cut French bread lengthwise creating two long, narrow open faced sandwich bases. Place bread on flat jelly roll pan or cookie sheet, brush melted butter on the cut sides of the bread and place bread under broiler until lightly toasted. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the liquid has evaporated to the proper point, add diced chicken mixture to the onions and heat over medium heat stirring well.
- Spoon heated mixture evenly over toasted bread, top with cheese and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Transfer loaves carefully to a cutting board using two large spatulas, cut into 1 ½” wide , garnish with additional caramelized onions and serve.
Serves: 12 / 1cup servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 c diced onion
2 pkg. mild taco seasoning mix (1 oz. each)
1 pkg (1oz) Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
2 can beef broth (14.5 oz. each)
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano (14.5 oz.)
1 can (mild) diced tomatoes & green chilies (10 oz.)
1 can light red kidney beans, drained & rinsed (16 oz.)
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed (16 oz.)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed (15 oz.)
1 can (or frozen) whole kernel corn, drained (15.25 oz.)
Optional toppings: lime chips, sour cream, cilantro (chopped), cheddar cheese (shredded)
Directions
- In a large kettle or Dutch oven, add the ground beef and onion. Cook ground beef until browned and onion is tender. Drain off excess grease.
- Add cooked beef back to kettle, then sprinkle taco seasoning mix and ranch dressing mix over meat. Stir well to incorporate the seasonings into meat.
- Add beef broth and canned tomatoes.
- Add remaining ingredients into kettle; stir and simmer soup (uncovered) for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with optional toppings.
by Chuck Lehman
What do you do when you feel God is giving you a word for the year? Well, you should listen, ESPECIALLY when the word is listen!
I have a friend who has been totally deaf since a very young age. Nick volunteers at Shepherd’s Gate Inn often. Frequently I struggle to communicate with him…I catch myself shouting “WATCH OUT” when there is an unseen obstacle in his path as we are moving furniture or bellow to catch his attention from across the yard!
As we worked the commercial dish machine together, I was caused to ponder what it would be like to live in Nick’s world. Undoubtedly, he wouldn’t be distracted by the barking dog in the middle of the night, however, what if the dog was barking because the house was on fire?
Existence in total silence would sometimes seem inviting, but then I thought about all I would be missing…the lovely sounds of nature, the sweet sound of my wife’s voice as she says, “I love you!” Frustration would creep in waiting for someone else to learn MY language so I could communicate with them. I would miss everything from those rock and roll songs of the seventies to the worship songs on the radio, to the siren coming up behind me. My life would be drastically different if I couldn’t hear and listen.
My mind then went to the question, “What if I could hear, had full ability to listen, but chose not to?” My morning reading for the last 3 weeks has been from the prophet’s books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Ezekiel. Time and time again, over the last three weeks I read how God used lowly men to bring His message to His people. The message vas very unwelcomed and unaccepted, to say the least!
The message consistently was, “Listen here…I love you; you have prostituted yourself to other gods; I can NOT accept your sin and if you don’t turn from your grievous sins and return to Me, I will destroy and exile My people!” End of story…End of story IF the people would have listened! They CHOSE to not listen, hear or obey.
Every time I reread those Old Testament prophets and the deep biblical history they provide, I think, “HOW STUPID! Why would you be so stubborn? Just LISTEN!” Then sadly I look around this great United States and see us hunkering down and saying, “I won’t listen and you can’t make me!” We are no different than the people of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem…we can hear, but we choose not to listen! Just like those in the Bible, we want our freedom to our own demise.
My friend Nick is very special and is not deterred because he can’t hear; God has blessed him to be able to listen even without hearing. My prayer for all of us Christians, is this would be a year of listening to God…for us and America!
Listening challenge: Daily ask God what he want He wants you to specifically hear that day and then pay attention to His answer! Choose to listen well!
by Chuck Lehman Is it possible to have two birthdays in one year? Yes! In fact, REST Ministries & Shepherd’s Gate Inn just had two birthdays in just 40 days! Let me explain… On August 29th we celebrated our 19th ministry birthday! Nineteen years of providing rest for God’s people and watching God show up and change lives. We have such a cool job description – we hang out with God’s people and watch God do amazing things! What an amazing ride it has been, especially as we just spent 45 days remembering God’s provisions over the life of our ministry! (See “When God Speaks”
by Chuck Lehman What do you do when you feel God is personally asking you to do something? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to end up in the belly of a whale, so I obey! On August 20th, I woke up with the distinct impression God was asking Becka and I to spend 45 days celebrating how God has repeatedly shown up in amazing ways over our last 19 years of ministry. Particularly reflecting on how God created ways when there were no ways, moved unmovable mountains and parted the flood ravaged waters in our ministry history. Often over time, one
From Becka Lehman / the Kitchen of Shepherd’s Gate Inn Answer: Our Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler!!! Snickerdoodle Apple Cobbler Serves: 12 Ingredients ½ cup softened butter ½ cup shortening 1½ cups sugar 2 eggs 1 T vanilla 2¾ cups flour 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt Cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar + 2 TBSP cinnamon) 2 20-oz cans apple pie filling Vanilla ice cream Caramel sauce Instructions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 glass pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cream together butter, shortening, 1½ cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of
Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad Chicken ½ cup flour 2 eggs 2/3 cup cornflake crumbs 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans ¾ teaspoon salt 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds total weight 2-4 tablespoons butter (more as needed to keep from burning) Dressing 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon minced garlic ½ teaspoon salt 2/3 cup canola oil Glazed Pecans ¼ cup sugar + 2 Tablespoons, divided ¼ cup honey 1 cup warm water 1 cup pecan halves Salad 10 cups mixed greens (1 pound package) 2 – 11 ounces cans mandarin oranges, drained 1 cup
by Becka Lehman I recently had a dream that God brought a bus load of people to help at Shepherd’s Gate Inn! This was not only a good dream, but a GREAT dream to ponder over and fill us with hope! “Many hands make light work” We need your hands to make the work lighter! This ministry functions from the generosity of God’s people giving of their time, talents and abilities. Think outside the box with me for a minute and let your mind entertain how you could be some of the hands which make the work lighter! Could you serve one Saturday (or any
by Chuck Lehman I wouldn’t normally think of an old plastic bucket, tucked away in our cleaning supply closet, as something with life changing power. However, yesterday we saw it first-hand when one of our guests at Shepherd’s Gate Inn asked to borrow a bucket. As our guest went on to explain why she needed a bucket our hearts was touched; she wanted to wash the feet of another guest in an act of servanthood. Servanthood is extremely powerful; powerful regardless of whether you are on the giving or receiving end. Serving and being served humbles you and humbling changes lives! It changed the lives
The Heart (& the Feet) of the Matter by Chuck Lehman It’s funny how our feet are connected to our heart! Scripture points out the two are connected. In Luke 10:38-42 we see Mary humbly sitting at Jesus’ feet, loving Him enough to set everything else in her own life aside in order to be able to spend time at Jesus’ feet. That is not a superficial love; it is a life changing love that penetrates to the core and a love that will impact everything else in her life. It is a type of love the disciples didn’t yet understand but it is a
by Chuck Lehman God often uses very unusual ways to get my attention and speak to me, like messages on thrift store walls and tattoos on the back of peoples’ legs! Now, before you write me off as crazy, let me explain. Becka and I recently snuck away for a couple of days to our favorite thrifting circuit, Columbus Ohio. Becka always comes back with an arm load of bargain clothes and I procure a stack of two buck cookbooks! Our last expedition was very successful; however, we also came back with a message from God…WHAT A BONUS! When we walked in to our fourth
By Becka Lehman My childhood memories of maple syrup & our newest dessert recipe for you to try, starring none other than…maple syrup! My Memories I grew up in the small, northern Indiana town of Wakarusa, where every spring a big highlight was the community’s Maple Syrup Festival. It was and still is a BIG DEAL in that community! Each year they crown a young lady to be the Maple Syrup Queen and rule over the festivities which included a parade, entertainment, and my personal favorite…the pancake breakfast. People would come from many miles to wait in line for their turn to sit down in
Operating a non-profit ministry takes an army of volunteers, locking arms to get the work done! Oh and the blessings that come to those who volunteer are heavenly rewards that are literally out of this world! At Shepherd’s Gate Inn, we host guests coming for a spiritual retreat over 300 days per year. That translates to lots of meals to cook and serve, housekeeping to do, outside lawn and gardens to maintain, office work to keep up with…and the list goes on and on! Meet Our Newest Volunteers – Love in Motion! God is raising up an army of volunteers and we’d like you to