Stephen Bruner
Well it all started back in 2007 when I stumbled across Gethsemane Ranch by "happenstance" or what I call a divine appointment. They were looking for a bullfighter to help protect the kids at the bull riding, and I was on my way to pursue a professional rodeo career in just that event. The only problem was that I was leaving God behind and headed out to Glorify my own name. So, being that church just "happened" to be only a mile down the road from the camper I was living i, I headed on over (without God) to get some practice.
That's when I really met Him again...
I met Jesus first when I was very young, from the years of private Christian school to always being at the Baptist church. But I had walked away from Him during my adolescent years. I had heard all the Truths about how much He loved by, but it all wasn't adding up in the environment I was in. There was a lot of drug and alcohol abuse by both parents, which led to many forms of child abuse and neglect. From there I set out to disguise the hurting little boy who wanted to fee "real" love and approval. All the way through college I looked to the world for approval; never to find it until my rodeo career/God set me to Gethsemane Ranch. That's when I met Him again. That's when God, through his faithfulness, and the loving and caring people like Mr Jesse and Mrs Karen, reminded me how much He loved me and that He had a purpose for me!
I was challenged by Mr Jesse to be a real man and not just a boy. I could not live in the past anymore or identify myself by my circumstances and the lies the devil told me. So I pushed hard into Gods Word o get the Truth! I needed to hear God tell me how special I was and how much He loved me! I heard him louder than ever.
I made a commitment to never walk away from Him again or put anything before Him. He has brought me through so much, from broken relationships to Stage 3 cancer. He has never left me or forsaken me. He has completely restored my physical body and is constantly restoring my spirit! He has given me Rodeo back and a lot of my family, and most importantly, He blessed me with a wife who has been the greatest "help mate" ever! He is constantly teaching me how to love her like Christ loved the church!!
We are sure grateful to be a part of this ministry and all the kids lives God allows us to be a part of! No matter who you are or where you come from, God is dying to love on you and use you!!
To him be the Glory and Honor forever!!
Well it all started back in 2007 when I stumbled across Gethsemane Ranch by "happenstance" or what I call a divine appointment. They were looking for a bullfighter to help protect the kids at the bull riding, and I was on my way to pursue a professional rodeo career in just that event. The only problem was that I was leaving God behind and headed out to Glorify my own name. So, being that church just "happened" to be only a mile down the road from the camper I was living i, I headed on over (without God) to get some practice.
That's when I really met Him again...
I met Jesus first when I was very young, from the years of private Christian school to always being at the Baptist church. But I had walked away from Him during my adolescent years. I had heard all the Truths about how much He loved by, but it all wasn't adding up in the environment I was in. There was a lot of drug and alcohol abuse by both parents, which led to many forms of child abuse and neglect. From there I set out to disguise the hurting little boy who wanted to fee "real" love and approval. All the way through college I looked to the world for approval; never to find it until my rodeo career/God set me to Gethsemane Ranch. That's when I met Him again. That's when God, through his faithfulness, and the loving and caring people like Mr Jesse and Mrs Karen, reminded me how much He loved me and that He had a purpose for me!
I was challenged by Mr Jesse to be a real man and not just a boy. I could not live in the past anymore or identify myself by my circumstances and the lies the devil told me. So I pushed hard into Gods Word o get the Truth! I needed to hear God tell me how special I was and how much He loved me! I heard him louder than ever.
I made a commitment to never walk away from Him again or put anything before Him. He has brought me through so much, from broken relationships to Stage 3 cancer. He has never left me or forsaken me. He has completely restored my physical body and is constantly restoring my spirit! He has given me Rodeo back and a lot of my family, and most importantly, He blessed me with a wife who has been the greatest "help mate" ever! He is constantly teaching me how to love her like Christ loved the church!!
We are sure grateful to be a part of this ministry and all the kids lives God allows us to be a part of! No matter who you are or where you come from, God is dying to love on you and use you!!
To him be the Glory and Honor forever!!
Kelsey Aiello
I grew up in a Christian home but Gethsemane Ranch was unlike anything I had ever experienced or had been apart of before. The Lord used Gethsemane Ranch to spark a part of my heart to receive a kind of love I never knew existed. It was here that I learned God’s word is alive and that I could have an active personal relationship with Him. It is a place of genuine love and their life song has spoke volumes to me by the examples of love, humility, faithfulness and steadfastness I have seen in the walks of those that come here. Gethsemane Ranch is a place where you don’t have to put on a facade but rather embrace the gifts God gave you which all work together to form the body of Christ. I have learned to be open and teachable by watching the body of Gethsemane Ranch grow over the past years. It is a place to receive prayer, healing, encouragement and to share what God is currently doing in your life. It is also a great place of celebration to watch God’s creation grow in the outdoors. It has amazed me to see what God can do when you surrender your life to him and I am so blessed to be able to watch this. I will always cherish the ranch as the place where I first fell in love with God in a real tangible way.
I grew up in a Christian home but Gethsemane Ranch was unlike anything I had ever experienced or had been apart of before. The Lord used Gethsemane Ranch to spark a part of my heart to receive a kind of love I never knew existed. It was here that I learned God’s word is alive and that I could have an active personal relationship with Him. It is a place of genuine love and their life song has spoke volumes to me by the examples of love, humility, faithfulness and steadfastness I have seen in the walks of those that come here. Gethsemane Ranch is a place where you don’t have to put on a facade but rather embrace the gifts God gave you which all work together to form the body of Christ. I have learned to be open and teachable by watching the body of Gethsemane Ranch grow over the past years. It is a place to receive prayer, healing, encouragement and to share what God is currently doing in your life. It is also a great place of celebration to watch God’s creation grow in the outdoors. It has amazed me to see what God can do when you surrender your life to him and I am so blessed to be able to watch this. I will always cherish the ranch as the place where I first fell in love with God in a real tangible way.
Laura Townsend
My life was good before I was saved; I had a great upbringing, wonderful family, awesome husband. But I always felt a sense of restlessness, a longing for contentedness.
What kept me from Jesus for so long was pride. The false pride of my own ability to find satisfaction in life through reason and logic. I ignored my heart and only listened to my head. Praise God for His patience and tolerance. Over time He became so insistent that even my head couldn't deny Him.
In the fall of 2011, as I studied and tried to “learn” my way into faith, I asked around about a Cowboy Church- the kind my husband told me he attended as a child. A group of like-minded people spending time in fellowship; something relaxed, without pretension and without pressure. I never dreamed the Lord had created a place like Gethsemane Ranch.
When I first started coming out the Ranch, I didn't know a single person there- But I felt like I wanted to know them! I was so surprised at how much FUN everyone has! I love that the preacher one week is in flip flops and board shorts, and the preacher the next week has manure on his boots and a dirty cowboy hat. There is sawdust on the floor and dogs wander in and out during service. You hear the horses and cattle through the open windows.
Over the course of the winter, the Lord made it clear to me that he was real- and made it clear that this was the church family he had planned for me. Six months later I was baptized by Mr Jesse in a water trough in front of the church barn. There were only a few people there at the time, and I didn't know them all that well. Today I call them Family.
I am so grateful to Mr Jesse and Mrs Karen for doing the work God called them to do. For showing me how much better life is with God, and how much joy He wants for his children. I am on my way to finding the contentedness the Lord has planned for me- the “peace which surpasses all understanding”.
I am forever grateful to Gethsemane for being the place I was saved- for being a place of Joy- for being a Place to call Home.
My life was good before I was saved; I had a great upbringing, wonderful family, awesome husband. But I always felt a sense of restlessness, a longing for contentedness.
What kept me from Jesus for so long was pride. The false pride of my own ability to find satisfaction in life through reason and logic. I ignored my heart and only listened to my head. Praise God for His patience and tolerance. Over time He became so insistent that even my head couldn't deny Him.
In the fall of 2011, as I studied and tried to “learn” my way into faith, I asked around about a Cowboy Church- the kind my husband told me he attended as a child. A group of like-minded people spending time in fellowship; something relaxed, without pretension and without pressure. I never dreamed the Lord had created a place like Gethsemane Ranch.
When I first started coming out the Ranch, I didn't know a single person there- But I felt like I wanted to know them! I was so surprised at how much FUN everyone has! I love that the preacher one week is in flip flops and board shorts, and the preacher the next week has manure on his boots and a dirty cowboy hat. There is sawdust on the floor and dogs wander in and out during service. You hear the horses and cattle through the open windows.
Over the course of the winter, the Lord made it clear to me that he was real- and made it clear that this was the church family he had planned for me. Six months later I was baptized by Mr Jesse in a water trough in front of the church barn. There were only a few people there at the time, and I didn't know them all that well. Today I call them Family.
I am so grateful to Mr Jesse and Mrs Karen for doing the work God called them to do. For showing me how much better life is with God, and how much joy He wants for his children. I am on my way to finding the contentedness the Lord has planned for me- the “peace which surpasses all understanding”.
I am forever grateful to Gethsemane for being the place I was saved- for being a place of Joy- for being a Place to call Home.