Thankfulness
by Giles Armstrong | President
On one of the teaching days during a SonScape retreat, we talk about thankfulness. This is a teaching that Larry and Barbara Magnuson introduced to the ministry and one I am grateful for. Angel and I just enjoyed the blessing of our third grandchild and while we were visiting I smiled as I heard my son tell his son “say thank you!” How often do parents find themselves having to prompt their kids to say “thank you” when someone shares a treat or a helping hand?
As parents, we do this because we want our children to grow up to be respectful and use good manners. Yet I wonder if in our attempt to produce properly mannered children, we have not overlooked the heart of thanksgiving. Are we teaching and bringing our kids to a place where thankfulness is more than being polite but a recognizable part of their personhood?
Thankfulness is not about a habit; it’s about the heart. We are reminded of this in Luke 17:11-19 where Jesus heals ten lepers but only one returns with thanksgiving. Why do we let our gratitude grow cold…because we see ingratitude as a small thing, and because we are so distracted by self that we fail to see the devastating dimensions of ingratitude. Have we become so sophistically selfish that we have outgrown gratitude? Whenever we take someone or something for granted, we will in turn take away gratitude.
How often do we take God for granted? Have we become so accustomed to being blessed that we no longer bother to say thanks? The danger of entitlement is that it leads to the extinction of gratefulness. The truth is, ingratitude is nothing new; the sin of selfishness has been around for centuries. I think we fail to rejoice because we fail to remember. What if we were to stop focusing solely on what we wanted God to do and actually took the time to remember all that He has already done? We can become so busy obsessing about our present problems that we forget to praise Him for His power over our past ones.
So why did this man return rejoicing? He praised because he saw the difference that Jesus made in his life. For nine of them it was only about the results but for this man it was also about the relationship. Which am I more like…those who are quick to run to Jesus with our problems yet slow to return with praise…or the thankful one? This man didn’t just slip in and secretly say thanks. Scripture says he shouted his praise to God. With the same volume and intensity that he had voiced his problem, he now cried out in praise.
Do you cry out in praise with the same intensity that you cry out in pain? Why do we seem to cry loud for help yet low with praise? This was a man who got more than the others did. They received physical healing from a distance, but this man did life with the Lord. They experienced mercy, he experienced the Messiah. They all experienced God’s healing hand but only one experienced His heart. This leper teaches us that thankfulness completes our healing. Healing is about being made whole, and while all ten of the lepers found physical healing, only this one found wholeness. We are takers but are we thankers?
Ministry can be hard and, if we are not careful, we will become problem focused instead of promise focused. What has Jesus done for you? Are you returning regularly to rejoice? Praise is practical. Who in your life do you need to thank? I am so thankful for our incredible staff, for our amazing hosts, our sacrificial givers, and all those we are privileged to serve at SonScape. Most of all, I am thankful for a God of healing who meets His servants where they are and speaks love and life over their weary souls. I am thankful that Angel and I have a front row seat to watch God work miracles.
What are you thankful for and how is it being expressed through the way that you live?
The SonScape Experience
by SonScape Alumni
Bryan Stupar
My wife and I have both planted and stayed pastoring the same church for over 32 years and had many unprocessed wounds and long-sustained fatigues and varying degrees of burnout and desperately needing encouragement and wisdom from others who have done more time, shed more tears, and weathered more years faithfully to speak into our souls. What SonScape Retreats provided was above and beyond what we could have imagined and needed. We will leave this space renewed and equipped with new tools to continue on in our journey of pastoring until God releases us from this role. We will be speakers of this weeklong experience for the remainder of our lives and will no doubt recommend this place to the many ministry folks God has put us in contact with.
Sherry Stupar
Bryan and I just spent a week at SonScape Retreats and it was exactly what our souls needed. We came weary – looking for refreshment, renewal, and encouragement and found so much more. Our retreat leaders not only understood our journey but also created a safe space for us to share honestly and be heard by those who have walked in our shoes. We are leaving feeling encouraged and deeply grateful for this experience! God has met us here in a very real and powerful way. We will definitely be sharing this experience and this unique place with many other ministry leaders. Thank you! Our hearts are full of gratitude.
Hannah Katz
Coming through SonScape Retreats as an individual participant, I was uncertain if I would connect as well to the retreat. Little did I know just how valuable this time for just myself and the Lord would impact me. In some ways, I think it may have been even MORE special to be here solo and just focus on RECEIVING from the Lord. Never have I been in a place with so much detail and attention that is directed to take CARE of me. God’s message to me this week was “I see you and I know you.”
A Milestone in SE Asia –
God’s Transforming Work on the Frontlines
Rob and Shini Abraham | International Retreat Leaders
We’re thrilled to share a significant milestone in the journey of SonScape! This past summer we hosted our first ever retreat in Southeast Asia, held in beautiful Malaysia! It was a powerful, Spirit-filled time where we saw God deeply move in the lives of leaders serving in some of the most challenging ministry environments in SE and Central Asia.
Many came running on fumes, serving tirelessly in cultures where rest and soul care are often misunderstood as weakness. In Asia, pastors frequently face 24/7 demands, limited resources, and cultural expectations that make it hard to prioritize their own renewal. Yet in the safety of the retreat, God met them—bringing rest, healing, and fresh vision.
This is part of a larger effort to make soul care accessible and culturally relevant in the Asian context. It’s exciting that the core strategy of SonScape’s mission continues to work even in cross-cultural contexts—especially as we’re framing pastoral renewal not as self-care but as a strategic act of caring for leadership that strengthens the whole church.
We’re also excited to be partnering with a seasoned missionary couple who share our passion for soul care. With deep connections in both Southeast and Central Asia, they’re helping us expand this ministry to even more who serve on the edge of burnout. In a few months we will head back to Malaysia to lead another retreat!
Your prayers and support made these retreats possible—and are helping open new doors in new regions of the world as you pray and give.
Please continue to pray with us for:
- More opportunities for retreats in SE and Central Asia
- Strength and provision for our new ministry partners
- Cultural acceptance of pastoral soul care among key leaders
- Ongoing fruit in the lives of those who attended this summer
We’re so grateful for you! Thank you for walking with us as we help bring rest and renewal to those carrying much.
Don’t forget . . . October is Pastor Appreciation Month!
Check out our 50 Ways to Love your Pastor for ideas on how to show your appreciation. Feel free to print and pass on to your church elders and members.
Time for a Refresh
Our Grace Room was in need of a refresh . . . the chairs and loveseat had been well loved. Take a look at our before and after pics. Praying this refresh makes our guests feel welcomed and loved during their one-on-one times with their retreat leaders.
Before
After (Guest Seating)
After (Leader Seating)