25 March 2014
It is with a heavy heart that, as of today, at the insistence of the Godly Play Foundation, I will no longer be able to help your faith community in doing the technical woodworking for your Godly Play stories.
As Jerome, the founder of the Godly Play system, advises in his book: Teaching Godly Play: The Sunday Morning Handbook. "Use the year for getting ready as a time to find the carpenters to create the shelves and other things made of wood." (p. 20) I am one carpenter/woodworker helping faith communities do just that!
I am committed, however, to using the stewardship of this shop and the gifts God has loaned me to take trees and give them new life in a new creation. I will endeavor to help faith communities with VBS woodworking materials and other woodworking for the Church and all faith communities.
I will continue to do woodworking at the cost of materials only. It has been suggested that I am "selling" woodworking materials. This is not true and has never been the case. Even though I pass on to the commission the cost of materials for each request, the fact is, every single woodworking commission produced in this shop was done at a personal loss of income to me. I have never been reimbursed for the tools, sharpening, electricity, and the enormous amount of time.
So why do I do this? The Garageshop woodworking ministry is stewardship of my soul, and the gospel of Matthew (6.21) reminds me, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will lie also." It has been a joy to be able to share this treasure with the children of the world.
Blessings,
—Mark
