June Campus Update

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I can’t believe June is already here! Development wanted to give you a quick update regarding our campus activities. We are sad to say that we lost a set of houseparents, Kim & Fred Lucas. The Lucases felt their time here was over and they wanted to experience different opportunities in Texas. We were blessed to have them as a part of our team for the last 2 years. We enjoyed a bittersweet Mexican themed goodbye party with Angela Robertson, our Executive Director, honoring them with a plaque. We ask you to pray for them as they venture out in the next chapter of their lives.

On the flip side, God knew what was going to happen before we did and so He sent us more houseparents. We will announce it in the Telegram but Jen and Mike Zandstra are returning to our campus to be houseparents and Mike will be a teacher again (replacing Fred Lucas). Once we get the Zandstra family trained, we will be able to open up our boys’ Home.

As for the kids on campus, we have a waiting list for girls until a few of our girls leave at the end of the summer. We also have a line of boys waiting for our boys’ home to open in the next month or two. In the meantime, we still need more staff. If you know any faithful members of the Churches of Christ that are looking for a job, below are the positions we need filled:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST
-School Secretary -Administrative Assistant -School Principal
-Director of Operations -Teacher -Social Services Staff
-Counselor/Therapist -Houseparents

As always, please keep us in your prayers and thank you for all you do for this ministry!

May Campus Update

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Gerald and Phyllis Frump are asking a favor. Since they were unable to have a service or funeral of any kind after Beth’s passing, the Frumps would like you all to do something special. Beth did not like funerals at all, but she did love celebrating her birthday. Gerald and Phyllis would like all of you who may want to find a little closure, to celebrate Beth’s life sometime during her birthday month of June. The Frumps send their love to all of you out there and thank you for your prayers and support over the last year.

On another note, Shults-Lewis will be naming their Hospitality House the “Beth Frump Hospitality House”. We feel that is appropriate since Beth’s hospitality for anyone who came to our campus was nothing less than amazing. We will be holding a short dedication during Annual Day Saturday, September 18. The Frumps ask that you come join us for the ceremony. We have missed you all and would love to see you there.
Many thanks and blessings from the Frump Family and Shults-Lewis!

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR FAITHFUL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST
-School Secretary -Administrative Assistant -School Principal

-Director of Operations -Teacher -Social Services Staff

-Counselor/Therapist -Houseparents

April Campus Update

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Wow! March came and went so fast due to the Development Team working on the Phone Campaign. We knew this year would be difficult for our churches to be able to find enough volunteers willing to venture out to make phone calls, but they managed and they did an excellent job. Development would like to thank all of you who volunteered to make phone calls for the kids. We also want to thank all you wonderful donors for making pledges!! The Phone Campaign brought in over $140,000 in pledges and the numbers are growing as we are still contacting people that we were unable to reach in March. That is amazing!!

Now that we are back in the office and are bringing the Phone Campaign to a close, we are able to focus on the next events in store for this year. We are planning Day of Prayer and Giving which will be set for June 27th. We will send out our prayer packets to your congregations so we all can pray for the kids, the staff, and this ministry TOGETHER on the same day.

AAAAAND, WAIT FOR IT……..ANNUAL DAY OPEN HOUSE IS A GO!!
We missed you all last year and we can’t wait to see you SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH. We may have less people show up or we could be bombarded but no matter what, we are so excited to fellowship with all of you on that day. Be ready for the biggest rummage sale yet!! So, if you are tired of being couped up in the house, come on out to Shults-Lewis and enjoy a day where we gather together outside under the tents to raise funds for this ministry. We hope to see you there!

The staff & kids at
Shults-Lewis

February Campus Update

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  Well, we finally got some snow, and since the residents haven’t been able to go in to town much, it was fun for them to get outside and just play.  Housedad, Don Jones, and 2 of the residents in that Home decided to build a snowman (who is clearly an advocate for Shults-Lewis judging by his facemask). J  The kids had a great time as did Mr. Jones. 

We also celebrated a resident birthday!  Quinn turned 17 so her parents decided to buy pizza for everyone in honor of her birthday.  Thank you!!  There were several kinds of pizza, bread sticks, wings, and dessert.  Even though we have to social distance, we find creative ways to enjoy a good lunch. J  And the girls had no problem posing for a quick pic.  Thanks ladies!

We have also been working on connecting more with our community.  We had a community member call us to say she had read an article somewhere about group homes needing items.  She then looked up group homes in her area and found Shults-Lewis.  After speaking with her for a while, we found out she was in a local running group and other members of that group wanted to join in the fun.  Needless to say, after a bit of discussion and planning, our residents each received a brand new piece of luggage, gym outfits for school, pillows, and sheet sets.  We are grateful for our new connections with our community!

Until next month, stay safe!

The staff & kids at

Shults-Lewis                       

January Campus Update

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2021 IS FINALLY HERE!!

The staff and kids had a good time over the holidays.  Santa and Mrs. Claus (Houseparents Joy & Charles Smith) showed up for the kids’ Christmas party and passed out presents.  Our “Elf” (pantry worker James Terhune) was close at hand to help Santa with the presents. 

The staff enjoyed the Staff Christmas Party as well as a beautiful luncheon that the Board of Trustees had catered in for the Staff Appreciation Lunch.  Since we couldn’t get together due to COVID, we were able to use our gymnasium to social distance and still enjoy a DELICIOUS meal!  Angela Robertson (Executive Director) spotlighted each staff member and told them why she appreciated them so much.  Our board members took the time to make a virtual video for us to play since they could not join us in person.  IT WAS AWESOME!  Some of our board members’ wives even got in on the occasion by making 2 quilts to give away in a drawing (made by Lynette Root), making and donating beautiful jewelry for each staff member (made by Irene Gordon), and Sandy Haferkamp came to campus to watch our kids in the next room so that ALL of our staff could enjoy the party.  We can’t thank them enough for such a wonderful luncheon.

            Happy New Year,

              The staff & kids at

                        Shults-Lewis                       

October Campus Update

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We like to try to update you all, as much as possible, on what’s going on with the kids. But since Beth passed away and COVID hit, we have received a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from all of our donors and those of you who simply continue to pray for us. We have so many people checking in on us that we just wanted to take a second and let you know how the staff is doing since the pandemic has changed our lives and Beth stepped out of our lives.


Beth was a busy person but she had a sense of humor that kept a certain energy going throughout campus. So, we have been attempting to fill that void…..sometimes, successfully, sometimes….yeah, not so much.


Whether it’s Angela walking about campus in her “COVID SUIT” or me having “coffee with Beth”, the laughter is slowly coming back. Without our groups on campus, the maintenance staff has been putting in long hours to give the front of our Admin Building a fresh look. And since my office is on the front side of the building, Glenn has no problem banging on my window to give me a little scare. And Kiana just copes by capturing a picture of how she is feeling each day. 🙂


Cathy and Don, houseparents, have been keeping the kids busy in the garden and creating “art”. But the days are usually started off with chapel and a corny joke that Marci finds for our announcements. All of this to say, we are healing. God is watching over us and all of you are praying for us……and we feel it. Thank you for going the extra mile for this agency.

For the kids,

Lissa Baldwin
Development Director

September Campus Update

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AAAAAND THEY’RE OFF!!

The fall semester is in full swing and the kids are doing VERY well. Home seven’s housemom, Kim Lucas, is one of those crafty, fun people who sees something on Pinterest and can recreate it. Kim had fun with the kids on the first day of school taking pictures to help the kids enjoy their first day back. I wish you could see the smile on the face of the girl holding the sign but due to confidentiality purposes, I had to crop out her face and name. 🙂

The kids have adjusted to the pandemic and have settled into their classes. From 7th grade to Senior year, ALL of our students are doing well so far. Mrs. Terhune, our principal, reports that the ICP class (Integrated Chemistry and Physics….yuck!) has all straight As. WOW! We even have one student taking SPANISH! Mrs. O’Keefe and Mr. Lucas, our teaching staff, have been able to work hard with the kids one-on-one and it is paying off. We ask all of you to pray for them in their continued efforts and to pray for more teachers.

Even though I can’t enjoy the summer spoils from the cooking class, I have enjoyed seeing the kids feel proud of their accomplishments. Most kids that come here are behind in school or received poor grades. Seeing themselves do well is a HUGE self-esteem booster.

Feel free to send a note of encouragement to the kids. Have YOUR kids make a picture for OUR kids and we can post them throughout the school. You don’t have to be crafty like Kim (although we LOVE to see your creations), just be encouraging. WE can’t do this without YOU.

Thank you for continuing to take care of our kids, especially throughout this pandemic.

For the kids,

Lissa Baldwin
Development Director

August Campus Update

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“Let them eat cake!”  Well, in this instance, it was pie.  Mmm, mmm, good!  Our residents have been working all summer in their cooking class making all sorts of good food.  Our school staff has been teaching the kids the “ins and outs” of how to cook.  Every so often, the rest of the staff would get to reap the benefits and partake in the different goodies they created.  My favorite was pie day!  It was announced that the kids were going to be making desserts in class and they needed us to pick which one we wanted from a list and it would be delivered.  The choices were sugar cream pie, blueberry cream pie, red/white/blue layer cake, and apple pie with carmel drizzle.  Even though this was a hard choice for some, I immediately ordered a piece of the blueberry cream pie. 

As we all settled in to our work day, we set aside the idea of pie.  Then, what a treat when the whole class and teachers waltzed through the Administration Building holding trays of prewrapped pie, wearing their aprons and gloves!  The staff waited patiently in their doorways for the kids to give them their selected item.  I felt like a kid at Christmas because my office was at the very end of the hallway and I had to wait my turn. J 

Finally, the kids made their way to my office and I saw my beautiful piece of blueberry cream pie sitting in the middle of the tray.  The kids were all smiles to see how excited we were.  They laughed as I tore open the saran wrap and stuck my finger in the middle of my pie for a quick taste.

Why am I telling you this?  First, I used to be a houseparent for many years and I knew that even the smallest things are important in the eyes of a child.  Whether they are 17 or 12, these kids are sponges for positive feedback on things they have accomplished.  I wanted them to know I cared.

Second, I wanted you to know that all of us here at Shults-Lewis are safe and having as much fun with the kids as we can, in any way that we can, to help them stay focused on their goals and accomplishments before they move on to the next chapter of their lives.

So, please keep the kids and our staff in your prayers as we get ready to move on to our Fall Semester.  Thank you for your support, your prayers, and your love.

For the kids,

Lissa Baldwin Development Director        

Faith. Family. Future.   

July Campus Update

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COVID-19 – A word we are all tired of hearing.  It has invaded our lives and intruded on everything we do.  As the world tries to find its “new normal”, the staff at Shults-Lewis would like to send out a HUGE thank you. 

We thank all of the people who have been on the frontlines dealing with this day after day; trying to keep everyone calm and giving us hope.  

We thank everyone in education who have worked tirelessly to get our kids through the rest of the school year, graduate our seniors, and work even harder to prepare all students for the fall. 

We thank everyone who has transitioned to working from home so our businesses can continue to operate. 

In general, we want to thank everyone out there for everything you have done to help each other during COVID-19.  “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” –John 15:12

COVID-19 was not the only struggle we at Shults-Lewis had to face these past few months.  For those of you who were unaware, our beloved friend and coworker, Beth Frump passed away on April 5th due to natural causes.  Beth was the face of Shults-Lewis and loved our kids with a passion.  Shults-Lewis would like to thank all of you out there who sent cards of encouragement, called to check on us, or made donations in memory of Beth.  We needed you and, as always, you were there for us.

The Development Team is working together to fill some very big shoes (or to those who really knew her well, flip flops).  And even though we will never be able to BE Beth, we can certainly follow her Christian example of hospitality and unconditional love. 

So, again, we say thank you.  Continue to pray for our agency, this mission, and most importantly, our kids.

Stay safe.  Stay healthy.

Lissa Baldwin                          Kiana Baldwin                         Hannah Baldwin

Development Director            Dev. Assistant                          Dev. Assistant       

Faith. Family. Future.      

March Campus Update

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February.  Of course we are going to talk about Valentine’s Day!  Did you get the opportunity to do anything amazing for the Hallmark holiday? Glenn & Angela Robertson hosted a Valentine’s dinner for the staff and kids.  We had an awesome Italian dinner and played Valentine’s Scategories.   I must admit there were some very creative answers.  Something you do not want to receive for Valentine’s Day starting with the letter “L”.  Lettuce.  How about starting with the letter “S”?  Surgery.  Lots of fun and laughter as we celebrated together.

It’s not polite to share a lady’s age.  So I’ll just say we celebrated Ms. Sherry’s “ZERO” birthday this month.  Sherry has been a part of the Shults-Lewis family her entire life as her mother was the cook here back in our early years.  Sherry also worked in Development for many years as an office manager, and currently, she helps with our food ordering.  We are so blessed to have her as part of our family.

As part of our on-going training for our direct care staff, we have been diving into TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention).  This is a trauma-informed, connection building training that empowers our staff to meet the complex needs of our kids.  We are so blessed to have Jon O’Keefe, our Program Director, as a trainer of this program.  As we say around campus, “more tools for the toolbox” as we continue to strive to offer the best care for our kids!

In February, we placed another young man in Home #7.  As always, I ask you to pray for his transition into our program!  We are truly blessed to be able to work with these amazing kids!  We would love to serve more kids, but we need houseparents in order to do that!  And as mentioned above, our houseparents are given training and tools in order to help understand and help meet the needs of kids.

Also, be prayerful of the Phone Campaign happening this month.  Please pray for our volunteers, donors as they make their prayerful decision regarding donations for 2020, and for the development staff, as we spend a lot of time traveling throughout the month!

Thank you for your prayers and your support!

For the kids,

Beth Frump,  Development Director