Five years ago, Dennis Baskin, a rancher from San Andreas California, began a small Bible study at a
pizza parlor located in the neighboring rural town of Valley Springs. Several people who were
attending the study, lived a few miles away and Valley Springs seemed like a good compromise for a
meeting place. A few months went by and the group rented a meeting room at a local church building
for their Tuesday night study. Dennis seemed to have a knack for speaking the language of the local
cowboys and cowgirls. He used his country speak or “Barnyard Theology” as he calls it, to teach
these tough ol’ cowboys the way to Heaven. As word spread to country folks living and visiting the
area, the study grew. The group began to say “We have church on Sunday, then again on Tuesday”. It
soon became apparent to Dennis that the Lord was tugging him toward becoming a Pastor and
starting a church. One afternoon after a short trail ride, Dennis mentioned the fact to several of his
friends. The idea seemed great to them and they began to make plans. Soon, Dennis found himself
standing in front of the congregation of Grace Fellowship Church of San Andreas, where he and his
wife Susan had been attending for several years. The congregation gave him their blessing and with
a flock of eleven, he opened the doors to Glory Bound Fellowship, otherwise known as the Jenny Lind
Memorial Veterans Hall on January 7, 2007. It seemed natural to Dennis that there should be a
cowboy flavor to the service. One of the very talented men in the flock, crafted two wooden crosses,
one small and one large, to decorate the hall and commemorate what Jesus did for us on that cross
long ago. Susan decided to hang a pair of her father’s old Saddle Bags on the small cross, and it
seemed natural that the tithes and offerings should be placed there. A small sign hangs on the very
top of that little cross today with the words “Tithes and Offerings” written upon it. There is no
offering plate passed and there is just something about watching these rough cowboy’s digging in
their pockets and lovingly placing their offerings in those worn out leather bags that just warms your
heart. On any given Sunday you can open the doors on that hall and see an ocean of cowboy hats in a
flurry as they busily prepare the hall for their service. The fellowship is sweet as the cowboys set up
chairs in perfect rows and the Cowboy Country band set up their equipment. The country gospel
tunes start to flow and the ladies are busy in the kitchen preparing coffee and treats for fellowship
after the service. God certainly has been working in Dennis and Susan’s life for some time. He even
saw to it that their property had a convenient river running through it, which now serves as the Glory
Bound Fellowship Baptismal. In the Spring of 2008, the Clements Buckaroos decided to add cowboy
church to their Sunday event schedule. They asked Dennis to serve as pastor for a short time. The
Glory Bound Fellowship congregation helped out with music, set up and eating the blueberry pancake
breakfast served every Sunday morning before service! It was soon apparent that this service would
not end easily or quickly and it became a mission outreach for Glory Bound Fellowship that was very
much enjoyed. The services lasted the entire summer and into the fall. Much longer than expected
as it takes place outdoors under an oak tree. Dennis called it a “Full on Western Event” as pews
were wooden tables and benches set up in the dirt. Cowboys on horseback occasionally strolled
through the service and dogs were regular visitors, with some coming to rest upon the Pastor’s
boots. Rodeo events with cattle bawling were the norm and rodeo announcers blared instructions as
Dennis preached. “Barnyard Theology” was easy to come by and soon eggs were broken to explain
the trinity and cattle were the subject of many sermons about human nature and man’s relationship
with God. There was even a story about how a mother hen scoops her baby chicks under her wings
in order to explain God’s love for his children. The outreach had to be suspended until next spring
because the oak tree leaked when it rained. In October of 2008, Glory Bound Fellowship did a
community outreach project called Cowboy Poetry Night. This event featured many cowboy poets
from several churches in the area. The poetry spoke of the relationship between the Cowboy and his
Lord as well as the habits of men and their horses. The community was invited and there was a BBQ
dinner complete with beans, bread and salads. What fun, even the local Sheriff enjoyed the event as
he sat on the hood of his car while posted in the parking lot listening and laughing as the event rolled
on. Glory Bound Fellowship has grown tremendously over the last 2 years. Sundays that began with
regular attendance of around 15 to 20 has grown to over 100. Glory Bound Fellowship has just
received Rich O’Hara as associate pastor. God called Rich the very minute the church opened it’s
doors. Rich will soon be ordained and has slipped into his role as associate pastor.. God is moving
through this church with great speed. When anyone visits us they always say the same thing, “I just
feel at home here, there is so much love and acceptance”. We feel this is the highest of
compliments. The best way to understand Glory Bound Fellowship is to come for a visit. You will be
blessed by the Cowboy Preacher and his herd uh…..flock. The Tuesday night bible study? It’s still
going strong and the attendance has grown so large that chairs are sometimes hard to come by,
take heart these cowboys will just pull up aside a table or sit on the floor to listen to that cowboy
preacher teach the way to Heaven.

Dennis Baskin says to all who read this “Our vision is clear like lookin’ out over the prairie, Bring ‘em
in, grow ‘em up and send ‘em out so they can bring ‘em in, grow ‘em up and send ‘em out”. Dennis
asks for prayer from you that God would bless this church with a permanent building.


 

This world is that of rodeo arena, and you are meant to
ride in the Bareback Bronc competiton. You don't get to 
choose your mount, but you do get to choose to hold on
to it or not. Your mount's name is Life and you are placed
onto the back of Life in the safety of a chute, but that 
gate opens and out the chute, riding hard Life goes. Now
on this horse, it comes with a rigging, strapped hard onto
Life and its not coming loose. That rigging is known as Jesus.
Now of coures Life bucks, kicks, jumps, and runs hard. 
Now without rigging, there's no surviving the ride Life is
gonna give, it'll be nothing but a mess.As a Chistian, you
know that the rigging in front of you is meant to be grabbed
and held onto, but some of you don't. Maybe during a buck,
you hit your head or, you forgot during a pause that horse
took and it looked like easy riding. Whatever the cause, Life
will start up again into a buck. Being prepared, strapping
(prayer) your hand onto the rigging (Jesus) will see you
through what ever Life tosses. Then the whistle blows
( this ain't no 8 second ride), and here God comes upto
you on that bronc, reaches and takes you off of Life to
bring you to safety (Heaven). 

#1 One needs to prepare - Know what the "rigging" is - Col 1:16-17

#2 One needs to have a plan - Hold on to the "rigging" - Phil 3:12 

#3 One needs to pursue - Fight the fight of faith - 1 Tim 6:12, Heb 10:23-24 (spurs), James 1:12

Some Proposed Plans for our new Church Building are located in the Photos section titled "Building Plans"

Glory Bound Fellowship is excited about our new Youth Ministry. Bryan Johnson, our new Youth Minister, is excited and enthusiastic about getting the program off the ground. Bryan has held his initial meetings and is pleased with the results. He is kicking off a campaign of growth and outreach to the youth of Valley Springs and surrounding area.

At present Bryan is concentrating his efforts on Junior High and High School age groups. His sessions are open to any young person in this age group. Bryan is committed to assisting kids cope with the pressures of today’s society with emphasis on Christ-like character.

Bryan’s sessions are scheduled as follows:

Location: Veterans Hall

 Valley Springs

Day: Every Sunday Evening

Time: Following Church Services.
 (Usually around 6:00 PM)

Age Group: Junior High and High School

Contact: Bryan Johnson

Telephone: 209-992-7910

Questions, concerns, input, etc. can also be directed to Glory Bound Fellowship
Pastor Dennis Baskin:

Telephone: 209-768-5091

E-Mail: dennis@gloryboundfellowship.com.

"We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience." 2 Corinthians 6:6 (NLT)

TODAY TRUTHS

We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 6:6 NLT)  

Friend to Friend

Just as storms in life are a certainty, so is the provision of God for every storm we will ever face. Every storm is an opportunity to trust God. He calls us to a heavenly perspective when facing challenging times. He calls us to see them as He sees them - opportunities for His power and purpose to be illustrated in human terms. How can we face the storms of life?

 The Apostle Paul was well acquainted with vicious storms and harsh realities. In his writings to the church at Corinth Paul offers five truths that - when applied - will enable us to stand firm in the storm.

Truth 1: We must live a pure life.

Truth 2: We must seek understanding.

Truth 3: We must learn to be patient.

Truth 4: We must practice kindness.

 When bad things happen, we cry out in desperation for someone to care! More people come to Christ during a crisis than at any other time. Kindness is simply compassion at work, love in action. We need to constantly refocus our success-targeted eyes, crucify each self-promoting heart motive and look for the needs around us. The choice to minister that is, in any way, made on the basis of self-promotion is worth nothing and becomes an affront to the very heart of God. I often wonder just how amazed we will be when we get to Heaven and find the unlikely, unknown but devoted servants of God exalted above all others -- rewarded for their quiet and often unseen acts of kindness.

 A preacher once described his mother as a woman of great compassion. One day he came home from school to find her sitting at the table with an elderly, homeless man. Apparently, she had gone shopping, met the man on the way and invited him home for a warm meal. During their conversation the visitor said, "I wish there were more people in the world like you." The woman said quickly, "Oh there are! You just have to look for them!" The old man simply shook his head and smiled, "But lady, I didn't need to look for you. You looked for me!"

 Needs constantly parade before us day after day but we don't see them! We are too busy to see the broken lambs He sends our way. We view them as intrusions, annoying interruptions in our very important schedule. These uninvited and unscheduled guests may very well be divine appointments sent by God. The warning of Hebrews 13:2 is a haunting one. "Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it." How many angels have we missed because we were too busy!

 Perhaps we fail to be kind simply because we don't care enough. A little girl was sent by her mother on an errand. She was gone far too long! When the little girl returned, the mother demanded an explanation. The little girl said that on her way she had met a friend who was crying because she had broken her doll. "Oh," said the mother, "then you stopped to help her fix her doll?" "Oh, no!" replied the little girl. "I stopped to help her cry!" We are never more like our Father than when weathering relationship storms with kindness and love. Jesus says that if we really love God we will really love each other.. Kindness and compassion are directly related to the health of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The truths in 1 John 4:20 are clear, "If people say, "I love God," but hate their brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen." We can be very religious and not care enough! Kindness does not look for reasons! Compassion doesn't ask for limitations. It searches for opportunity! .

 Truth 5: We must experience and practice love.

We not only need God in the midst of the storm, we need each other! The essence of love is tested within the context of relationships. Paul writes that we must "prove" ourselves by being patient and kind. How we handle relationships exhibits the depth and validity of God's love at work in and through us.

Ephesians 4: 2-3 Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way. (NCV)

 Learning to build healthy relationships is crucial to a fulfilled life. Someone will always be disappointed, disgruntled, or displeased with us. We have a choice to make -- to honor God by waging peace or venerate Satan himself by entertaining conflict in relationships. God is committed to unity. If we don't make "every effort" to eradicate discord, a storm may come to help us do so.

 I have a friend who raises and works with horses. She once explained how a group of thoroughbred horses confronts an enemy. They stand in a circle, facing each other and, with their back legs, kick out at the enemy. Donkeys do just the opposite, facing the enemy and kicking each other! Enough said.

 When golf balls were first manufactured, their covers were smooth. Golfers soon discovered that after a ball had been roughed up a bit they were able to get more distance out of it. Manufacturers then began producing golf balls with dimpled covers. Life is a lot like that. It takes some rough spots to make us go our farthest. It takes some storms to teach us that God is faithful and will provide the strength to stand firm. The Apostle Paul knew all about storms. As a fully devoted follower of Christ, Paul was despised, slandered, mistreated, abused and poor. He had every right to be angry and distressed but instead chose joy. "We own nothing, and yet we have everything." (2 Corinthians 6:8-10 NLT) Because joy is a deeply-rooted confidence that God is in control, it only stands to reason that the highest joy will come through the greatest pain. But that only happens when we choose the right attitude toward pain. Here it is!

 James 1:2-3 Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (NLT)

 When was the last time you threw a party to celebrate the trials and storms in your life? God's ways are higher than our ways and most human reactions are in direct opposition to the paradoxical ways of God. Honestly, there are times when what He has asked me to do simply does not make sense -- to me. And there we find the problem. Faith is a matter of blind obedience, not human logic. At the heart of every storm is victory -- waiting to be claimed!

 What storm is raging in your life today? What step do you need to take in order to experience His strength for that storm? Your Father stands ready to meet you in your darkest hour. He longs to wrap His arms around you until the winds die down and the waves are stilled. Right now -- surrender. Celebrate the storm that dashed your battered life on the shores of His unyielding love.

 Let's Pray

Lord, thank You for being with me every step of the way -- especially in the storms of life. I praise You for Your sufficiency in my life and for Your love that never fails. I pray that I will learn how to stand firm in the storms ahead and grasp the lesson each storm holds. I want to please You, Father. Change my comfortable heart to an obedient heart, a heart that is always ready to praise You -- no matter what!

In Jesus' name

Amen

 Now it's Your Turn

When you face a difficult situation, where do you turn first for help?

What is your attitude about the storms in your life? How does that attitude need to change?

Examine your life for any sin that is blocking God's power. How can you eliminate that barrier?

How can you best prepare for the storms ahead?

More from the Girls

I hate storms, but have finally come to terms with the fact that they are certain. So is God's deliverance. Sometimes He delivers us from the storm and other times He delivers us in the storm. Either way, God is with us. Need encouragement? Visit my new website to find free resources that will help you weather the storms in your life. "Strength for the Storm" is a CD that will guide you through the steps of storm survival.


Mary Southerland

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Recently, Dennis was ordained and during the ordination, a song was dedicated to him by Larry Wood.

Baskin in Miracles (written and performed by Larry Wood)

I trust that you've all heard the Bible stories
Of how Jesus turned the water into wine
And how He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk
And even gave the sight back to the blind

Now some will say these miracles ended long ago
And that they just don;t happen any more
Well let me tell you somethin' that I saw with my own eyes
And why I believe in miracles for sure

You see, out here in the Wild West, there's a battle going on
The sheep men and the ranchers have a fued
Words were said and blood is shed and people even die
Just because they have an attitude

But recently I witnessed this old Cowboy
Turned into a shepherd by the Word
So I've been warching since January
And he's been growin' himself quite a herd

So you're waitin' for the moral of my story
You say a cowboy to a shepard's no big deal
Well, I saw Jesus change a plumber to a preacher 
And that's how I know that miracles are real

You see, the Cowboy was a plumber
And a the Shepherd learned to preach
And that's how I know that miracles are real
Now you've heard my revelation
Of this awesome transformation
And now you know that miracles are real.