We hosted the Nehemiah Discipleship Program Experience (or NDPx as we call it for short) at Victory Acres Farm on September 24 – 27. We had a special time of worship each evening here in the farm pavilion.
Challenging, thought-provoking speakers like Professor Andrew Street helped the 21 young people who participated in this pilot program to grapple with important contemporary issues related to calling and God’s mission in the world.
The participants worked on four main projects at the farm, learning “hands-on,” character-building skills. In this project we put down 2 tons of recycled cardboard as a weed-suppressing base and covered it with organic compost and woodchips to form four new growing beds for next year’s crops.
Our participants worked to install siding and insulation in our new prayer chapel which will provide a place of prayer and reflection for our future ministry guests.
They enjoyed the beauty of the farm while building fast friendships. It was a special time!
This pilot program is an adjustment to our primary mission and vision. While we will continue to welcome people in crisis, we believe that God also wants to use Victory Acres to equip a new generation of Christian learner-leaders who will engage in God’s global mission.
In the months ahead, we will be working to develop Victory Acres for training and discipleship by building the housing options necessary to make it a place of hospitality for trainees.
Will we still be raising good food? Absolutely! We have 150 pullets that are fast growing into hens, and we will soon have a ready supply of fresh farm eggs for your table. We are working to rebuild and add more greenhouse space for winter vegetable production.
Learning from our experiences training 70+ agricultural apprentices and interns over the past 14 years, we are looking forward to building on what we’ve learned and sharing the farm with another generation of leaders. We are calling it the Nehemiah Discipleship Program.
If you would like more information on the program and the work that Victory Acres is doing to make that vision a reality, we would love to talk with you! If you would like to visit or volunteer, we have a place for you too.
It was 15 years ago this last week that I took the very first prayer retreat here. I came from Indianapolis, walked the farm, prayed, and dreamed about what might be. God has brought us a long way in these past 15 years, and He has used people like you to make that dream a reality. THANK YOU! We could never have made it this far without friends like you.
May God richly bless you!
Thankfully,
Eric Himelick, Executive Director
Victory Acres Farm
A division of Victory Inner-city Ministries, Inc.
5311 S 800 E
Upland, IN 46989
(765) 997-8448
www.victoryacres.org
