Blessings in Busyness

Rick Barton Ministries-POB 1155 Gunnison, [email protected], rickbartonministries.org

As I write this, Melva and I have just finished two wonderful weeks of “blessed busyness”. As you know, being busy can be both a blessing and a bane. God has not called us to be idle, especially when it comes to sharing the Good News of Jesus. But, we can be busy about the wrong things, things that have no eternal significance. We can also be too busy, even in the Lord’s work and burn out. We have to monitor our busyness for both purpose and amount. Otherwise, we can become like Martha, who had to be remindedthat the better choice is to stop and sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to His voice (Luke 10:38-42).

July Happenings: July started with a “bang” 😊 as we had the privilege of sharing at the Fourth of July service of the Tin Cup Community Church. Tin Cup is a small 1800’s mining town which some guidebooks have declared a “ghost town”. Don’t try to tell that to the 120 folks who attended the service. Tin Cup is alive and well; although it’s basically abandoned in the winter when it’s accessible only by ski or snowmobile. That same week Brad and Gina Shaw, “alumni missionaries” to Peru arrived for a 5 week stay in our downstairs missionary apartment. Alumni Cathy G (China) and Diane Johnston (inner-city Jackson, MS) arrived later in the week. A special treat was the privilege of baptizing Garland Mears, a local cowboy who attends our Saturday Evening Worship. He said it was “time to commit” and give his life to the Savior!​We held 4 services in conjunction with our local Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo. Local cowboys shared their testimonies and provided some great music as I shared God’s Word! The next week Melva helped with our church’s Vacation Bible School and our alumni Aaron and Andrea Taylor (with children Rachel, Malachi, Isaiah and Caleb) arrived from Haiti. At the end of the week I had the privilege of leading worship for a group of pastors meeting in Gunnison and then leading our Saturday Evening service.
Following our evening worship, Melva and I drove to Montrose and then on to Norwood, CO the next morning. There we shared for the second year in the fairground’s “Pig Palace”. It was a wonderfulservice with four evangelical churches from small communities who come together to have a pancake breakfast, share communion and worship. What a blessing to be part of it! On the way back we stopped in Montrose and Grand Junction, CO to visit folks in the hospital. *By the way, in order to help alleviate busyness we’ve asked our friend Krista Pennington to assist with our mailings. She’s great!

Finances: By God’s grace and your faithful support, finances remain strong. We try to pray over eachexpense and for every one of you who support us. We continue to receive praise reports from those you have helped us minister to, through services or helping financially. This morning, a Delta, CO pastor shared that a woman who came to Christ during our revival services has impacted her sister and brother for Jesus! Most recently you’ve helped a Kenyan pastor, a pastor from a small Colorado community and a local Christian family whose husband has been in the hospital for almost a month. Thank you!

Upcoming: Lord willing, I will be available for a 16 day forest fire assignment soon. After that we’ve been asked to share God’s Word in Pitkin, CO (8/20) and help with a memorial service for our friend Art Olson in Crested Butte (8/27). Art was a good friend and brother in Christ who was a big part of the early Bible studies in Crested Butte in the 1970-80’s. In September we’ve been asked to return to Waynesville, MO for services (9/17-20) and then St. Louis where Rich and Shelba Townsend minister. In October I’ve been asked to teach for Youth With A Mission in Cimarron, CO (22-28).

Family: Tim and Sara are doing well in Los Angeles as well as Steve, Annie and Samuel (2 months). Nick and Bekah are busy with their restaurant in Edwards, CO (“Zino” great Italian food!). Their pastor moved to another church and they were pretty disappointed. Please pray they will connect with the new pastor. Joy and Stephen (Hannah 8, Bethan 6) are staying active with Stephen preaching almost every weekend while Joy and the girls participate in Vacation Bible School, crafts and more. Thank you for praying for our family!

Prayer Requests: Please pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to be upon us as we share. I believe we are beginning to sense His anointing in a fresh and wonderful way! Please continue to pray for Vanessa Villasenor, the missionary baby still in the hospital in San Diego. Please pray for our granddaughter Hannah who has feet problems, Jon Vincent, a local Christian in a coma, as well as Clint Perry, a pastor from Red Vale, CO. Please pray for safety and witnessing opportunities if the Lord sends me on a fire assignment. Thank You!

Last week I watched a video of Martyn Lloyd Jones on ‘The Presence of God’. Jones was a British pastor and the video stirred my heart powerfully. I can be busy, even “successful” for Jesus, but if I’m not walking in His presence, filled with His Spirit, then I’m truly missing out. We pray you too will walk in His presence.

By His grace and to His glory, Rick and Melva Barton



“It is ministering to souls who live in the midst of mountain grandeur, but who never lift their “eyes unto the hills” from whence their help might come; who enjoy God’s placid lakes, tumbling streams and majestic waterfalls, but who have never drunk of the Water of Life; who shepherd the sheep on a thousand grassy hillsides , but who do not know the Good Shepherd; who reap the golden grain from the fertile plains, but who are starving for the Bread of Life.” Missionary friend Nicy Murphy about ministry in Colorado.