Remembering Gene Kuntz

Remembering Gene Kuntz

By Chris Preuss

By now you have heard the news that our dear brother, Gene Kuntz, has passed into glory after a battle with cancer. His vivacious personality, seeing him flying around on that scooter, and his love for Maranatha will all be missed, leaving a huge void in our community. Gene loved Maranatha with all his heart, and he served here in various capacities for most of his life.

Personally, even though I’m a newbie around here, I had several wonderful encounters with Gene. The first that comes to mind is when I could hear his voice from behind a huge stack of photo albums as he came teetering into my office right after I started in the Executive Director role in June of 2022. He joyfully set down the stack and explained he has kept a photo history of life at Maranatha since he was a teenager. “I’ll let you hold onto these and look through them and you can return them when you’re done…” He then decided it was best to show them himself and we spent the better part of a couple hours that afternoon as he joyfully narrated all the history he had accumulated. Then there is the time he insisted that I hire him for at least one miscellaneous job so that he could keep his streak of having worked for every Executive Director since Dr. Savage. He kept his streak alive. And he was always at the ready with a piece of advice or a big idea to make things better at M. Little did he likely figure that his presence and kindness to our community was one of the best things we had going.

Gene also was a wonderful giver of his time and his treasure to Maranatha. Most recently he provided the spotlights for the stage area where the kids sing, “those kids on the ends disappear into the dark up there…you have to fix that!” And the flagpole in front of the Tabernacle was his gift, tying together his love of country and of Maranatha. Gene was also always around to volunteer and has been a fixture at the Joni and Friends camps since they started here. He also attended almost every teaching session we had and was quick with a joke or an encouragement to those who were speaking.

We will miss you, Gene, but we rejoice in knowing that you are home in the presence of the King, completed, healed, and rejoicing with the saints who have gone before us. This gives us great comfort as we look forward to that glorious day when we are all reunited in the great resurrection!

A Time to Rise…

A Time to Rise…

A Time to Rise…

By now, you’ve probably noticed the updated focus on our new website: “Retreat, Renew & Rejoice.” We believe this new branding perfectly encapsulates our mission. Our goal is to glorify God by loving and serving others, offering a haven away from the world’s chaos and into the sanctity of a peaceful recreational setting where individuals can immerse themselves in God’s word and witness the impact of missions around the globe. Throughout the summer, we’ve seen countless people join us, most for joyful vacations and reunions, but many also bringing struggles and hurts. In all situations, we are here to minister to God’s people.

We based our theme this past summer on Colossians 4:2, encouraging steadfast prayer. While many come to Maranatha for joyous occasions like reunions, anniversaries, birthdays, and vacations, throughout the season, many posted prayers that exposed the many struggles and sufferings they bring – deaths, cancer, divorce, wayward children, addictions, broken family relationships, apostasy, and more. All of  it deeply burdened our hearts, but it also fuels our desire to serve and glorify God by ministering to the faithful. Importantly, we continue to be astonished and humbled by the ongoing support for the mission groups God brings us. In the past three seasons, we have exceeded $2.3 million in giving. Truly remarkable. As we serve our ministry purposes, we are passionate about serving those who come to us on every occasion with love and excellence given the broad impact Maranatha continues to bring.

Yes, it is hard out there; but this is why we believe God is calling us to expand our ministry. As the world grows colder and darker, we want Maranatha to shine brighter by encouraging and renewing the faithful. To meet this growing need, our Board has strengthened our five-year plan, and we are embarking on a significant $20 million expansion. This is our “Time to Rise.” We’ll begin by breaking ground on a new teen and office center this fall, updating and enhancing the Tabernacle for year-round use, and adding more cottages and storage for increased capacity. To complete this transformative journey, we’ll also introduce a new bookstore/coffee café and a 24-room lodge by the channel. It’s an ambitious endeavor we firmly believe God will provide for. The campaign to raise this significant amount of money is gaining momentum. We are now reaching out to key Maranatha supporters and donors to ensure the initial seed funds are secured. This will allow us to broaden the campaign to gather the resources needed in the coming seasons. The timing? That’s in the Lord’s hands. As mentioned, the Teen/Office center is underway, and we hope to start the Tabernacle updates next fall. We’ll proceed step by step as resources become available. The most substantial challenge lies in funding the Channel Lodge, which requires approximately $8 million and serves as our plan’s final step. To fully utilize all this new space, we need a year-round Tabernacle, expanded dining and kitchen facilities, and additional storage space.

We are confident that God will provide the resources required because we believe this is the path He has chosen for us to grow. However, this must be a collective effort from the entire community. As we consistently state, our mission is to provide spiritual renewal in a recreational setting, emphasizing Bible teaching and worldwide missions. We aim to serve with love and excellence, providing an expanded resource to the church throughout the year. Throughout this journey, we are committed to keeping Maranatha affordable and accessible to all who would benefit from our ministry. The last thing we want is for our capital plan and campaign to distract or compromise the core deliverables of our ministry. Our budget to remain attainable relies heavily on the generosity of our members, guests, and supporters, especially when we continue to grapple with rising costs that show no sign of abating, further escalating our financial needs.

As we stand on the threshold of an exciting and transformative journey, we are confident in God’s providence and the unwavering support of our community. Maranatha has been a place of renewal and transformation for 88 years. Our commitment to excellence and faithfulness to God’s call remains steadfast as we expand. We aim to ensure that Maranatha remains a Christ-exalting haven, accessible and affordable to all who seek its refuge. We invite you to join us on this remarkable path, united in our purpose to glorify God, love one another, and make a lasting impact. Together, we will Retreat, Renew, and Rejoice, embracing the call to rise to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Much more to come on all of this in months ahead. Know that we cannot do this without all the prayer, love, and tangible support that the Maranatha family continues to provide. Until next time…Maranatha!!