Thanks For Your Interest & Support!
2016
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Dean’s Testimony
As a child Dean attended church events and felt an impression at one point that God wanted him to do something with recycling. He did not understand what it meant to be a disciple of Christ until years later. He was confused by this earlier vision because of his passion to help people.
It wasn’t until a mentor mentioned that maybe the recycling was a metaphor the Lord was using to describe the type of work he would be doing with people that it began to make sense. What if it was lives that he would be involved in recycling? This became an important part of Dean’s journey as he began working with kids in wilderness therapy as well as in therapeutic boarding schools.
This early impression would become a distinct call to full-time Christian service and pastoral ministry.
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Secular Wilderness Therapy
Dean spent 5 years working in the field in secular programs. While Dean saw transformation happening as kids would progress through 10 weeks in the wild, he felt there was still something missing. Some of the kids came from Christian backgrounds, and Dean was eager to engage with them on questions of faith.
When Dean approached the leadership to get permission to include a faith-based approach in wilderness he was strictly forbidden to mention anything about Jesus. The interesting thing was that almost anything else was ok. Shamanism? No problem. Jesus Christ was banned!
While this bothered Dean he didn’t really know what he could do. As he was praying about the situation one day, he felt the Lord impress upon him that maybe he was supposed to pursue Christian Wilderness Therapy.
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Christian Wilderness Therapy
Dean began to search for a Christian Wilderness Therapy program that he could work for—but he couldn't find one!
Most of the programs were either camps, boarding schools, or adventure programs. While these programs were Christ-centered they lacked the 10-week nomadic approach combined with licensed therapists that made the secular programs successful.
Dean never considered himself an entrepreneur and was really hoping to find someone else who had a heart for kids, wilderness, and Christ that he could partner with. One day as he was praying he felt the Lord speak to him: “Dean, you need to start a Christian Wilderness Therapy Program.”
As he began to share what the Lord had placed on his heart, others came alongside to validate that call and the journey started getting interesting.
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Seeds Gets a Name
One day as Dean was riding his motorcycle he began to pray about what he should call this new program that God was calling him to. He found himself singing a kids' choir song: "We Are All Just Seeds in God's Hands." After feeling God's presence, Dean asked himself, "What is a seed?"
As he prayed, he remembered different passages about seeds in scripture—the parable of the sower and faith the size of a mustard seed, as well as numerous metaphors about trees and harvests that God had caused to grow.
He later decided Seeds was the right name when he read in a commentary that seeds always symbolize new life and new growth in scripture.
It is God—through his word and his Spirit planted in an individual's life—that creates any chance of hope and life. Seeds are the representation of the new life that Jesus promises us.
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$38
Dean was talking with a missionary friend one day about the vision for Seeds Wilderness Therapy. He was expressing his doubts about his qualifications and if he was really hearing from the Lord. She turned to Dean and said, "Yes I feel that what you have told me is from God and you are supposed to start Seeds. I am going to help you get started." She reached into her wallet and pulled out all the money she had which was $38. "I know it’s not much but I want to you to have it."
Dean placed it in his Bible where it served as a reminder for another 5 years before becoming the starter funds for an official Seeds bank account in 2018.
2017
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YWAM – School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SOBE)
In May of 2017 Dean enrolled in the SOBE program in Colorado Springs. This would prove to be a life-changing experience in more ways than one. Not only did he receive great teaching and learn a lot about how to start an enterprise, but he also made connections that allowed him to begin getting traction for the ministry.
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Prayer Team Grows
The prayer team grows to more than 200 members and they begin to pray for the right staff and board members.
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Director of Ops
Dwight Grant, who had hosted Dean during the SOBE, agrees to help Dean with the business development of Seeds part-time.
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Location Confirmed
In November of 2017, Dean and Dwight made a trip to Montrose, CO to try and confirm the location where Seeds would operate. They experienced green lights everywhere they went and everyone they talked with embraced the idea, providing an open invitation for the ministry. Seeds would be operating under permit in the Uncompahgre National Forest.
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Board Members
The Board of Directors is formed and Seeds conducts the first Board Meeting in 2018.
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Clinical Director Joins Seeds
Neil Binette, MA, LMFT holds a master’s in counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is currently working towards a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch University New England. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Other professional activities have included owning and operating a small private practice and serving as director of mental health services at a faith-based pregnancy help center. He has extensive training in couples and family therapy modalities and has experience with orphan advocacy and adoption counseling.
Neil has professional experience with both wilderness therapy and therapeutic boarding schools.
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Seeds Registry Created
All the needs for the Seeds start-up are placed in a So Kind registry. Seeds begins accepting recurring donations.
2019
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Blogs
In January of 2019, Seeds began to write and reach out to others who had helpful information for parents of teens who may be struggling. This will continue to be part of what we offer to families. To get the blog directly you can sign up here.
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Precipice
Seeds develops a 4-day crisis-prevention program designed to be organized by a sponsor such as a youth pastor, teacher, etc. Seeds runs Precipice in partnership with a local Christian outfitter, Journey Quest, which offers adventure activities such as rafting, climbing, hiking, etc. Seeds provides the programming and content to help bring parents and teens closer together through effective communication. More Information
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501c3 Approved
The IRS approves Seeds Wilderness Therapy as a non-profit 501c3 organization.
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Partnership Network
Seeds joins a network of like-minded organizations who assist parents with struggling teens. The Seeds team continues to develop relationships with referral agents and those who will help families connect to Seeds.
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Permit Application
Over the summer, Dean, Neil, and other volunteers write the policies and procedures for a safe and effective wilderness therapy program. Seeds applies for an official permit with the US Forest Service.
2020 - 2023
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Enrollment Begins
January 1, 2020 we begin talking with parents about enrolling their teens in our first session beginning in May.
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Final Program Preparation
Our clinical director and program director finalized details on a faith-based therapeutic curriculum for the first-ever Christian Wilderness Therapy Program!
We received all of our permits and licensing.
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Staff Training
The staff went through training in May.
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Kids in the Field!
Our first 3 students began the program in the last week of May.
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Help us Grow the Impact!
Prayer support – join the prayer team & get our newsletter.
Volunteer – check the registry or let us know about your talents and areas of interest.
Staff – we are currently interviewing and hiring field staff for 2021.
Financial Support – we were blessed with many wonderful staff, volunteers and financial partners.
In 2021 we plan to operate year round and add a girls group.
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Praying for a New Location 2021
Please pray with us about our new location for 2021. We have a site in mind and are working out the details.
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Enrollment Begins in January 2021
We were excited to introduce our all new 40 day wilderness experience. We are currently accepting applications!