Son Shine Ministries

Spreading ‘Son Shine’ for four decades

BY CARLA NOA H STUTSMAN

Tucked away on about 20 scenic acres south of Azle, a small Christian ministry has been making a big impact on families and churches both locally and around the globe since 1977.

While Son Shine Ministries is focused on its mission, “To share the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, and equip families to serve him effectively,” its individual team members are also deeply invested in the Azle community, its churches, and a Fort Worth church where several are members.

Son Shine Ministries may be best known locally for its creation of Follow the Flag, a Christian, patriotic celebration now sponsored by the Azle Area Ministerial Association in Azle’s Central Park each year on Independence Day.

But there is much more to know about the ministry and the work it does to strengthen families through sharing Christ.

In the beginning

Two lieutenant colonels in the U.S. Air Force and their wives, Lew and Sandy Shaffer and Ted and Barbara Platt, founded Son Shine Ministries in 1977, and relocated the ministry from Prattville, Alabama, to its current location near Azle in 1981.

Through the ministry, the Platts, Shaffers, and others reached out to thousands around the globe, providing practical ministry training and spreading the Gospel.

After retirement from the ministry, the Platts moved to Montgomery, Alabama, several years ago to be closer to their son, but remain close to the ministry.

Lew Shaffer, with Sandy always by his side, remained a beloved figure in the Azle community, even after a A 40-foot cross rises above the Son Shine Ministries property south of Azle. Ph ot o c ourt esy Son Sh in e Min istr ies

devastating stroke left him wheelchair-bound since 1987. In fact, the citizens of Azle voted him Favorite Hometown Hero in the 2013 Azle Area Chamber of Commerce People’s Choice Awards. He will long be remembered for his encouragement through visits and the cheery “yellow letters” he mailed out daily to encourage friends and pastors until his passing in 2018. Annually during the Follow the Flag celebration, the Lew and Sandy Shaffer Award is bestowed upon an Azle-area resident who is recognized for enduring Christian servant leadership.

These days, Sandy is busy with Bible studies and is an active member of First Baptist Church Azle. She also

Leadership today

David Shaffer, son of Lew and Sandy Shaffer, has served as Director of Son Shine Ministries since 2002. David and his wife, Daniele, who serves as part of the ministry team, have two grown sons, Nathaniel and Jonathan. Both are graduates of Azle High School and Texas A & M University. Nathaniel is married to Gabrielle, and the young couple has blessed the Shaffer family with its newest member, Scarlett.

David received his post-graduate credentials from Dallas Theological Seminary, from which he is poised to receive his third seminary degree this May, a Doctor of Ministry. David and Daniele serve together in marriage ministry and have a combined 67 years of full-time ministry experience.

David also currently serves the Azle community as vice president of the Azle Area Chamber of Commerce, where Son Shine Ministries is an active participant.

David and Daniele are active members of Doxology Bible Church in Fort Worth where they also serve on the Marriage Team.

Additional team members

Paul and Amy Collins round out the full-time team at Son Shine Ministries, where they help with ministry programs (speaking and supporting), administration, and care of the ministry property. Amy serves in the vital post of missions coordinator. Both are active in college and youth ministries at Doxology Bible Church in Fort Worth, where they are members.

Paul Collins currently serves on the board of directors for the Azle Area Ministerial Alliance, where Son Shine Ministries has played an important role since the 1980s.

In addition to its full-time team, Son Shine Ministries also benefits from a number of volunteers who allow the ministry to extend its outreach and increase its capacity. Ten individuals from across the nation are also actively involved in strengthening the ministry through their service on its board of trustees.

Through the years

For decades, Son Shine Ministries has supported churches and the community through its outreach.

The ministry offers training and certifications for church leaders in using marriage assessments and consultations on setting up marriage and family ministries. It also offers weekend marriage and parenting programs as well as support through its Marriage Care and Family Care Programs for churches.

Couples – from pre-married to seasoned couples – may access Son Shine Ministries as well by taking part in its Marriage Care Program, while parents and children of all ages can participate

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in the ministry’s Family Care Program. Historically, Son Shine Ministries accomplished this work through weekend events that reached many people and involved a lot of travel for the ministry’s team. That work continues today, but with new focus on discipleship centered primarily in the DFW area.

Locally, many of Azle’s churches have hosted Son Shine Ministries’ programs over the years. Members of the ministry team have also reached out locally by leading monthly services at Azle Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and supporting many of Azle’s servant ministries for decades.

Son Shine now

About three years ago, David Shaffer explains, Son Shine Ministries shifted its primary methodology from events to discipleship.

It’s a change that’s been very successful.

But what exactly does it mean? In the past, Shaffer and his staff prepared during the week for events that would occur over the weekend. Often those events were out-of-state; sometimes they were even overseas. Team members traveled to those events and addressed groups of varying size, and it worked. It was a successful ministry. But as David studied available statistics, he recognized that process-based ministry (discipleship)–meeting “couple-to-couple” over time–is where effective change is more likely to take place and stay in place.

“Our most effective model involves three steps for those participating in our marriage ministry—individual study and preparation, couple discussion time, and small group interaction,” Shaffer explained. “This is the model used at our church where we are coaches for the Marriage Team, and we are helping other churches implement this model.” Shaffer added, “The discipleship model requires time so that people have the opportunity to learn and practice relational skills in a supportive environment.”

It’s also been good for his and Daniele’s marriage, Shaffer says.

“We’re getting to serve together more than we used to, and I’m enjoying the work we do now more than I ever have. Daniele is so important to that process,” he said, adding that while the The founders of Son Shine Ministries spoke at a fundraising event called Evening Son Shine in December 2017. They are (l-r) Barbara Platt, Ted Platt, the late Lew Shaffer, and Sandy Shaffer. ph ot o by c ar la n oah st utsm an

individual cases are often quite tough, they are always hopeful. “We genuinely love what we do.”

Sometimes a couple may say they are seeking help as their final effort before making a decision to divorce.

“While we take such situations seriously, we don’t take on the pressure from them because we know we don’t change anybody,” Shaffer said. “If a couple is going to grow out of a desperate position, we know it’s going to be through their cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Our hope is to facilitate constructive conversations in an atmosphere where respect and love are present, all the while pointing to the hope that is found only in Jesus.”

Daniele says rather than focusing on what divides a couple, she and David help couples discover how they can learn to complement one another’s unique giftings. The Shaffers are highly encouraged by the many marriages that are strengthening.

In addition to meeting with couples individually, Son Shine Ministries focuses much of its effort into equipping churches and their staffs, who can then provide effective marriage ministry within their own church.

“We still present weekend marriage programs, and we have several scheduled this year in various states, but these are no longer our primary outreach,” Shaffer explained. “We work with all sized churches, but our burden is for small- to medium-size churches, where small staffs bear all the responsibility and may think they have no way to have a marriage ministry. We love to show them how they can, utilizing people in their church. It’s not expensive, it’s not hard to set up, there’s great material out there, and we’ll train them to manage it.”

Last year, for example, Son Shine Ministries certified 18 people at The Abbey Church in the Prepare/Enrich marriage program.

Ministry finance

Son Shine Ministries is a 501( c)(3) non-profit organization. It’s a Christian ministry focused on families with emphases on marriage and parenting. As such, the ministry operates entirely from donations and remains debt free after 43 years.

Typically, one fundraiser per year to businesses and one to its mailing list meets most financial needs. Money is also received from ministry programs; however, those programs are provided at no charge for those who cannot afford to pay. Plus, staff members raise an amount equivalent to their individual salary through deputized fundraising each year.

“Financial management is an area where we want to be clean and sharp,” Shaffer said. “We are long-time members of the Evangelical Council for

Financial Accountability (ECFA), and there’s a link on our website where you can look at all our financial statements. It’s our desire to always be excellent stewards and transparent.”

Also in the works

As part of his doctoral applied research project, Shaffer has developed a new Bible study method that teaches a particular book of the Bible while at the same time strengthening the marriage relationship. The first book is called Galatians: True Freedom – A Small Group Study for Couples.

It’s Shaffer’s hope to publish the first book following his graduation in May; he also envisions getting other authors on board to complete an entire series following the same methodology.

That methodology involves first studying individually “so you have your own voice,” before coming together as a couple to discuss each other’s viewpoints. Third, couples come together in community, such as in a small group, where you realize you’re not alone and can share different perspectives.

David and Daniele Shaffer are partners in life and in the ministry they lead.

ph ot o by c ar la n oah st utsm an

“We’re really excited about this new approach to strengthening marriages through the format of just talking together.”

In Shaffer’s mind, it’s just one more way to share Jesus and equip families. Find out more about Son Shine Ministries on its website, www.equipfamilies.org.

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