Taking our place in the body of Christ

Jabez Ministries is about ministry raising leadership out of the community of the disabled in the context of a campus ministry. We work out of Grand Rapids Community College, ministering to faculty, staff and students.

All the people mentioned below have a disability, or disabilities, In some cases they’re “hidden”, i.e. not obvious. Sometimes, you wouldn’t know until it was divulged by the person with it. Often, it’s just it’s just enough of a hindrance to keep us from finding our places in our community and in our churches. We’re the ones who”fall through the cracks”, so to speak. We’re included, but rarely asked to contribute anything.

Jabez Ministries mission is to not focus so much on the disabilities, but on the gifts each person involved in this ministry has and can realize as God given and in need of nurture. Thus, in grace, we can take our places in the body of Christ as ordained by God.

Please read these brief accounts of just a few:

• Nate: Using his gifts and talents of acting in seasonal church productions and in a children’s ministry, currently being mentored spiritually part of a discipleship ministry at Magnify Church in Rockford.
• Corey: using her gifts in working with children as a daycare provider in the Holland area. In this time of pandemic she is an “essential worker”.
• Julie: using her gifts as a photographer and manages the Jabez Ministries YouTube channel and Facebook page and has recently started Hyper Focus Photography LLC. Hailey: sings in local and school choirs and hoping to sing for Opera Grand Rapids. She is a music education major currently.
• Sarah: is visually impaired and was recently gifted a Braille Bible. She is a gifted musician and serves on the Board of Directors of Jabez Ministries. She works as a massage therapist in a local chiropractors office. She was assisted in passing her certification exams with tutoring from some ministry partners.
• Shaphan: who leads music in his church’s worship service. He is often on campus when I cannot be, and serves as my “ears” when I am on campus. Shaphan has found that he discovered has the gift of christian fellowship and has made many friends since becoming a part of this ministry.
• Paul: using his gifts and talents in film production and cinematography to produce the videos seen on the YouTube channel. He’s currently a film student at Cornerstone University.

Many of these persons mentioned are a part of “Team Jabez”. That’s a name that’s come up in past reporting. Team Jabez is, in a nutshell, a leadership and worship team that works on campus alongside myself in ministry and participates in worship services when invited to local churches.

They have an opportunity to use their gifts of song and testimony to witness to the grace of God in their lives. This is who we are and what God has called us to do in his kingdom. This who and what you’ve been supporting. You have our deepest gratitude.

Our YouTube Channel is going exceptionally well. Hopefully, we’ll be expanding on that to include a podcast and more guest videos.

Diaconal ministry report by Peter Gordon
Jabez Ministries