“He is Lord, He is Lord. He has risen from the dead and He is Lord. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
This is a familiar song to many but when it was sung at our first worship service on September 8, 2014 with our newest congregation, it had special significance to the thirty five inmate brothers and outside volunteer members in attendance. As many brothers shared their testimony, it was clear that Jesus Christ had become their Lord and Savior. “I’ve played the devil’s game for a long time,” related one middle-aged man, “and I wouldn’t change this new life with Jesus for the world.” Another shared, “I would not have a relationship with the Lord, without being in this place [prison].”
God is at work in these prisons and that is why Celebration Fellowship (CF) continues to plant new churches inside Michigan prisons.
This third CF congregation, which has been co-sponsored by Calvin Theological Seminary, is at Bellamy Creek Level I prison in Ionia, Michigan where a large number of believers are anxious to become involved in CF discipleship ministries.
The inaugural service was also used to commission Pastor Steve who will be assisting Pastor Andy in ministering to this congregation. Steve, who currently in his second year at Calvin seminary, has his own story of God’s grace. A number of years ago he lost a very successful chiropractic business and his family through drug and alcohol addiction. It was only after he was literally dumped in the street outside the local Mel Trotter Ministries and entered an extended rehab program that Jesus became Lord of his life and he answered God’s call to enter the ministry.
We praise God for his transforming work in the hearts and lives of some of the most broken and destitute people.
He is Lord, He is Lord! Amen and Amen!
Story presented by Celebration Fellowship – a partner in ministry with us