Hello family and friends!
Thank you to all who have asked about and were praying for our night leading worship for the women's conference at MN Adult & Teen Challenge. This ministry and conference was for women who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. The theme of the conference was about having hope in the midst of struggle and hope for the future, and that hope being Jesus. This has always been one of my favorite places to lead worship at, because everyone there is so eager to come before God and experience His presence. I wanted to share with you what two of our volunteers wrote about their experience from our time there. They were musicians on our worship team and for both of them, it was their first time coming. Thank you for sharing in this joy with me of getting to go to these places to share of this hope we have in Jesus! "I arrived at MN Adult & Teen Challenge excited to see what God was going to do, but no matter how much expectancy I come with, He always goes above and beyond. Halfway through the very first song I could just feel the overwhelming presence and power of God! I’ve been on a lot of mission trips and been in church all my life, but I have to say worshiping with Teen Challenge was one of the most powerful nights I have ever experienced!" -Mia Savage, MN "The women's voices were the most beautiful instruments in the room-- they sang with emotion and passion (and very loudly!). They were there with tears in their eyes, hands raised up, and worshiping the Lord who saved them. Wonderful experience of God's absolute goodness, mercy, and grace. I hope I get to do it again!" -Donna Bloomington, MN
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Last week, a group of three of us had the opportunity to lead worship at MN Adult & Teen Challenge in Minneapolis. This was a gathering of about 300 clients in their program, for both men and women. A highlight for me was the row of men in the front row who nearly outsang us on the microphones, singing their hearts out praising Jesus!
Thank you for your partnership in making it possible to share the Gospel through music in places like these! Your support is making a difference and is a part of God's work in changing lives! Here is what the two other volunteers in our group wrote about their experience there: "There is something about being in a room with people who are singing to the Father with everything they have- because they know the power of his saving grace and they know they are desperate for him-it gives us a beautiful glimpse into God’s kingdom, of the power of community and of His work in the world. I left feeling encouraged and more full than when I arrived that night. I’m sure I received more than I gave! I was blessed." Aimee Maplewood, MN "I always enjoy going to MN Adult & Teen Challenge. I am consistently struck by the absolute engagement and surrender to the Father. It would seem that everyone is ALL IN. You just don't get that level of authenticity even at church on Sunday mornings. From the very first words sung that night, hands were raised and people were singing out at the top of their lungs. There was a moment when it was hard to hear myself singing/playing through the monitors, that is a sweet moment. It didn't matter how we sounded because no one was there for us. They were all there to humbly come before the Father to connect with Him in an intimate and personal way. You know, I walked in to that night overwhelmed, stressed out and in a little bit of a bad mood. As soon as we all started singing, God took over. It seems to be that way every time I have the opportunity to sing with those brothers and sisters. God is glorified. I can't wait to go back!" Bryan Savage, MN Hello friends and family! It's been awhile since I've sent out an update of what's been happening within Consumed Ministries. There's been a lot happening these past months, but I just wanted to send a few highlights below and share with you what others have experienced in these places of ministry that I've gotten to be involved in. Thank you for your encouragements, prayers, and financial support that are making ministry possible. Your partnership makes a difference!
MN Adult & Teen Challenge I had the opportunity to lead worship with a friend of mine for the women in this program who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. God was doing awesome things among the women during our time there. Here is what the director sent me the next day: "I so appreciate your ministry last night. In thinking about it, I believe that one of the reasons that the atmosphere was so ripe for them to receive was how you proclaimed the Lordship of JESUS! Your evangelistic worship aligned the hearts and the Spirit in the room!!! Thanks so much!" -Linda, Director of Women's Ministry Prison Fellowship Graduation I had the honor of being invited to attend a graduation ceremony for four women who completed a one-year program through the ministry of Prison Fellowship inside the Shakopee Prison. This is the same ministry we partner with when I go in to lead worship. My friend Katie, who came with me to this ceremony, wrote about her experience while we were there. I continue to be in awe of how God is at work among these women every time I get to go and am thankful for Katie's faithfulness in prayer for this young woman. "This story started almost 6 months ago. I was at the prison for a worship night with Consumed Ministries. I sang some harmonies, but I also talked some about my dad’s suicide, shame, and hopelessness. Afterwards, a very young woman came up to me during prayer time with tears streaming down her face. She was brand new there. She told me why she was in there, how long she would be there, how much shame she was carrying, that she knew she wanted to give up or have something different for her life...and all I could do was pray for her and weep with her. You can’t even touch these women, which is really difficult (even for a non-hugger). There is literally nothing to do except ask God to help. When I left that night, I couldn’t get her face out of my mind. God would remind me of her almost every day. And I’d pray every day—specifically that she would know her worth, forgive herself, and lean on Jesus. A few months ago, I went back. I searched for her, hoping she had kept coming to the Prison Fellowship program after that first night. I was SO relieved to see her in the service. She was smiling and chatting with her friends, I didn’t connect with her because there’s no way she remembered me. But I told the program leader afterwards how God was keeping this gal relentlessly on my heart, and she said “I’m going to let her know.” But today! At a special graduation. This gal walked in the room and sat in the front row...she was receiving a certificate for completing a large portion of the program. This is HUGE, brave, committed work. (Only 1/5 of the inmates that started this class saw it through to the end-it’s a strenuous program.) The best part? As we were shaking their hands at the end, she whispered in my ear “Thanks for the prayers.” She remembered ME! So God. He gave me an opportunity to share my hard story so that she would feel that she could open up and share her hard story. He probably would’ve done the work in her heart anyway. But He let me get wrapped into her story through prayer. He didn’t need me to see her get her certificate. But He let me. He weaves and weaves threads of lives together. I know we won’t see the completed tapestry till the end, but I got to see a portion of it today, and I’m just so thankful." Shakopee Prison Whenever I bring a group into the Shakopee Prison, we almost always have people come who have not yet had this experience. I love when it's someone's first time coming! This last time, I invited my friend Kim, who had not yet visited, to come and share her testimony and to pray with the women during the end of our time there. She writes about her experience below: "What a gift it was to be invited to the Shakopee Women's Correctional Facility by Consumed Ministries! Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was eager for the evening as I sensed the Holy Spirit as I prepared a short testimony to share with the women. I anticipated that when I stepped out in faith, He would meet me and minister to the women through the words He gave me to share. God indeed was faithful! - as He always is! My heart was touched as I worshipped in song along with the women; I even stopped singing for a while to let the words the women were singing so powerfully wash over my heart. God never wastes our choices or pain, and though the women have made choices that have lead to their incarceration, I observed that God is using this time to draw them to Him. Our visit was a testimony to the work He is doing and I thank God for Jackie and the staff whose calling it is to bring the Word and God's truths to the women behind prison walls. I stand in agreement that through Christ, lives can be changed that show of His mercy and grace, that ultimately give God all the glory. May the Shakopee Women's Correctional Facility continue to be a place where Jesus is experienced, worshipped, and believed so as the women are released, they call upon Him in their future times of joy and trial." On this month's visit to the women's prison in Shakopee, MN we had a group of five volunteers go in to lead worship, share the Gospel, hear a faith testimony, and pray with the women inside. I always love when others come along who have never experienced something like this before. On this visit, it was the first time inside of a prison for two of our volunteers. One of our volunteers, Laura, wrote this to share about her experience there:
"As I sat in the back, what came to mind was how much these women just want and need love. Perhaps their desire to feel loved was what prompted the action that ultimately landed them here in prison. These women, just like all of us, need to understand just how much the Lord loves them. People will let us down, but the Lord is constant. What a blessing to be able to be touched by serving these women and being reminded that we are all the same. My favorite part was praying over them how much the Lord loves them and that this is not the end of their story. The other interesting thing to me was in the second group, after Jamie shared the Gospel, there were two women in the back who were in need of tissue, however, they kept breaking into laughter. Every once in a while they would look over like they were thinking about coming up to be prayed for. It struck me how difficult it must be to break through the hardened walls that protect them emotionally. How wonderful this ministry is as part of the process of chipping away at their hearts in the hopes that they will give it all to Christ." "It's my first night here", she said after I asked how I could pray for her. These words would stay with me and remind me why I am passionate about getting to do this unique kind of ministry that I do.
I had the honor of returning to the Shakopee women's prison on Tuesday, along with 7 others. We were invited by a ministry inside the prison, called Prison Fellowship, to lead a worship and prayer night. We worshiped God together through song, heard a faith story and short message from some of our group volunteers, and at the end we invited any woman who wanted to be prayed for to come pray with our volunteers individually. And so I met *Mindy. "It's my first night here. I haven't even been able to call my family yet to tell them I'm ok. I knew I wanted to come to this though, my family would be proud of me." I was amazed that in her first night in the prison, feeling overwhelmed and scared, she found herself at a Christian event instead of being alone in her cell to process her first night here. I became emotional and told her I felt honored to share this moment with her. We talked for awhile before I prayed with her and I assured her it wasn't a mistake that she was here tonight and that God loved her so much and desires for her to know Jesus. And so for that we prayed. After, when Mindy told me that she'll only be there for a few months, the first word that came to my mind was "opportunity". Not many people would associate this word with someone who is in prison, but for Mindy it just kept repeating in my mind for her. I saw before me a woman who was making a decision to seek after God and it spoke to me of opportunity--that God would use the months she has inside the prison, away from the people or circumstances that helped to play a part in her being here, to lead her to discover who Jesus is and the abundant life He offers her. Prison Fellowship offers many Bible studies, classes, worship times, and mentorship opportunities for those inside, so there are many opportunities available for Mindy to learn more about Jesus, if she chooses to take that opportunity. Please join me in praying for Mindy! Last month, I along with some others, had the opportunity to lead worship at MN Adult & Teen Challenge in Minneapolis. We joined a couple hundred women who are in the program for a powerful night of worshiping Christ and praying together. I thought the best way to capture our experience there was to share some testimonies from a few of the volunteers who came along: "Being a part of worship at Teen Challenge was an incredible night. It was so much more than music. The prayer and genuine concern for the spiritual growth of everyone there was astounding. There was a common expectation among every group in the room that the sole purpose of the night was to encounter God. As a musician I was amazed at the emotion I could sense from the ladies singing and their desire to encounter God. I also appreciate how the night had been rehearsed and planned but when the room was full the plan became fluid to where we could respond to the presence of God in the room and adapt to follow." -Jason, worship team musician "What an honor it was participate in the women’s chapel time recently! So many of the women worshiped their hearts out while some were more reserved. Nevertheless, the Lord’s presence was there and women were touched! I had the opportunity to pray for women afterwards. It takes a lot of bravery to go forward for prayer, but these women didn’t even flinch. I was amazed how so many poured forward--they had to actually form lines! They were desperate for the Lord! The women I prayed for again and again asked to know and sense more of God. They had glimpses and wanted so much more! One woman was riddled with shame as she thought of how her choices had broken up her family. She knew she was forgiven, but couldn’t receive it. Other women were ready to graduate and terrified of what lied ahead in “the real world.” They were so eager to be prayed for and so honest about their fears and hopes! We are all fellow sojourners trying to find our way through this broken world and broken dreams. Praise be to God for second chances and His transforming power! These women left with a resurgence of hope and encouragement!" -Michelle, prayer team "I was sitting on the side back a few rows and really observed who these ladies were. It seemed to me that these grown adults were just like little kids, antsy, distracted, wound up. But like Jesus said "Let the children come to me" "Come as you are"! That is what they did, their hearts wanted to understand and the prayer time was asking, seeking for that!" -Shelley, prayer team "I wasn't sure what to expect at Teen Challenge. I was really nervous. Jackie had asked me to share part of my story with the women in attendance, and I felt very vulnerable even though I knew God wanted me to trust him. As soon as I started to share, I felt the Holy Spirit soften the entire room. He gave me words to pray, and then continued the same themes through Emma and Pastor Terrance, the theme that we can surrender because of His love. Even though I was to sing another few songs after I shared, I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to get off the stage and pray with women and I trusted that Jackie & Emma would be able to go with the flow (and they totally did). Every woman I prayed for I felt like God had specifically put into my life that night. It wasn't that God wanted to use me in their lives, but that God wanted us to link arms with each other, as sisters, and together humble ourselves & seek after Him." -Katie, worship team & shared her testimony Thank you for your partnership that is sending me out to share the Gospel through music. I couldn't do this without a team of people around me to pray for and support my work with this ministry. Grateful for you all! I am excited to share with you a recording I did with a friend of mine, David Vicchiollo. This is a cover song of "Eye Of The Storm". It was so fun to record this inside the Hennepin County Library in downtown Minneapolis! Oby made his first debut in a video, as I was pregnant with him at the time :) I love the lyrics to the chorus, as it speaks to God remaining in control, even in our most trying circumstances. Here is the mp3 recording:
Visit to Shakopee Prison Last month, I was able to return to the Shakopee Prison again to lead worship for the women inside. It was especially meaningful to lead this song, "Chain Breaker" because the person who wrote this actually does prison ministry too! On this visit, I was also reminded of God's power when we pray. Right before we were about to begin, the ministry director pulled us aside and said we were going to have to cancel the night, because they didn't have security available for us to staff the room. So we prayed. And WHILE WE WERE PRAYING together, the head guard came in the room and said he'd find a guard to staff the room so we could continue with the night! Out of the blue! The ministry director was shocked. She's always had to cancel before when this has happened. A great reminder for us all- God's heart is moved when we pray!!
THANK YOU to my friends and family for supporting my work with Consumed Ministries. I am so grateful for each and every one of you! 2016 has been a year filled with joy, change, and opportunities to see God work in many new ways. I’m excited to share with you how God has been so faithful! Mentorship with Anna: Last year, I spoke of a young lady who I have been mentoring, named Anna. This year, Anna experienced her first time leading worship at a church where we co-led together. It was a great experience to see Anna take another step in sharing her talents and passion for leading others into the presence of God. Recently, Anna has taken on a full-time worship leader position at this church! It's been an honor to be a part of seeing this young lady grow and be used by God to share the Gospel with others through music. Prison Ministry: A couple years ago, I was restricted to go into state prisons here in MN due to a conflict of interest in knowing people who have been in these prisons. I had to wait a certain amount of time to go back in and this year, through God's faithfulness, I was finally granted clearance to lead worship inside all state prisons again! Since regaining clearance, I have gotten to go to the men’s prison in Lino Lakes and the women’s prisons in Shakopee and Waseca. I am very excited and look forward to continuing to minister in these places! Newest Member to Team Dixon!: Jake and I welcomed our son Obadiah Edward Dixon (aka “Oby”) to the world in September. He is the joy of our life and makes us laugh every day! Thank you to those of you who have come alongside us in this transition. You may or may not know that I broke and displaced my tailbone during labor. It has been a difficult recovery these past few months, but I am thankful that I am continuing to heal by God’s power and am hopeful I will not need surgery. I have seen God work in incredible ways to bring us through this. God's mercy is real and my relationship with Him has taken on a whole new meaning now when I think about Oby. He cracks us up with his smile and facial expressions and keeps us on our toes with his independent personality ("I'll do it!"). We love him dearly and can't wait to see how God works in his little life.
Year-End Giving: I know many God-honoring ministries are asking for year-end donations. My ministry role with Consumed, like many of our brothers & sisters serving Christ, would benefit from year-end gifts as well. I would be grateful and honored for your consideration in this matter. I know there are so many amazing charities and ministries for you to invest in, so thank you for giving to my work with Consumed if you choose to do so. All gifts are tax-deductible. For online giving, you can donate HERE. May you experience the richness of God's blessings for you in the New Year! Welcoming the new official captain of Team Dixon! It's a BOY! Excited to introduce Obadiah "Oby" Edward Dixon as the newest member of Team Dixon. His name means "servant and worshiper of God". Born on Sept. 9 at 1:21am, weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz and 19 inches long. We are so in love with this little guy! We are so overjoyed about the birth of our son, Oby. He has brought us so much joy already! At the same time, we are needing your prayers. We had some complications develop since having Oby that have required many extra appts for both his and my recovery. It's been a whirlwind. Oby had jaundice and was in the extremely high risk category (Big miscommunication about this at the hospital. Didn't find out he was so high risk until our follow up appt. 4 days later). Also during my labor with Oby, I broke and displaced my tailbone (fractured and now tilted way back). This will be a recovery of several months. My tailbone needs to be put back into place either through surgery or possibly by chiropractic adjustments (this is the hope), depending on how far displaced my tailbone is. I am meeting with an orthopedic specialist this Thursday, Sept. 29, to talk about my options. I have been posting updates on my Facebook page, and sharing how we are seeing God answer our prayers along the way. I've made my posts public, so anyone is able to read them. To see the posts you can visit my page HERE. Jake reading Oby his first Bible story. I love getting to be a mom to this little guy!
***PRAYER REQUESTS*** God has been answering prayer in so many ways already. Thank you for joining with us in presenting these requests to God! Here are some things we would love continued prayer for: 1. Pray for Jake and me as we navigate this time of him going back to work and not being able to be at home with the two of us. With my tailbone the way it is, having Jake at home to help throughout the day has been a big help. Pray that any anxiety he or I would be feeling would be handed over to God. 2. I've had meaningful moments in God's presence where I've really felt challenged in my faith to BELIEVE that His healing can truly be for me in this. Praying for a miracle that God would touch me with His healing hand to heal not only my tailbone, but 18+ years of low back pain. 3. God's provision in providing for the extra expenses we've incurred so far in addition to the cost of labor & delivery: Oby's appts for jaundice and the use of the lights we rented for him, my X-rays, chiropractic visits, upcoming appts at Tria w/the orthopedic specialist, and possibly purchasing a Roho pillow for my tailbone. If God is keeping me in this trial, we know He'll meet our needs to get through it! 4. That God would continue to provide people who are available to drive me and Oby to appointments during the day, since I am unable to drive until tailbone is healed. 5. My appointment at Tria this Thursday. Wisdom for the orthopedic to give a clear answer and plan on how to move forward towards healing. And that the solution could come through chiropractic adjustments instead of surgery. Our Visit to Lino Lakes Prison It was exciting to return to the Lino Lakes men's prison! Jake was able to come with me on this visit and I wanted to share with you some thoughts he wrote about from our experience there: "I always leave Lino Lakes with many takeaways, but the one thing that I am always reminded about is the passion and freedom these men show in how they worship. To the world, it's so backwards. Here are men that are imprisoned, lacking physical freedom and under constant supervision, but when I see them in that room, they are no different from any other person who is seeking God and looking to bring Him glory. That's the truth about who Jesus is. He's greater than walls and cells. He can give freedom to all that's greater than any physical confinements. It is always a joy and an honor to go with Jackie on these visits and it has really helped me grow in my faith and obedience in the Lord." “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’" -Mat. 25:37-40 MN Adult & Teen Challenge Graduation Every month, this awesome ministry holds a graduation for those who have completed their 13-month, Christ-centered rehab program. I had the joy of going again to July's graduation and was struck by what a wife of one of the graduates shared: "Faith is not a feeling. It's a choice you make to trust God even when the path is uncertain." -Wife of a Teen Challenge graduate Amen! So thankful for the ministry of MN Adult & Teen Challenge and the opportunities I've had to partner with them to see lives transformed through Christ. Mentorship I met Anna, a college student at Normandale, last year. In meeting weekly throughout this past year, we've developed a friendship that has also led to an opportunity for me to mentor her in leading worship. Anna has started to lead worship among her peers on campus, and recently experienced her first time leading worship at a church a couple weeks ago where we sang together. Here are a couple video clips from our time leading together at Grace Church in Inver Grove Heights: It's been so fun to watch Anna grow in her faith and mature in her leadership. I was so proud to be in a supporting role as I was a part of her leading for the first time at this church. I'm excited for her as she continues to use what she's learning to be an influence on her campus, using her gifts & talents to share Christ with others. Pictured: Anna, Jackie, and Emma. What a joy to lead worship with these gals! Preparing for Baby Dixon 37 weeks along! Excited to meet Baby Dixon soon!
Once Baby D arrives, I'll be taking a maternity break for a couple months to adjust to our new normal and enjoy time with our little one. We'll keep you posted with pictures! THANK YOU for all your generous and faithful contributions to my work with Consumed Ministries. I count it an honor and blessing to be sent out to do these kinds of things through your gifts. If you would like to offer an annual contribution or become a monthly financial partner, you can check out the Giving link to the left of this page or feel free to Contact me for more information. |
Jackie Dixon
I love Jesus. I love my husband & family. I like dark chocolate. And hats. Traveling. Slippers. Hand written notes. And thrifting. These are a few of my favorite things! Categories
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