I want to start by saying THANK YOU to you all for your continued support and investment into God's kingdom through my ministry work with Consumed.
This month has been 10 years since I joined the Consumed Ministries staff team. I've been spending some time reflecting on all the opportunities God has opened doors to these last 10 years and the work He has done. It has included being a part of the Urbana worship team, helping the Celebrate Recovery ministry to grow inside the Waseca Federal Women's Prison, gathering to worship and share the love of Jesus inside an eclectic coffee shop where many New Agers would meet, teaching Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class out of our home with Jake, leading worship at retreats and conferences for college students, coming alongside families to lead them in prayer and singing worship songs as they've grieved an unexpected loss of a family member, leading worship at various churches, bringing groups with me into the Women's Shakopee Prison to worship with the women inside and pray for them, worshiping together via Zoom during the heart of the pandemic, mentoring young worship leaders, leading worship for MN Adult & Teen Challenge, and most recently getting to connect with women who were formerly incarcerated inside the Women's Shakopee Prison on both a weekly basis (our weekly check-in support group) and monthly (Prison Fellowship alumni breakfasts). It is truly humbling to remember all the ways that God has moved and has touched my heart and others' through these experiences in the last 10 years. I'm just so grateful. Thank you dear family and friends for your continued love, support, and investment into God's kingdom. Your prayers, giving, and support are intertwined in these experiences and stories shared. Much love, Jackie
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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!!
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. Leading Worship at Lino Lakes Prison, July 15 I am excited to return to the Lino Lakes Prison to worship with 300+ men inside! I am able to bring a few people with me, so if you would have an interest in coming to observe and join us, please let me know by June 30. Would love for you to experience what God does through these worship nights inside! Date: Friday, July 15 Time: Meet at 5:30pm at the prison facility, event will be done by 8:00pm. MN Adult & Teen Challenge Graduation, July 29 If you would like to find out more about the ministry of MN Adult & Teen Challenge, this is a great opportunity! This graduation ceremony is for current clients who have completed their 13-month, Christ-centered chemical dependency rehab program and is open to the public. It's a powerful time of hearing testimonies and celebrating with the graduates. If you'd like to come along, please let me know. Date & Time: Friday, July 29 1-3:00pm Location: Christ Church International, 3015 13th Ave. S. in Minneapolis Getting Ready for Baby Dixon! Baby D at my 21 week ultrasound. Boy or girl? It's going to be a surprise! Jake and I are getting eager to welcome our little one, due to arrive on Sept. 6! We are grateful for all of those who have been supporting us through prayer. Thank you!
Most of my posts about what I get to do in my job of music ministry are happy, victorious, and exciting. But today was different. Today I experienced what could be referred to as the roller coaster of prison ministry. You just never know what can happen. I got invited to come lead worship as part of the IFI graduation ceremony for some of the women inside the Shakopee State Prison. What an honor to be part of this major milestone for the women who have worked so hard to graduate from this Christ-centered program. As I normally do when I'm invited to lead worship for various events inside prisons, I invited some others to come along to observe and be part of the experience. I always invite others to join, because I feel it is just as important for others to participate in how God is working in places outside of our everyday "normal" as it is to minister to the inmates inside. To visit with people who are locked up in a prison, but whose lives are being transformed by God, really is a life changing experience. To read some stories of others who share about how their visits to the prison have changed their perspectives, check out their "volunteer testimonies". Our group had all arrived at the facility to get checked in. Everything was going smoothly until we found out that two of the women from our group weren't going to be allowed in because their names weren't on the list of people who were cleared for this visit. Somehow, their names had been overlooked as part of the approval process. My heart sunk. This wasn't the first time a complication like this has happened at this prison. A couple months ago, the prison went on lock-down while we were there and our event got cancelled, forcing us all to go home. And the last time we were there, we were told no one from our group was cleared to go in, because all of the paperwork got lost. Upon hearing this, our group immediately started praying and the situation worked itself out that we were able to enter in, even without the paperwork. God had literally worked a miracle, because anyone who is familiar with the prison system knows that favors are given out to no one. The rules are black and white, no exceptions: No paperwork, no entrance. But by God's grace and favor, somehow we were allowed in that night on a "favor". Thank you God! But this time was different. We weren't able to get around the obstacle this time. I was so excited for these two ladies, in particular, to experience this because it would have been their first time getting to interact with the inmates. They had taken time off from work and their families, and I felt responsible since I had invited them. I experienced feelings of frustration with the prison system and heavy-heartedness that these two women had to return home without being able to experience the joy that comes from being part of a visit like this. I wish everyone could come along on a prison visit to be part of this eye-opening and life-changing experience! Ultimately, this is why my heart was so heavy-- these two women weren't going to get to see the hope and joy that God can bring in an environment like this. But, as they say, "The show must go on". I, along with the three others from our group who did make it through the approval process, still had to carry through with what we were there to do, despite frustrations. So I took a deep breath and allowed my attitude to switch gears. I was there for these women and to celebrate with them what they had worked so hard to accomplish. I felt so honored to be invited to be part of this! The program included an opening prayer by one of the graduates, some honorary speakers, two testimonies from a couple of the other inmate graduates, some praise & worship, and celebrating with cake and refreshments afterwards. The highlight for me was getting to lead us in singing "I am Redeemed" by Big Daddy Weave. I have sung this song before in church, but the lyrics that talked about being a prisoner, bound up in shackles, but being set FREE touched me in an entirely new way as I sang this with the inmates. Check out the lyrics below and picture yourself in a room full of inmates in a prison who have been transformed by God's grace as you sing along. It will give you a whole new perspective to God's redeeming power! I have learned through my years in doing prison ministry that it brings many joys, but not without some trials. If I could ask you to pray for one thing, it would be to pray that people who come along for future visits would be able to be approved without any glitches. I hope you will consider coming with me on a future visit to celebrate the work God is doing in these womens' lives! Redeemed
Seems like all I could see was the struggle Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past Bound up in shackles of all my failures Wondering how long is this gonna last Then You look at this prisoner and say to me "son, stop fighting a fight it's already been won" I am redeemed, You set me free So I'll shake off these heavy chains Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be I am redeemed, I'm redeemed All my life I have been called unworthy Named by the voice of my shame and regret But when I hear You whisper, "Child lift up your head" I remember, oh God, You're not done with me yet I am redeemed, You set me free So I'll shake off these heavy chains Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be Because I don't have to be the old man inside of me 'Cause his day is long dead and gone Because I've got a new name, a new life, I'm not the same And a hope that will carry me home I am redeemed, You set me free So I'll shake off these heavy chains Wipe away every stain, 'cause I'm not who I used to be I am redeemed, You set me free So I'll shake off these heavy chains Wipe away every stain, yeah, I'm not who I used to be Oh, God, I'm not who I used to be Jesus, I'm not who I used to be 'Cause I am redeemed Thank God, redeemed This past Tuesday, I had the awesome privilege and opportunity of getting to return to the Women's Shakopee Prison to lead worship for 100+ female inmates, partnering with the Innerchange Freedom Initiative (IFI) ministry inside the prison. This was a special night, as I also got to bring 7 others along with me, 6 of who were coming for the first time!
We had such a fun time singing and praising God and memorizing Scripture together. My friend Chantel, pictured below, shared her faith testimony and also helped to lead worship. It warmed my heart to see the women tuned in to every word Chantel spoke, choosing to engage as they paged through their Bibles to follow along with the Scripture she shared. I also asked a friend and pastor, Gary, to come and share a message. Gary spoke about coming to God's throne of grace. He talked about how God doesn't expect us to fix everything before we come to him, but rather invites us to come His room full of grace to allow Him to transform us there. The women really connected to Gary's personable way of relating with them. To hear about this experience from the perspective of our volunteers who came along, you can check out the "Volunteer Testimonies" link on the left to hear from Chantel, Katie, Alex, Jessica, and Sonia. Thank you so much to those who were praying about our recent visit to the Shakopee Women's Prison on Monday night. I asked you to pray for a couple things: 1) Healing for my cold and sore throat while we were there. 2) For women to respond to God's free gift of salvation. Prayers answered!
It was an incredible time of worshiping with the 100 inmates inside, and an especially memorable night for me as I got to bring some friends and family along to experience this together (see what they wrote about their time there under the "Volunteer Testimonies" tab on the left side of this page). We worshiped together through singing, praying, reading Scripture, hearing faith testimonies, sharing a Gospel message of salvation and allowing the women time to respond, and even salsa danced to some Spanish praise music! There is one person who stands out to me the most though from our time there. The prison guard. The job of a guard is to man their station inside the room that we are all gathered in and to keep a close watch on the inmates, constantly scanning the room. In my experience, we've never had an issue with any inmates causing outbreak and this night was no different. The women were engaged and enjoying our time together. As the night went on, the guard must have taken note of this too, because I started to notice him listening in on the messages that were shared from the stage. He too was beginning to engage in what God had in store for the evening. By the end of the night, the guard's attention was completely fixed on the screen that displayed the lyrics to "Our God" as the room filled with our praises in singing together. God was using the praise of the inmates to draw this prison guard into God's presence! Do we serve an awesome God or what?! I never got a chance to talk to him that night, but what an awesome reminder that we never know who else is listening in as we minister to others at any given moment. I hope we can see him again when we go back next time! For those I got the chance to see on my visit to Winona last weekend, it was great to catch up with you again! It was such a special blessing for me to get to sing on the worship team with my Pleasant Valley family and to be able to share personal stories with you about what God has been doing through my role with Consumed Ministries. Here are some highlights from the past month! From Prison to Church Leader: Meet Christopher Jake and I have been going inside the Lino Lakes Men's Prison to do ministry inside throughout this past year. We always walk away from our ministry visits there being super encouraged by the desire of these men to transform their lives through Christ. Each visit is truly an amazing experience! I recently was part of leading worship at a church that has services specifically for people in recovery programs and for those who have been released from prisons. One of the people who was on the worship team I was a part of was this man, Christopher. Christopher was an inmate inside the Lino Lake's prison for 6 years and got involved in the ministry we partner with while he was there, called IFI (InnerChange Freedom Initiative as part of Prison Fellowship). Through this ministry, Christopher's life was completely transformed by the saving power of Jesus and when he was released, he started serving at this church in Minneapolis, helping others who have been released from prison to experience the power of Christ in their lives. This is why I LOVE prison ministry! It was so powerful for me to get to lead worship with someone who's gone through the ministry program that I'm currently involved with at the Lino Lakes prison and to now get to lead worship together on the outside. Praising God for His power to transform lives!! Financial Peace University "What would happen to the Kingdom of God if the people of God were out of debt? How much of this world could we as believers change?" When Jake and I were engaged, we took Dave Ramsey's financial course called, Financial Peace University. This course, which is based on Biblical principles for handling money, really helped us learn how to manage money, pay off our debts, better communicate with each other so that we could be on the same page when it came to finances in our marriage, and ultimately taught us how to be good stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us so that we can give back to the work of God's Kingdom. And now, Jake and I have been facilitating our own class, hosting it at our apartment each Wednesday night. We are loving getting to watch the change that's taking place in the people who are part of this 9-week course! To see a video preview of what this involves, click here. On a personal note... 10 years ago on this past Sept. 27, I was at InterVarsity's fall retreat as a freshman in college. It was at this retreat that I surrendered my life to God's control and started following Jesus. My life hasn't been the same since! Before having a relationship with Christ, I was a "happy" person, but I still always carried with me a feeling of emptiness and loneliness deep down. I realized that was because I was looking to things that only gave me temporary fulfillment to fill this empty void like: seeking people's approval, getting good grades in school, maintaining a good reputation, seeking recognition for my accomplishments and letting myself be defined by what I had achieved in life. I craved these things- they defined me. But 10 years ago, I discovered the one thing that can replace this void with permanent JOY, and that was beginning my relationship with Jesus as my Lord and Savior and now living a full life in Christ. I wrote a song a few years ago, that puts my story to music. It's called "Identity". Hope you enjoy taking a listen! Song: "Identity" I want to start by saying THANK YOU to you all for your continued support and investment into God's kingdom through my ministry with Consumed. This update will feature how music ministry is playing a role inside prisons as well as provide opportunities for you to be involved as well! Waseca Federal Women's Prison At the end of July, I had the privilege of going back to Waseca to celebrate with 60 inmates who graduated from their 12-step Christ-centered recovery program called Celebrate Recovery. Our time together included getting to lead the girls in worship through music, hearing 2 of the inmates share their testimonies, a praise dance by 3 of the inmates, and get this--the WARDEN came to join the graduation ceremony and even shared a message of hope and encouragement with the women! This was the first time she (the Warden) has joined a graduation ceremony since I've been going. So awesome to see this ministry gaining the attention of the leadership staff at the prison and for them to see Christ's power to change so many lives through this ministry! Shakopee State Women's Prison When I moved to the Twin Cities last summer, I began praying for opportunities to go inside more prisons in the metro area. I was loving my continued experiences of ministering to the women in the Waseca Prison and wanted to start expanding beyond that location. I met someone who had been going there on a regular basis, also doing music ministry with his worship team. He invited me to go and play keyboard/sing and we've continued to partner together at this prison ever since, as well as the Lino Lakes Men's Prison. We went in early August and hosted a worship time here with about 200 women and I'll be returning again in November. Another group of women I'm excited to continue to build relationships with! Lino Lakes State Men's Prison On Friday night, Jake and I returned to the Lino Lakes Men's Prison. I got to be a part of leading worship and Jake shared his testimony with these 200 men. It was so awesome for us to share this experience together! The reoccurring theme that kept coming up throughout the night was the word "Freedom". Each one of us who shared from up front talked about how FREE we've observed prisoners to be (ironic, right?!), who come together in worship. And how they might be inside prison walls, but they are FREE men. "Hallelujahs!" and "Amens!" filled the room in agreement. A highlight of the night was hearing 200 men sing "was blind but now I SEE" at the top of their lungs while singing Amazing Grace a capella. Few things are sweeter to my ear than hearing a chorus of men worshiping their Creator together. And I got to experience it inside of a prison! Jesus said in Luke 4:18, "He has sent me to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed FREE." Praising God that I got to see this Scripture come to life in the most surreal way!! How You Can Get Involved:
Coming with me on a prison visit: If you would like the opportunity to observe and be part of a worship experience inside, or would be willing to share your testimony with the inmates, please let me know. Upcoming dates are: Friday, Oct. 18: Lino Lakes, 5:45-8:00pm. Monday, Nov. 18: Shakopee, 5:30-9:00pm. Mentoring: Studies are showing that mentoring is greatly reducing the rate of return to prison. All 3 of these prisons are looking for people to mentor the inmates either as a pen pal or in a one-on-one setting. This is a great opportunity to be part of someone's complete rehabilitation and recovery. This would be a monthly commitment for one year, must be 21 or older, orientation training required. Giving: Consumed Ministires is a 501-c3 organization and all donations are tax-deductible. If you would like to give a financial gift to support my work with Consumed Ministries you can: 1) Give online at http://consumedministries.com/giving 2) Write a check to Consumed Ministries and mail to: Consumed Ministries PO Box 20214 Bloomington, MN 55420 Thanks for reading and for your investment in the Kingdom of God through Consumed Ministries! |
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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