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.
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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!
A week ago, Jake and I had the awesome privilege of getting to go to the Waseca Women's Prison to be part of a special Christmas worship night. I got to lead us in singing Christmas songs as we celebrated Jesus, the greatest gift of all. I wanted to share with you what Jake wrote about our time there:
"Coming into that room, you couldn't help but feel the excitement and joy these women had. I quickly realized that these women were hungry to worship the Lord and it was contagious. To me, this was seeing the Holy Spirit at work and it was such an amazing time to hear over 100 women praising, worshiping, and emotionally meeting our one true God. This kind of experience fills your soul for knowing how much our God loves us." Year-End Giving Opportunity: Thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting my work with Consumed Ministries. I have had a blast getting to share the Gospel through music in places like prisons, coffee shops, MN Adult & Teen Challenge, churches, outreach events, and student conferences with the help of partners like YOU. There is a lot more work to be done in 2015. Would you prayerfully consider giving a year-end gift by December 31st? Your tax deductible gift of any size will help us continue to impact people's lives for Jesus Christ! You can click here to donate! October was an action-packed, fun-filled, adventurous month for Jake and me. From Fargo, ND to Dallas, TX to Alexandria & Waseca, MN-- it was a month filled with many memories and some wonderful ministry opportunities! Fargo with Friends Our adventures started out with a road trip to Fargo, ND where we got to spend some time with dear friends of ours, Robbie & Jenn Lukens. We always love getting to see these guys because of the ways we all sharpen each other in our faith and relate to journeying through the same stages of life together. Dallas, TX Thank you for those that prayed for Jake and I as we traveled to Dallas, TX to attend the Gateway Conference. It was a wonderful experience to attend a conference with Jake. Although we found we didn't agree in totality with the teachings at the conference, our beliefs in the Gospel are stronger now as a result. We were challenged to think critically about some aspects of truth that were presented and it was good to do that together with Jake. We also got to spend some time with my cousin and his wife, which was such a treat! Here we are all riding the trolley together. InterVarsity Conference in Alexandria, MN Next was a weekend conference in Alexandria for InterVarsity's Cross Training fall conference. I had the privilege of helping to lead worship for the weekend. Over 400 college students attended and several students made first-time decisions to follow Christ! Here are a couple videos from our times worshiping together at the main sessions: One of the students there led us in this Hmong song. It's called "Tswv Yexus Lub Npe", which means "The Lord Jesus' Name". Be sure to listen to her explanation of why the lyrics to this song are so significant, coming from the Hmong culture. Translation: Verse 1: The Lord Jesus' name is very good Chorus: Hallelujah, the Lord Jesus' name is very good Verse 2: Jesus has helped us defeat the enemy Verse 3: Jesus has defeated death This is one of the songs I led. Love hearing the voices at the end singing acapella.
Women's Prison in Waseca, MN And I just returned from a visit to the Women's Federal Prison in Waseca, MN, where I got to celebrate with 30 female inmates who graduated from their Christ-centered recovery program called, Celebrate Recovery. I had the joy of leading them in praise & worship at the ceremony. This graduation was such a milestone for these women and it was such an honor to be able to celebrate with them! I also got to personally deliver a special donation: 10 copies of the book, "Retold", written by my friend Sarah Stadler. It is such a treat when the prison receives a donation like this. Thank you to the person who purchased these 10 books to donate and thank you Sarah for writing! Many of you know of my past involvement with prison ministry. I've enjoyed sharing stories with you about my prison visits and am so thankful to have gotten to share the experience with those of you who have come along with me on these visits. I am excited to announce a new adventure in store, as God is leading me away from prison ministry for a short time (with the exception of continuing to be involved at the women's Waseca Prison) to pursue something new. Let me share what is in the works... At about the same time I found out that I may not be returning to the state prisons for awhile, the Christian organization called, "MN Adult and Teen Challenge" started to come on my radar. This is a Christ-centered program for teens and adults who struggle with life-controlling problems, such as addictions. Many of them have been in and out of jails and prisons. Upon learning this, I instantly felt a prompting to explore the organization further as to how I could get involved.
Jake and I have attended a couple events where some teens involved in this program have shared their faith testimonies. Many of them have come from broken homes and have been in trouble with the law, which is what has brought them to Teen Challenge. We've listened to many of them share about how they've tried several other rehab programs, but how Teen Challenge is the only one that has made a lasting impact and brought real change. This is because it's the only Christ-centered recovery program they've ever been in and it has made all the difference! Each person who has shared their testimony is so alive in their faith now- you can't help but leave inspired after hearing their stories! I have met with the staff and was accepted to become a regular volunteer at Adult & Teen Challenge, specifically to be involved in mentoring as well as working with people in the program who are musicians. I am excited about this opportunity, as it will be such an honor to be part of other people's journey of recovery in this way! Thank you for journeying with me through your prayers and support. They have been such an encouragement to me!! I am excited to keep you posted on the new adventures up ahead! 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. "I didn't know I had friends here until last weekend", said Carol (name changed), who was just released from suicide watch two days prior, to a room filled with her fellow inmates. Carol is one of four women who shared her testimony of coming to faith in Christ, due in large part to the ministry of Celebrate Recovery inside the Waseca Women's Prison. Carol explained how when she was released from her suicide watch, she was amazed at the number of women who cared for her, expressing their concern in asking how she was doing and telling her they were praying for her. It amazed her, she thought she was all alone.
For many years, Carol was living the good life. She served in the military, bought a home, and started her own law firm. But during this time, she got involved with using drugs and life began to crumble in her 30 years of drug use. Carol referenced 1 Cor. 10:12 in her testimony which says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!". In a short matter of time, Carol lost her dad to a car accident, her partner cheated on her, and because of her drug addiction she lost her home and her law firm. Her plans had collapsed. At one of the drug treatment centers she admitted herself into, she was told that "The only way to stay sober is God and helping others". This stuck with her and it wasn't until being brought to the Waseca Prison and becoming involved in Celebrate Recovery (CR) that she started to really apply this to her own life. Carol signed up for the CR class, which is a 12-Step Christ-Centered recovery program, and that's when she says her relationship with God began to change. "God filled the empty holes in my life and I felt peace for the first time in my life." Carol closed her story by expressing this to her 25 other fellow Celebrate Recovery graduates: "I don't know why all these things have happened. All I know is there is a God and He loves us". What faith. Such a blessing for me to be part of this CR graduation ceremony and celebrate with the women as we sang Christmas carols together, encouraged one another, and prayed together. Can't wait to go back! 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" |
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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