God’s Family: God’s power doing great things through ordinary people
God’s family at Christ Community Chapel is embarking on a great spiritual adventure with the upcoming launch of our new venue at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Detention Center in Highland Hills, Ohio. To date, 67 (and counting!) volunteers from CCC have signed up to step out of their comfort zones and help with this ministry. Could God be calling you to carry His Gospel to the facility’s 160 young men? Most volunteers are grouped into four teams, each of which will take turns one week a month to minister.
At a recent launch team meeting, CCC’s Duncan Othen, a veteran of 10 years’ ministry to incarcerated people, acknowledged that the volunteers may feel unease the first time they enter the facility and hear the doors slam behind them. Such concern is natural. However, Duncan encouraged the team to “be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 36:24) He also reminded the team, “there is no such thing as a ‘hopeless case’ in God’s sight.” Indeed, when believers walk by faith in the Spirit, all things are possible. Duncan assured his fellow CCC servants, “you never know what seeds have been planted” in a young man’s life when you bring the Gospel, the truth that sets the captives free. The volunteers are called to plant the seeds, and the Spirit of God makes them sprout and grow supernaturally.
Michael Ammirati of CCC’s Local Outreach team outlined the time line for the first phase of the ministry. This consists of bringing Christ into the center through excellence in a worship service. Since the Wednesday night services will compete with other potential uses of the residents’ free time, the music will be compelling and strong. On February 1, a four-hour training session for volunteers interested in participating in this ministry will take place with Chaplain Clark on the Hudson Campus from 5:30 to 9:30 (contact Michael Ammirati if interested in attending). On February 6th, there will be another team meeting, followed by the February 8th launch of the “Restoration Chapel Alive” worship service. The service will consist of live worship music and a sermon from Pastor Joe who will bring God's word to the men, and a time for small group interaction between the volunteers and the men who attend; Pastor Marshall Brandon will be hosting the first service. For the second phase of the ministry, Bible studies and skills training and one-on-one mentoring will be offered.
This ministry will be the first of its kind in a State Correctional Facility, in that CCC teams will bring worship equipment into the facility, and leave it set up. This will be a visible reminder that Christ Community Chapel has a vision to bring Christ to those who cannot go to a church. Our CCC leaders are praying that with time, the State will see a supernatural transformation in the detention center residents. The ultimate fulfillment of this vision would be for this ministry to be a template for detention centers State-wide.
God’s family at Christ Community Chapel has been called to be instruments of a “God-sized” miracle in Ohio. Please pray that God’s Spirit and power would move through our volunteers, who seek to love these young men as God does. Please also prayerfully consider whether God might be calling you to volunteer in this ministry.
It’s true. We are but earthen vessels, ordinary, weak and fragile in our humanity. However, when such vessels contain the all-surpassing power of God, we should expect God’s family to be part of something truly great!
To volunteer, or for more information, please contact
Michael.Ammirati@ccchapel.com or Barbara.Ammirati@ccchapel.com“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB
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