LifeSteward Ministries is committed to facilitating ministry growth & development to produce spiritually healthy ministries.
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- Founded:
- 1989
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Stephen JonesCreated about 6 months ago
StaffUpdated about 6 months ago
Stephen Jones~Overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of His Testimony~Champion of Life~Hero of Faith
My dear mentor, friend, brother and board chairman of LifeSteward Ministries, Stephen Jones left us this morning (June 27) to meet His maker face to face. The battle with cancer has been increasingly tough for the last several weeks and this morning Stephen died leaving this earthly home in great peace and great victory for he is now walking in the fullness of his promised and complete healing.
Oh, death has its sting…today we cry out with the grief and pain and perhaps disbelief and shock. A man of 44, a pastor in word and deed, a Kingdom Builder, a worshipper who we would all acknowledge as one who worships like David, a father like non other to 4 of the most precious children I have ever known, a husband and soul mate like no other to our dear Shannon. He taught us the TRUE meaning of worship of family and of fathering! Ultimately, deep in our hearts is the truth that we are but passing through this earthly place and we rejoice in the promise of eternal life for our brother and the reunion of eternity we will inherit! But, today we cry out as we live in the tension of reality we are called to live in here in this temporary home.
Stephen Jones, among many things, was a fighter and he fought valiantly for his life on this earth and his calling to make a difference all the days of his life. Even on Friday night before retiring he declared his healing and in whom he trusted to heal him. It was one year ago he was diagnosed with cancer in the nasal area and told after chemo and radiation life would return to him as he knew it. Since the prognosis during Living Waters week in March, Stephen championed and continued his path to healing. The first milestone poured out in leading worship and providing leadership to Living Waters 2009. Many testimonies were given of changed lives by this outpouring. One participant in particular declared her healing from childhood abuse when she experienced Stephen and Mary Kate dancing. Those of us there were changed by Stephen's personal sacrifice and demonstration of giving himself, serving and choosing joy and worship in the midst of a trial, that in which the participants did not know until the conclusion on Saturday. At our board meeting following our event that day, Stephen and Shannon called us to a new place with them in the journey. We chose to enter into the race in a new way...no longer on the sidelines but participating with him.
I spent the day with Stephen and Shannon and the kids 3 weeks ago today. I was able to sit next to him and hug him, love on him and laugh with him. Two weeks ago he joined us for a board conference call. He spoke very little, but when he spoke he had some words of great wisdom and encouragement in the “Unfolding Purpose” of LifeSteward Ministries. Stephen Jones has always been my greatest cheerleader and that of LifeSteward Ministries!!! I will never ever forget him commissioning each board member and Beth & I as official “Stewards of Life” as the board chairman! He marked our lives personally and corporately in a way that will remain forever changed, forever touched. HE IS A CHAMPION OF LIFE!
Stephen received excellent care at home, guidance and love from every aspect possible. His brother, co-laborer, and mentor Jim Price and Peggy loved and cared for them every step of the way speaking life and doing life. The community of faith has stood bravely, consistently and appropriately to declare and stand in agreement with Stephen and Shannon for his healing. We are reminded this day that Our Precious Heavenly Father gets to choose the manifestation and timing of healing that Stephen received in full on his day of salvation! As a community of faith that loves our brother and sister and family, we were faithful to speak life, believe in his healing and intercede and ultimately trust our heavenly Father. I have no doubt our Father and our precious brother, who is now completely walking in his healing and wholeness he was created for, would say, Well Done, Oh Good and Faithful Servants!
The loss on this side of eternity is great to our ministry, to each of us personally and to the community of faith in which Stephen Jones obediently poured out his life as a drink offering. We will chose to embrace this pain and the loss along with our Jones family, Price family, Heritage Fellowship Family, Living Waters Family, and others, knowing and rejoicing that we are but passing through and someday...someday...today not feeling soon enough, we to will go to meet the King of Glory and be reunited with our brother. We will have the biggest reunion and party that will last forever and ever! Amen and amen! Until then...we will live in this imperfect and temporary dwelling and choose to make our days count. Time is short here…we are but passing through…
Today…we lift up the immediate cry of the soul for the loss, so deep and so wide and are comforted ultimately by the only One who can comfort us. We will celebrate our own and the countless lives of many who were touched and transformed by this true HERO OF FAITH for it has not been in vain. My friends, this is legacy for all of us…grab hold…leave nothing on the table…for we each will choose to give the eternal deposits he made in us away ourselves and be radical, life changers for the Kingdom…so modeled by our brothers life! We choose to live on, taking the impact he made and will make, which significantly changed who we are in Christ and carry a sip of this Living Waters to others! This is legacy…this is what this hero of faith lived for. Oh, we all know our brother is smiling over this one and will cheer us on. In fact…can you hear him shouting…Come On Now!
We chose to be a comfort to each other and to our precious Shannon and the children as well as the broader community of faith at Heritage Fellowship. As our brother Jim said this morning on facebook…This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it…
And he overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of his testimony… ~Vicky
A fund will be set up to receive gifts for the STEPHEN JONES LIVING WATERS MEMORIAL FUND to continue the remarkable legacy Stephen poured into since it’s inception and every Living Water’s since, with the first Prayer Summit in 2000! His heart for worship and being in the Lord’s presence will continue on, impacting lives for all of eternity.
My dear mentor, friend, brother and board chairman of LifeSteward Ministries, Stephen Jones left us this morning (June 27) to meet His maker face to face. The battle with cancer has been increasingly tough for the last several weeks and this morning Stephen died leaving this earthly home in great peace and great victory for he is now walking in the fullness of his promised and complete healing.
Oh, death has its sting…today we cry out with the grief and pain and perhaps disbelief and shock. A man of 44, a pastor in word and deed, a Kingdom Builder, a worshipper who we would all acknowledge as one who worships like David, a father like non other to 4 of the most precious children I have ever known, a husband and soul mate like no other to our dear Shannon. He taught us the TRUE meaning of worship of family and of fathering! Ultimately, deep in our hearts is the truth that we are but passing through this earthly place and we rejoice in the promise of eternal life for our brother and the reunion of eternity we will inherit! But, today we cry out as we live in the tension of reality we are called to live in here in this temporary home.
Stephen Jones, among many things, was a fighter and he fought valiantly for his life on this earth and his calling to make a difference all the days of his life. Even on Friday night before retiring he declared his healing and in whom he trusted to heal him. It was one year ago he was diagnosed with cancer in the nasal area and told after chemo and radiation life would return to him as he knew it. Since the prognosis during Living Waters week in March, Stephen championed and continued his path to healing. The first milestone poured out in leading worship and providing leadership to Living Waters 2009. Many testimonies were given of changed lives by this outpouring. One participant in particular declared her healing from childhood abuse when she experienced Stephen and Mary Kate dancing. Those of us there were changed by Stephen's personal sacrifice and demonstration of giving himself, serving and choosing joy and worship in the midst of a trial, that in which the participants did not know until the conclusion on Saturday. At our board meeting following our event that day, Stephen and Shannon called us to a new place with them in the journey. We chose to enter into the race in a new way...no longer on the sidelines but participating with him.
I spent the day with Stephen and Shannon and the kids 3 weeks ago today. I was able to sit next to him and hug him, love on him and laugh with him. Two weeks ago he joined us for a board conference call. He spoke very little, but when he spoke he had some words of great wisdom and encouragement in the “Unfolding Purpose” of LifeSteward Ministries. Stephen Jones has always been my greatest cheerleader and that of LifeSteward Ministries!!! I will never ever forget him commissioning each board member and Beth & I as official “Stewards of Life” as the board chairman! He marked our lives personally and corporately in a way that will remain forever changed, forever touched. HE IS A CHAMPION OF LIFE!
Stephen received excellent care at home, guidance and love from every aspect possible. His brother, co-laborer, and mentor Jim Price and Peggy loved and cared for them every step of the way speaking life and doing life. The community of faith has stood bravely, consistently and appropriately to declare and stand in agreement with Stephen and Shannon for his healing. We are reminded this day that Our Precious Heavenly Father gets to choose the manifestation and timing of healing that Stephen received in full on his day of salvation! As a community of faith that loves our brother and sister and family, we were faithful to speak life, believe in his healing and intercede and ultimately trust our heavenly Father. I have no doubt our Father and our precious brother, who is now completely walking in his healing and wholeness he was created for, would say, Well Done, Oh Good and Faithful Servants!
The loss on this side of eternity is great to our ministry, to each of us personally and to the community of faith in which Stephen Jones obediently poured out his life as a drink offering. We will chose to embrace this pain and the loss along with our Jones family, Price family, Heritage Fellowship Family, Living Waters Family, and others, knowing and rejoicing that we are but passing through and someday...someday...today not feeling soon enough, we to will go to meet the King of Glory and be reunited with our brother. We will have the biggest reunion and party that will last forever and ever! Amen and amen! Until then...we will live in this imperfect and temporary dwelling and choose to make our days count. Time is short here…we are but passing through…
Today…we lift up the immediate cry of the soul for the loss, so deep and so wide and are comforted ultimately by the only One who can comfort us. We will celebrate our own and the countless lives of many who were touched and transformed by this true HERO OF FAITH for it has not been in vain. My friends, this is legacy for all of us…grab hold…leave nothing on the table…for we each will choose to give the eternal deposits he made in us away ourselves and be radical, life changers for the Kingdom…so modeled by our brothers life! We choose to live on, taking the impact he made and will make, which significantly changed who we are in Christ and carry a sip of this Living Waters to others! This is legacy…this is what this hero of faith lived for. Oh, we all know our brother is smiling over this one and will cheer us on. In fact…can you hear him shouting…Come On Now!
We chose to be a comfort to each other and to our precious Shannon and the children as well as the broader community of faith at Heritage Fellowship. As our brother Jim said this morning on facebook…This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it…
And he overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of his testimony… ~Vicky
A fund will be set up to receive gifts for the STEPHEN JONES LIVING WATERS MEMORIAL FUND to continue the remarkable legacy Stephen poured into since it’s inception and every Living Water’s since, with the first Prayer Summit in 2000! His heart for worship and being in the Lord’s presence will continue on, impacting lives for all of eternity.
The Jones Family
LifeSteward Ministries's Notes
Stephen JonesJul 9, 2009