Changing the current culture by developing disciples of Christ in today’s youth.
In the beginning, God commanded light to penetrate the darkness and throughout history, His light has never gone away. God later sent his only son to earth to show the way and make atonement for all sins. His last words before ascending to heaven were for all believers to “Go and make disciples”. Our vision is to change the culture by making disciples that make disciples.
Empowering teens to see the light in themselves, to be the light wherever they go, and to empower others to see and be the light as well.
We draw students in through a fun and relatable environment where we share the gospel with them.
We help students discover their God-given identity and purpose.
We teach the process of becoming a disciple and making other disciples.
We equip the students with the proper tools to live their entire lives as followers of Jesus.
We encourage students to go out and be the light, wherever they are planted, so others can see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven.
In January of 2022, God put it on Jon and Lori’s heart to move their family from Lansing, MI to the Newberry, MI area in the Upper Peninsula and begin a ministry for the youth. In the Spring of 2022, they were able to purchase a building and by August of 2022 they had made the move and settled in to renovating the building in the heart of downtown Newberry. On June 7, 2023, Illumin8 held its kickoff event and the Lord has been moving in the hearts of teens ever since.
Jon and Lori have participated in church planting in the Lansing area as well as pursued continuous growth by being involved in a structured leadership development organization for six years. Jon has owned his own business for 22 years and Lori served in the United States Air Force for six years. They now reside in Gould City, MI, just outside Newberry, with their three children.
