Our Story

Divine Appointments, Miracles, and Vision
1999 The Lord lays on Jim and Karen Michael’s heart the need to read a book called Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim, Cymbala. It’s message details corporate prayer in the church, and how desperately it is needed. Forever changed for the ordinary by the Lord placing in the Michael’s heart a passion for prayer they are divinely placed in the path of pastor after pastor whom they feel led to challenge to begin purposeful and passionate intercession in their own churches. Little did they know that God was preparing them for Stonegate Sabbatical Ministries.

September 2000 they find themselves in Brooklyn, New York celebrating a wedding anniversary and attending author Jim Cymbala’s church: The Brooklyn Tabernacle where they not only attend Sunday worship services but stay for the life changing Tuesday night prayer gathering. Again a never to be forgotten, life altering night ignites even a more intense flame of passion for the power of prayer.

Fast forward to May 2001 and a Smokey Mountain vacation where the Lord began putting His plan into action. They were introduced to a sabbatical ministry to pastors and their spouses. Invited back several weeks later for a weekend to seek divine guidance on future staff positions, the Lord places on Jim and Karen’s hearts, through prayer and scripture, a burning desire to minister to His ministers. Although God closed this door of ministry opportunity in October Jim and Karen now see His perfect plan in opening up a similar type of outreach on the lakeshore of West Michigan.

December 1, 2001
While reading through a Saturday paper in his home city of Grand Rapids, Michigan Jim sees a Lake Michigan property for sale that he senses would be the perfect spot for pastors to unwind physically and be refreshed spiritually. Though this location never does come to reality The Michael’s spend three years of personal refinement by fire to be presented to the body of Christ as gold.

They now await God’s clear leading on a facility not only to minister to pastors and their spouses but to engage in 24/7 prayer, praise, and worship. They know that He is Jehovah Jireh their provider and will fulfill all their needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus in Glory. They now wait in prayerful anticipation to see what God is going to do next.