Photo by Jake Lee GreenLeft to Right: Ariane and Garrett Madden, Jeremiah Maxwell. Not pictured is Wendy Maxwell.Photo by Jake Lee GreenPhoto by Jake Lee Green

By Jake Lee GreenKern Valley Sun

Celebrate Recovery is celebrating its new home at a newly established church, by the name of The Ark, which is hosting the support group along with several other programs under the wing of K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. Ministries. K.N.U.C.K.L.E. U.P. is an acronym for Know him, Need his mercy, Utilize his power, Care for his people, Keep his word, Lose yourself, Engage in spiritual warfare, Unveil the enemy, Pursue his kingdom. It is a Christian assembly of community members dedicated to bringing awareness and support to folks in the valley who are in search of a spiritual relationship between themselves and God. The Ark found its home at 3711 Golden Spur Avenue in Lake Isabella.

Pastor Jeremiah Maxwell says he is delighted to have had such a positive and communally supportive response from local churches and members of other congregations. Maxwell states that the community helped chip in a good amount of work to make the place really shine for its opening day. Maxwell says a lot of the inspiration for the name of the ministry came from a moment he had experienced with God that gave him the words to fill the acronym as a definition for his vision with the covenant. The name truly entices a bit of hardline rallying behind what Maxwell says is the basis of the ministerial goals, which is, to help the afflicted. The ministry sees itself as a gathering of spiritual warriors called to help spread the word of the Bible. The approach isnt necessarily new to the valley, but, it had been tabled for a couple of years until the feeling was right to provide a space for the ideologies contained within the ministry. The programs had been implemented at Faith Community before moving to The Ark.

Last Sunday marked the fourth week that The Ark has been open and youth numbers in the congregation have doubled within the course of a week, says Maxwell. Part of K.N.U.C.K.L.E U.P. is its youth services that coincide with Celebrate Recovery on Fridays at 6 p.m. Celebration Place is for children ages 0-12 and The Landing is for young adults between the ages of 13 to 18. Youth Celebration engages children in worship with material that is included in the primary worship services, but, is catered to the kiddos.

Pastor Garrett Madden says that approaching young adults in The Landing with spirituality is only part of the process. This youth pre-covery, as the ministry calls it, is meant to make available coping mechanisms for the youth to use in their daily lives and can even extend to kids recovering from these various issues in life as well. Madden emphasizes the quality of conversation that young adults should be having and how the program caters to those needs by teaching the participants how to build long-lasting healthy relationships with their peers.

The Welcome Home Initiative provides veterans coming out of the military with support to re-connect with society after their service.

Worship and service times are twice on Sundays to give folks in the community a chance to catch communion twice. Once at 10:30 a.m. and then again at 6 p.m. in the evening. Wednesday Night Bible Teaching is at 6 p.m.

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The Ark brings shelter to those in spiritual need - Kern Valley Sun