Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Twiggs.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jeff. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Washington, DC and had a very stable home life with loving parents who have been married over 50 years. Although I was blessed with the outward stability, I was inwardly restless and struggled to find who I really was and lacked vision. As a result, I turned to drinking, womanizing, partying and smoking for many of my younger years. At one point in college, one of my closest friends was murdered at a party that I left early and I began to realize that God spared my life and had a greater plan. Finally, I gave my life to Jesus Christ at age 25 (1998) and my heart was changed forever. From 2000 to 2012, God used me to pour into the lives of the youth and young adults at various ministries in Washington DC and in Atlanta, GA and many of them were struggling with the same issues God delivered me from! I began my preaching ministry in 2003 and met my amazing wife Teraza Twiggs in Atlanta in 2011.
As we were married in 2012 after both being previously divorced, God called us to start a recovery ministry called “The Landing” for troubled youth. We saw many of the young people and their families’ lives changed. In 2013, God called us to plant Freedom Movement Church, an inter-generational church called to lead people to an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ and to equip and empower them to walk fully in God’s purpose, power and plan for their lives. We believe that God will set people free and empower people to purpose by the truth of His Word and by the Power of His Holy Spirit. We are called to spread the gospel to the world through local and global outreach as well as help marriages, families, and all people walk healthy and whole. Teraza and I are blessed with three amazing children, Heaven (16), Jeffrey II (13) and Kristen (12) and a thriving ministry that God is using to transform lives. God is faithful!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We have faced many, many challenges along the way, but God has been faithful to help us overcome them all. In our second year of ministry, we signed a lease on the first building we were renting, only to find out that the owners of the building were facing foreclosure. One of the reps from the bank happened to be a member of the church that helped us plant our ministry and he recognized us! Not only were we allowed to stay in the building for another three months, but the owners of the building donated over $100,000 worth of furniture to us before the foreclosure! We were eventually blessed with a new building and plenty of furniture for it. Look at God!
In our second building, we had quite a few young families join the ministry and we quickly ran out of space for our children. We prayed and the Lord blessed us with a much bigger space at a lesser cost! We have seen God work out so many impossible situations with our members and are so grateful for His hand on our life and ministry.
The Lord is continuing to send great families and we have outgrown our current space! We are believing God to provide once again the space needed to effectively serve His people and community as we as fulfill the vision He has set before us.
Please tell us about Freedom Movement Church.
Freedom Movement Church is a spirit-filled, non-denominational church that spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people and generations with unconditional love. The Word of God is preached boldly and passionately in a manner that teaches the truths of the Bible in a way that the listeners can authentically apply to their lives. Our vision statement is: We exist to lead all people to an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ and to fully equip them to walk in God’s purpose power and plan for their lives.
Freedom Movement Church is a disciple-making church that walks in loving and healthy community. The Den is a ministry that meets as a way to grow in maturity in our relationship with God together with our brothers and sisters. We meet in community groups (for all ages from middle school to seniors) where we receive, process, and apply the Sunday morning message to our lives. We also learn foundational biblical principles and help each other grow with accountability to the next level of our walk with God.
We also specialize in building healthy marriages and families through Marriage Movement, a ministry designed to connect married couples and assist in building and working through issues of marriage in a transparent and authentic way, We have fun with competitive and creative games as well as teach marriage from a biblical perspective. Marriage Movement is designed to empower marriages in both healthy and struggling phases. We do life together and push each other to become better spouses for God’s glory!
We are committed to share the gospel outside of the four walls of our church through outreach. Whether God calls us to feed the homeless, donate to people in need or pray and be a witness for our neighbors and co-workers, we are available to share the love of God through our words and lifestyle.
We strongly believe in pouring into our youth of all ages. Our Children and Youth Ministry trains up our babies and young children as well as speaks life into our middle and high school children. They get a Word that speaks relevantly to where they are. We are excited as God grows and launches a powerful youth ministry that grows and shapes the lives of many teens.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We were blessed to have many great mentors along the way. Pastor Crawford Loritts was instrumental in preparing me to pastor with integrity and character as well as teaching and preaching with excellence. Fellowship Bible Church assisted us greatly in fulfilling the vision God had for us as they implemented a Church Planting Residency Program that equipped us to launch. Special thanks to Pastor Tim Beard for the great mentorship.
Our family and friends provided unwavering support throughout this journey and their prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated. Our Freedom Movement Church family is amazing and we are grateful for such faithful leaders and members who serve consistently with such a heart for God.
I am so thankful for my incredible wife Teraza! We are in the trenches of ministry together as she serves as our Executive Director. She is such a blessing and pours into the lives of so many. I am grateful to have her as my love, my best friend and ministry partner.
Contact Info:
- Address: Freedom Movement Church
1148 JVL Ct.
Marietta GA 30066 - Website: www.freedommove.org
- Phone: 6789609587
- Email: freedommove@yahoo.com
- Instagram: freedommovementchurch
- Facebook: Freedom Movement Church
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