The visit began in Baltimore, where church staff members hosted Desmond for breakfast. The morning was filled with deep conversation as the staff listened to Desmond share his aspirations, his dreams, and the moving story of his journey to Christ.

Desmond’s testimony centers on a “crisis of faith” he experienced nearly a year ago. During a period of intense spiritual dryness, he prayed for a sign of God’s presence. It was in that pivotal moment on his campus that he met Chrystal, an encounter that would eventually lead him to his current walk with God.

“It was very touching to hear his testimony,” shared one of the church staff members. “Hearing how he felt so dry and how God answered his prayer by bringing Chrystal into his life on campus was incredible. Listening to him made me realize once again the power of our living God, who truly works through all things.”

For Desmond, the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to step inside the physical walls of DC Bethel Church. While he is a regular participant in church life through online broadcasts, this visit allowed him to experience the sanctuary and community in person for the first time.

During his short stay, Desmond met with Pastor Michelle Mu, along with several other church leaders and members, strengthening the bonds between the DC-based congregation and its growing mission outposts.

As Desmond returns to his studies in North Carolina, the DC Bethel community is calling for continued prayer. Leaders are asking the congregation to support Desmond’s ongoing spiritual growth and to remain in prayer for the flourishing of the mission field in North Carolina.

Their production of Joshua brings one of the Bible’s most powerful stories to life in a breathtaking, immersive stage experience. The show follows Joshua’s journey as he leads the Israelites toward the Promised Land, capturing dramatic moments like the crossing of the Jordan River and the fall of Jericho. With massive three-story sets, cutting-edge visual effects, and a cast of nearly 60 performers, the production invites audiences to step into the story and witness a message of courage, obedience, and trusting God unfold on stage.

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Pastor Michelle delivered the sermon based on John 21, highlighting its significance as a later addition to the Gospel, written around A.D. 100 to address pressing issues in the early church. At that time, believers were facing challenges symbolized by “empty nets” and confusion about the end times. Through this passage, the message brought clarity-not only to the early church but also to Christians today.

The sermon emphasized that a church empowered by the resurrection, and believers who have encountered the risen Lord, are called to both mission and shepherding. With a right understanding of the end times, they are to faithfully “feed the Lord’s sheep” and carry out the Great Commission.

Throughout Easter retreat, many members experienced spiritual renewal and personal transformation. They would come to more deeply understand the Lord’s unconditional love, then they would love His sheep willingly and faithfully carry out the ministries entrusted to them.

Looking ahead, DC Bethel Church will continue to be empowered by the Holy Spirit and press forward toward Pentecost, and bear abundant fruit for the glory of God.

Without question, the amount of testimony and corroboration of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances is staggering,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “To put it into perspective, if you were to call each one of the witnesses to a court of law to be cross-examined for just fifteen minutes each, and you went around the clock without a break, it would take you from breakfast on Monday until dinner on Friday to hear them all. After listening to 129 straight hours of eyewitness testimony, who could possibly walk away unconvinced?”

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Easter Sunday Service: The Power of the Resurrection

The morning began at 9:00 AM at the AM Fellowship Center with an atmosphere of profound joy. Victoria, representing the DC Jubilee Ministry, guided the congregation’s hearts into a state of vibrant worship. Her leadership in praise served as a collective declaration of faith, aligning the diverse group of families and students in a single spirit of gratitude for the resurrected Lord.

Following a moving intercessory prayer led by D.C. member John, the congregation turned their attention to the “resurrection chapter” of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 15.

The message dove deeply into three core pillars of faith:

• The Historic Resurrection of Jesus: Confirming the physical, historical reality of Christ rising from the dead.
• The Resurrection of Believers: Understanding our shared hope and future in Him.
• The Resurrection of the Body: Meditating on the transformation of the corruptible into the incorruptible.

The study challenged participants to see how the entirety of the Christian faith “makes or breaks” on this single historic event. Members came to see the deep truth of why the resurrection matters-not just as a past event, but as the present power that secures eternal life.

A Tale of Two Campuses: The UNC Chapel Hill Tour

Building on the grace received during Saturday’s tour of Duke University, Sunday’s program included a guided tour of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

The tour was uniquely led by a registered AM member who is a current student at UNC. D.C. members expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity to see both prestigious campuses through the eyes of the students themselves. Walking through the UNC grounds provided a vivid visual of the mission field where the “vivid gospel” is being shared with the next generation of leaders.

The Great Commission and Departure

The retreat concluded with a hearty fellowship meal at a local restaurant. Over lunch, members shared testimonies of the “abundant grace” received over the three-day weekend at the Chapel Hill center, reflecting on the transition from the suffering of the Cross to the glory of the Resurrection.

As the families and members departed for their respective homes, they did so with the Great Commission deeply engraved in their hearts. Entrusted by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to go and make disciples of all nations, the participants left North Carolina not just as observers of a holiday, but as messengers of a living hope.

What he found forever changed his life and the lives of millions who read his book, The Case for Christ.

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Relive 25 years of the iconic Speechless album, which featured seven #1 radio hits including the title track “Speechless.” Experience the album played front to back in its entirety for the very first time—featuring favorites like “Dive,” “Be Still and Know,” “Fingerprints of God,” and more—along with additional hits and special surprises.

SCHEDULE (subject to change):
5:30pm – VIP doors open
5:45pm – Early Entry doors open
6:00pm – General Admission doors open
7:00pm – Show begins

Location

Cornerstone Chapel
650 Battlefield Parkway
Leesburg, VA 20175

Pricing

$45.91+

Seating is General Admission

Get Tickets

VIP and Early Entry tickets available

Prerequisite Attitudes: Humility and Secrecy

In his lecture, Mr. Michael emphasized that progress in a “constant prayer life” requires specific prerequisites. Drawing from Matthew 6:1-6, he identified two pillars of the prayerful life: humility and secrecy.

• Humility as Reality: Mr. Michael described prayer as a “humble admission that we need [God’s] help” and a realization that we are incapable of accomplishing anything on our own.
• The Model of Leadership: He challenged spiritual leaders to embody this humility by being “accessible, easy to approach,” and “the kind of spiritual leader who would wash the feet of their followers”.
• The Power of Secrecy: Rather than performing for “Oscars” or seeking public praise, believers were encouraged to seek the “secret place”. This privacy prevents the temptation of using “colorful phrases” or “dramatic tones” to impress others, creating instead an environment of internal peace.

“God likely doesn’t care about the display… there is no Oscar for best performance by a prayer leader”.

The Balance of Private and Corporate Prayer

Addressing the upcoming time of group intercession, Mr. Michael clarified that there is no conflict between private and corporate prayer. While the “vast majority” of a believer’s prayer life occurs alone-often totaling only 7 to 10 hours of group prayer per week-corporate prayer serves a vital purpose: it cures the “tunnel vision” of personal pride.

“Corporate prayer redirects us away from our own individual problems to a collective worship of God,” he noted, adding that much of this collective work happens through the powerful medium of corporate singing.

Transformation Against the Grain

The lecture took a counter-cultural turn as Mr. Michael discussed how prayer transforms the individual. Citing author Frederica Matthews Green, he warned that Christ does not transform believers into the “rugged individuals” or “macho” heroes admired by American culture. Instead, prayer molds people into those whom “our culture doesn’t even notice,” defined by vulnerability and selfless service rather than power and control.

A Community in Intercession

Following the lecture, the congregation entered the “secret place” together to pray for eight specific topics:

1. Repentance and Gratitude: Reaffirming the humility discussed in the lecture.
2. Leadership & Missions: For the Senior Pastor’s health and the Asia mission trip.
3. Education: For the school fund and campus development.
4. Local Church Growth: Covering missionary recruitment, Baltimore church insurance inspections, and renovations.
5. Media & Administration: Seeking breakthroughs in media and business administration.
6. Economic & Spiritual Health: Praying for business profit goals, cash flow, and the virtues of faith, patience, and love.
7. Campus Support: For teachers and general school development.
8. Physical Healing: Specific petitions for Pengfei, Nancy, and Yenyi.

“Why Would You Love Me?”

The evening concluded with a moving original poem by Brother Avery. Titled “Why Would You Love Me?”, the poem used the metaphor of a wayward bride to illustrate the unconditional grace of God. It served as a final reminder that God does not look for “worthiness” or “perfection,” but simply a willingness to be redeemed.

“Show up imperfect that I would be with you and mold you to perfection,” Brother Avery recited, echoing Mr. Michael’s earlier call to stand before God’s altar rather than the world’s stage.

Pursuing the Ultimate Prize

The sermon centered on Philippians 3:12-14, where the Apostle Paul speaks of forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead. Pastor Hu noted that while Paul never criticized the Philippian church-a community that supported him financially even during his house arrest-he used his own life as a testimony to show that knowing Christ is more precious than any worldly achievement.

“Everything Paul had as a Pharisee, he considered a waste just to gain Christ,” Pastor Hu stated. She compared the struggle of letting go of worldly desires to a child reluctant to give up candy until they are shown a much larger bag. “If we give up many things to follow Christ but don’t actually obtain Christ, life becomes painful. But when we realize what we have gained is eternal, everything else feels like a loss.”

A Call to Authentic Faith

Pastor Hu touched on the sacrifices made by the immigrant community, noting that many left their families and careers in Asia to seek a better life or deeper faith in the United States. She cautioned the congregation against losing their “initial heart” and becoming distracted by material status symbols like houses, cars, or visa statuses.

Reflecting on her own family, she shared a poignant moment of prayer for her children. “There is a Chinese saying that you bring nothing when you come into this world and nothing when you leave,” she said. “But there is one thing we can bring to the next life: our relationship with God. That is what we must pass down.”

“Try Your Best” vs. “Put Your Life on the Line”

In a memorable illustration, Pastor Hu recounted a story of a hunting dog chasing a wounded rabbit. The dog eventually gave up, telling the hunter he “tried his best.” The rabbit, however, escaped because he was “putting his life on the line.”

“Are we going to live a life of simply trying our best, or are we going to put our lives on the line for the Gospel?” she asked. She pointed to the example of the Senior Pastor and church leaders who fast and pray fervently before major church decisions as evidence of a life truly committed to the “upward call.”

A Community in Prayer

Following the sermon, the atmosphere shifted to one of collective intercession. The members of Bethel Presbyterian moved into a dedicated time of prayer, first addressing the church’s collective needs before praying for one another and personal requests.

According to the church’s prayer list for February 13, the congregation focused on several key areas:

• Spiritual Renewal: Repentance, gratitude, and a “Media Breakthrough” for the church’s outreach.
• Missions and Growth: Support for the Senior Pastor’s upcoming Asia mission trip and the recruitment of NC Missionaries.
• Local Projects: The Baltimore Church loan renewal, building renovations, and the 2026 Summer Pioneering Project.
• Education and Business: Development of the school fund, campus teachers, and achieving “Biz Profit Goals” through faith and patience.
• Healing: Specific prayers for the physical health of members, including the healing of Pengfei, Nancy, Yenyi, and the recovery of Baby Hudson.

The evening concluded with a shared commitment to “press on” toward the goal of Christ, leaving behind the distractions of the past to embrace the eternal prize.

While many students have returned to their hometowns for the break, a faithful number remain at the historically significant institution. It’s to these individuals that Brother Jermaine has prayerfully directed his evangelistic outreach. With intentionality and a heart full of the love of Christ, he can be seen walking the university grounds, engaging students in conversation, sharing Scripture, and fostering meaningful dialogues about Jesus Christ. His unwavering approach reflects a deep trust that God will prepare and open hearts in His perfect timing.

Brother Jermaine’s commitment echoes the apostle Paul’s timeless charge in 2 Timothy 4:2, which exhorts believers to “preach the word; be instant in season, out of season.” He views the quieter summer months not as an obstacle to his mission, but as a unique opportunity to connect with students on a more personal level. His motivation isn’t driven by large numbers, but by the intrinsic value he places on each individual soul.

As the Holy Spirit guides his steps, Brother Jermaine continues to sow seeds of truth and hope. He remains confident that, as promised in Scripture, God will ultimately grant the increase in due time. The campus community and broader spiritual network are encouraged to uphold Brother Jermaine in prayer as he continues his dedicated labor, serving with faith, boldness, and joy in the Gospel at Howard University.

Written by Jermaine Johnson