ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT


Jason and Melissa became involved at The Church at Cherrydale (now Christ Fellowship Cherrydale), where Jason served as a pastoral resident from 2014-2020.


During that residency, Jason completed a Master of Arts degree in Church Planting from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. The couple married in 2017 and began traveling to Chicago to visit churches and make connections in the city.


“On one trip in 2019, I felt a strong conviction from the Lord. Up until that point, I sensed I was just following Jason’s dream instead of allowing the Lord to give me a heart for Chicago,” Melissa said. “I prayed for the Lord to give me His heart for Chicago. A heart that wouldn’t change when it got hard, or cold, or dangerous. A heart that wasn’t dependent on Jason or circumstances. And He did.”


When the time came to make the move in 2020, the world was in chaos, but the Stuckeys had peace.


“The story of Esther came to mind. When she feared going before the king, Mordecai tells her, ‘It’s for such a time as this.’ She was to use her standing for God’s glory. To not fear,” Melissa said. “We’ve felt that same peace over the years. The Lord has provided assurance, new community, and grace along the way.”


Jason found a job working for a literacy company and continued to pursue his calling.


“The job I had was great, but I kept praying for opportunities to learn


about how pastors work in the city,” he said. “I just prayed once and told God I would trust him with the rest. Two weeks


“The Lord has provided assurance, new community, and grace along the way.”


later, I got a call from one of our pastors saying that SEND Relief was interested in a partnership and buying a 50,000-square-foot building for one of their 20 ministry centers in the United States and Puerto Rico. He said, ‘They asked us who could be the director, and we gave them your name.’”


“It was crazy,” Jason said. “I went from moving to Chicago and not knowing what I was going to do ministry-wise to helping pastors love and serve their neighborhoods more effectively. I literally just prayed, and the Lord gave.”


SEND Relief is the compassion ministry for the Southern Baptist Convention.


“Through working with refugees, and responding to natural disasters, there are just a lot of things SEND Relief spearheads and helps to fund. Internationally, they work with missionaries. But nationally, they work with church planters and pastors at ministry centers to give them tools for serving in various contexts,” Stuckey said.


SEND Relief has five main areas of focus: fighting human trafficking, responding to crises, caring for refugees, protecting children and families, and strengthening communities.


“Each of the ministry centers takes on one of those focus areas to equip those serving in ministry,” Stuckey said, noting that the Chicago Ministry Center focuses on strengthening communities. “We get to partner with police departments and organizations that fight human trafficking. We also work with an organization that reaches at-risk youth and pairs them with young professionals at local churches to disciple and mentor them.”


Through his time in Chicago and serving in ministry, Jason said he is thankful for the Lord’s provision.


“In high school, I thought the Lord wanted me to be spectacular for him to use me,” Jason said. “But the older I’ve gotten and the longer I’ve been in ministry, I’ve learned that the most spectacular thing you can do is be faithful to what the Lord has called you to.”


Melissa now works as a full-time wedding and lifestyle photographer, pursuing her passion both in the United States and internationally. The two have one daughter, Mila.


“There are so many people and cultures in the city,” Melissa said. “It’s a city full of people that need to be seen and invited in. We simply wanted to be faithful to see and love people well.”❚


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