For Jay and Donna Jones, it’s exciting to see people experience life changes and begin doing what God has called them to do.

And helping the less fortunate, or those suffering internal struggles, is a key element of the ministry of these Rhema Bible Training Center graduates who co-pastor Abundant Life Fellowship.

“I like working with people and seeing their lives change,” said Jay. “We have a lot of opportunities to work with single moms and people who are just having a hard time with life.”

Donna echoes his sentiments.

“God will use you to help others as you share your life stories about how God has helped you,” she said.

They don’t want to be considered “pew-sitters.”

“We help people not just with the words, but in actions,” Jay said. “We basically believe every person who is a Christian should be helping others, leading and giving them direction. It’s not enough just for them to have a good life, but [they should] equip others with the good life God desires them to have.”

Encouraging others, Donna added, is important because, “they’re an extension of the Church, an outreach.”

Abundant Life Fellowship has been at its new location on Cedar Avenue for about a year, after five years at the Plaza Shopping Center beside the Zoë Institute.

“Our church mission statement is to equip people to live the life God desires them to have,” Jay.

A scripture they emphasize is John 10:10.

“Jesus said, ‘I have come that they might have life and that they have it more abundantly,’” Jay quoted. “We believe God wants people to have a good life, and God’s a good God. He wants people to have good lives.”

They teach classes that give people the tools to help with their relationships, financial acumen, marriage, basic life skills – all based on scripture from the Bible and the teachings of Jesus.

“We encourage people to do the ministry God’s given them, to fulfill their ministry,” Jay said. “Some of our members have gone on to do other things in the community.”

Church member Rhonda Clemens leads the Zoë Institute, and another member, Zana Smith, heads the As One Women’s Ministry.

“God has a call on everyone’s life,” Jay said. “Zana helps empower women across town from many churches. Our goal is to get people into their [own] ministry.”

The church also provides stateside support for a local missionary to Peru, Norma Rice.

Jay graduated from Rhema’s three-year program in 1984, and Donna in 1985 from the one-year program.

Theirs is a family church. Jay’s sister, Cindy Duvall, is the secretary, and their son, Adam, is the pastor for student ministries – for junior high, senior high and college students.

Their other children are Russ Turner, who works with local cheer teams; Tracey Carlisle, a teacher in Vian who lives here and also works with the youth at the church; and Aaron, a sophomore at Tahlequah High School.

Jay was at Word of Life Church 14 years, after the Chouteau couple who started it, Angel and Rallene Almendarez, left in 1982. They are also Rhema graduates. Jay started as their minister of music. He was also on staff at Cornerstone for a couple of years.

Attending Northeastern State University brought Jay to Tahlequah in 1975, and he’s been here since. He completed a bachelor of business administration degree.

Donna is volunteer coordinator with Zoë Institute and Resource Center and Tahlequah Pregnancy Center. She owned Donna’s Flowers for 26 years and still helps out on holidays.

Zoë Institute oversees the benevolent efforts of their partners within the Cherokee County Christian Ministerial Alliance.

At the church, Donna works with the children’s and women’s ministries.

“We teach children at an early age to know God has a plan and a purpose for them and their lives,” she said. “We teach them to live God-centered lives.”

The women’s ministry is important in a variety of ways.

“Single moms recently divorced are devastated. They need help spiritually, mentally and physically,” Donna said. “And they can then turn around and help someone else. We develop mentoring relationships, not only to have a mentor, but to become a mentor.”

Abundant Life offers Sunday morning service and children’s classes at 10 a.m. and Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. with special youth services for junior and senior high ages. Dress is casual, like the atmosphere, Donna said. The music and worship are both is contemporary and traditional.

Life groups also meet weekly in homes of members. They’re formatted for diverse interests and needs: marriage enrichment, living the Christian life, college and career, younger men, older men, women.

“Life groups are believers getting together to share with one another and learn from other people’s life stories and successes through God, to share and pray with each other for their needs, and to develop a sense of community,” Jay said, “and to enrich lives with friendship and fellowship.”

The Joneses are looking to help people who are “life-challenged,” Jay said, and “who isn’t? We help them to understand God has a good plan for their lives and to be victorious through the challenges life brings. We live in a broken world.”

It’s exciting to challenge couples to go deeper in the Lord and have the Lord central to their marriage, Donna said.

“And we encourage singles to look to God first as their life partner, instead of trying to find another person to make them whole,” she said. “We’ve seen so many people going from person to person, trying to get fixed. God made us, and he’s the only one who can make us whole.”

As pastors, they share their own experiences.

“We’ve had all the same challenges everybody does, and we share our victory to help them get through what they’re going through,” Jay said. “We try to be very transparent, letting people know we’ve been where they are.”

During a recent home visit, Donna said it was so cool when a child came out and said, “I know you, you’re the church.”

“We’re all the church,” Jay said.

Donna added, “Once you step outside the church doors, you’re in the mission field.”

To listen to sermons online go to abundantlifetahlequah.com

Their future plans include more outreach and being more mission-minded, Donna said.

“We’ve been in this building a year and filled it up,” Jay said. “We’re looking to expand.”