About Unity
The Unity Christian Music Festival is the flagship event of Muskegon, Michigan based non-profit (501c3) Alive on the Lakeshore. In addition to Unity Christian Music Festival, Alive on the Lakeshore produces a number of other events across Michigan every year and operates the web site www.UnityChristianEvents.com
Each year the Unity Christian Music Festival partners with other Christian-based non-profits. This year’s partner ministries include:
- Bridge to Life
Don and Becky Smith
17194 VanWagoner Road
Spring Lake, MI 49456
Phone: 616-846-1051 ext 100
Email: bridge2life1@gmail.com - CranHill
Bri Knapp and Scott Barger
14444 17 Mile Road
Rodney, MI 49342
Phone: 231-796-7669
Email: bri@cranhillranch.com or scott@cranhillranch.com - First Priority of Muskegon
Jim Keck
PO Box 5314
North Muskegon MI 49445
Phone: 231-206-1990
Email: tmkeck1@juno.com - Fresh Coast Alliance
Candy Gibson
1128 Roberts Street
Muskegon, MI 49442
Phone: 231-286-1992
Email: candyg@freshcoastalliance.org - Grace Adventures
Ben Vander Kodde
2100 N. Ridge Road
Mears, MI 49436
Phone: 231-873-3662
Email: ben@graceadventures.org - Love INC of Muskegon County
Mike Miller
1051 Peck Street
Muskegon MI 49440
Phone: 231-873-3662
Email: mikem@loveincofmuskegon.com - Love n Grace
Debra Yonkers
2735 E Apple Avenue Suite C
Muskegon, MI 49442
Phone: 231-767-3403
Email: revdebrayonkers@gmail.com - Make a Difference Ministries
Dave and Carole Nordstrom
PO Box 5334
North Muskegon, MI 49445
Phone: 231-750-4307
Email: cjn560@aol.com or clmadhouse2000@aol.com - Muskegon Community Radio
Bill Erickson
PO Box 1511
Muskegon MI 49443
Phone: 231-563-6280
Email: irock@heyradio.com - Muskegon Pregnancy Services
Debbie Null
1775 Wells Ave
Muskegon MI 49442
Phone: 231-206-2471
Email: debbie@bestoptions.org - Muskegon Rescue Mission
Melissa Boughner
2735 E Apple Avenue Suite D
Muskegon MI 49442
Phone: 231-727-6090
Email: mboughner@muskegonmission.org - Reach the Forgotten Jail Ministries
Scott Hall
1480 Buchanan Avenue SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: 616-784-4620
Email: scotth@jailministry.org - The Hope Project
Sara Johnson
1516 Peck Street
Muskegon, MI 49441
Phone: 231-747-8555 ext 21
Email: sara@hopeprojectusa.org - Urban Family Ministries
Arlene De Young
543 Eastern Avenue SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-365-9009 ext 1001
Email: adeyoung@urbanfamilyministries.org - West Michigan Youth for Christ
Ian and Stacey Kennedy
PO Box 2678
Grand Rapids MI 49501
Phone: 616-477-9460
Email: ikennedy@wmyfc.org or skennedy@wmyfc.org - Western Michigan Adult & Teen Challenge
Shawna Illum
440 E. Pontaluna Road
Muskegon MI 49444
Phone: 231-798-7927
Email: shawna@wm-tc.com - Unity Christian Music Festival / Alive on the Lakeshore
Kevin Newton
1715 Peck Street
Muskegon, MI 49441
Phone: 231-224-6034
Email: kevin@unitychristianevents.com
Here is what our ministry partners are saying about their involvement with Unity Music Festival:
“I personally saw great value for the community in the Unity Music Festival concept which is why my wife and I both got deeply involved starting with the very first year. We work with teenagers who know very little to nothing about Christianity and most have no concept of what Christian music is. It’s fun to give them exposure to the styles of music they love but with positive messages and with positive role models performing the music. Plus we’ve seen a number of teens come to Christ thru Unity Music Festival’s ministry.
We also love getting the teens involved in serving at Unity with us. Working side by side with them and seeing how much they love serving has been awesome. The way they serve shows us that they are looking for a purpose for their life. We’ve made so many ministry connections thru Unity, some who have helped us and some that we were blessed to be able to help. Unity is a gold mine for contacts, connections and networking. At Unity 2016 I made a connection with a youth pastor from Uganda. He came and visited our youth ministry that we call M.A.D. HOUSE. He took the concept to Uganda and now runs a M.A.D. House of his own. We are providing him with some support and help and our kids and his kids are connecting on line. He signs his messages, ‘Mad House Uganda.’”
Dave Nordstrom, Director, Make a Difference Ministries (M.A.D. House)
“Unity Fest is by far the best way for us to gain exposure to the broader Christian public. Even though we have existed for almost 20 years, we have always been “under the radar” in the Grand Rapids area. Being at Unity gives us exposure to people and churches we would never have connected with. It also allows our Teen Leadership participants a chance to volunteer and experience life outside of the urban Grand Rapids area. Another bright spot is it allows the staff and volunteers to share their hearts with people and encourage others who are on a walk similar to theirs in ministry. ‘It can be very lonely in ministry sometimes and when you can sit and talk with others who understand, your hearts become connected and you both feel lifted and encouraged when you leave,’ stated one staff person who worked the UMF booth. Unity is an important part of our summer on many different levels from teen volunteers to exposure to new donors and volunteers!”
Noelle Gable, Program Director, Urban Family Ministries
