Hundreds join for steak, Christian fellowship

Super-sized steak and potato meals filled 375 Valley bellies before the men were “fed” by the Christian music of the 53:5 Band and preaching of Senior Pastor Jim Cecy, of Campus Bible Church in Fresno.

“Pastor came to me and said I think you should go into ministry. And I said to him … I don’t want to be paid to be good. I just want to be good-for-nothing,” Cecy said Monday to much laughter. “And I really was.”

Cecy, founder of Jaron Ministries, urged the sixth annual Men’s Steak Night crowd to create a influential legacy of godliness regardless of personal history. “I don’t care what you came out of. I don’t care if you’ve been in jail (or) you own a jail. I don’t care. What I care is what you’re going to do with your life from this day forward … You fulfill the purpose of God in your generation,” he said. Attendance at the outdoor gathering dropped from 515 in 2016 this year, said Geoff Tipton, head of Men’s Ministry at Grace Community Church, “largely due to a cold, very windy day.”

Several ministries took part in the Men’s Steak Night. Jerry King of Grace Community Church led the 53:5 Band, which takes its name from Isaiah 53:3. Members included Nick Tolmachoff, Dave Pinske of Madera Rescue Mission, Don Caballero of The Clay church in Merced and Taylor Beakes of Harvest church in Madera.