About Go Life Missions
Zakk Cumbess was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on May 15, 1972. One year later he and his family moved to Valdosta, Georgia. At the age of five years old, his parents were divorced and he and his mom moved to Jacksonville Beach, Florida. After the next several years of moving all over the state, Zakk had a strong desire to move back to Georgia and live with his father. At the age 13 years old, while living in Cocoa Beach, Florida, Zakk left to live with his father in South Georgia.
At the age of 24, Zakk made a commitment to surrender his life to Jesus Christ. This came after a few years of living the “party” lifestyle, and many lost relationships. In September of 1996, Zakk made the commitment that would forever begin a new life in Christ.
In 1998 and 1999 Zakk served as a youth minister in Lake Park, Georgia. Soon after, he started attending New Covenant Church in Valdosta, Georgia where he served under the youth pastor for 4 years. During that time, Zakk helped lead a mission trip to Romania in 2002. In 2003, Zakk had the privilege of leading another missions group back into Romania where they ministered at a camp for orphaned children. He served with Azalea City Prison Ministries in the Lowndes County Jail system for two years, where he would go into the jail system and minister the love of Jesus Christ to the prisoners, every Sunday morning. In 2005, Zakk became a staff pastor over the youth at New Covenant Church and was ordained under Christian Alliance of Ministries in 2007.
Since that time, he has organized and helped to lead many short term mission trips into Guatemala, the Amazon jungle of Peru, and into Haiti. As well as many local mission trips to food shelters, migrant farm communities, homeless shelters, juvenile detention centers, and more. Zakk also put together youth camps, ski trips, and conferences. The Elevation Youth Conference in Gatlinburg, TN, pulled together 8 different churches and over 200 youth from Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.
With a strong passion and desire for reaching the lost, making disciples, and networking believers and churches together, Zakk realized that he was called to be heavily involved in church planting and leadership training.
In 2012, while meeting with a few youth pastors in Jacksonville, a new chapter for Zakk’s life was beginning. As he was leaving the area, to head back to Valdosta, his heart was overcome with a divine love, passion, and desire for that area.
2014 was a year of a great move of faith for the Cumbess Family. An opportunity arose for them to move to Miami, Florida and help with a church plant that was taking place at Florida International University. This time in Miami served to be a great training ground for both Zakk and his wife Tiffany. They both served on the FIU campus for almost 2 years, making disciples, serving as team pastors, and raising up future leaders.
In early December 2015, Zakk knew that he had a “release” from The Lord to pursue the work that was put on his heart for Jacksonville. While walking through the right channels and seeking counsel from Pastors, Elders, friends, and family, the move began.
Family Matters
Zakk and Tiffany Cumbess met each other on February 15, 1998. They quickly became friends, which soon led to them realizing that they were meant to be together. On April 30, 2000, Zakk and Tiffany were married. After being told by a doctor, more than once, that they would never be able to have children, they kept on believing. While in Romania together on a mission trip in the Summer of 2003 Zakk and Tiffany started discussing the possibility of adoption. While praying together they told the Lord that whatever He wanted to do in their lives was fine with them. Shortly after the Romania trip, while at the doctor’s office, the doctor told Tiffany that situations had changed and it would be fine for them to have babies. In November of 2004, they had their first child, Isaiah. Another 3 years later, they had their second son, Samuel. And then, another two years later they became the proud parents of twin girls, Rachel and Rebekah.
Zakk and Tiffany live every day sharing with their 4 children the reality of a personal relationship with our heavenly Father. One of the main things they always teach their children is, “Whatever we do as a family we will always do because we prayed and heard the Lord tell us to do it.”
Some of Zakk’s favorite quotes;
“Always write your address in pencil.”
“The devil had a plot, God has a plan.”
“Follow The Leader, lead the follower.”
“Surround yourself with those on the same mission as you.”
“Every small act of obedience will result in a supernatural move of God in your life.”
“Your victory is in your “yes!”
“Compassion without action is just some kind thoughts!”
“If you are a child of God and have a pulse, your title is ‘missionary’!”