ONE LINERS ON PRISON MIINISTRY

FOR THE LEAST OF US
Challenging Churches and Restoring Families


...be doers of the Word, and not hearers only..." James 1:22

• One of our volunteers put it this way: “Jesus said if you visit a prisoner you visit Me. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out He really meant what He said!” How about you? (Mark Earley, CEO Prison Fellowship). 
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• Mayor Dennis Donahue, Salinas, CA, plans for cleaning up crime is three-fold: Strengthening families, increasing literacy, and providing for after school programs.
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• Hostility and prejudice toward the incarcerated are impediments to ministry. The criminal justice system is dominated by notions of retribution, vengeance, punishment and isolation. The core values of the Christian gospel--forgiveness, compassion, redemption, reconciliation, restorative justice--run counter to prevailing sentiments in the justice system. (Pastor Kenneth Carder, Duke University)
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• In Matthew 22:34-40, we see the Sadducees trying to trap Jesus with the question of what the most important commandment was in the law of Moses, which of course is to love the Lord your God. But then Jesus goes on to say that “…..the second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant... for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10)

• "There is crisis in the spiritual well being of the inmates," he continued. "If you can reach them with the word so they can see where they're at within the bounds of God, then prison becomes a more peaceful place. There's an awful lot of anger and denial brought into this place. Usually the anger is at others and at themselves. You try to point out in scripture the dangers of anger and try to get them to seek sharing their anger with the Lord because He can handle it. But if they don't know the Lord they don't know about that resource." (D. Winters, New Covenant Church, Ala)
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• After all, 80% or more of the 2 million prisoners now "doing time" will be leaving their prison cell within the next few years. After-care and job development loom as an area of prison ministry calling for the creative commitment of the Church. Model programs have developed in the Oklahoma Conference, Central Pennsylvania Conference, and some ecumenical and community center programs. Perhaps the most critical aspect of transition back into society as constructive citizens is the involvement of ex-offenders and their families in the full life of a local congregation. This is a challenge to each of our local congregations. (Marian Styles – McClintock)
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• Prison is a lonely life, both for the inmate and the loved ones who have to get along without him or her. It's a vicious cycle: Absent fathers and mothers create broken homes, and broken homes often lead to even more crime. So how can churches help? Former inmate Manny Mill encourages Christians to reach out to prisoners' families and offers practical suggestions for ministering to this forgotten segment of society. "I say to prisoners ... 'You have the power in Jesus Christ now to break the cycle of crime.'" - Manny Mill (President of Koinonia, a prison ministry)
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• Dr. Richard Kern, executive director of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Committee, described how Virginia has done away with its parole system. Their prisons had been loaded with non-violent offenders. These people are not simply turned loose after they have been found guilty. But instead of being sentenced to prison, many are sentenced to various types of work-release programs. Recidivism has been reduced to 49%
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• Most churches today live in fear of lack of resources, the "what ifs," and have forgotten that our primary call is to "give ourselves away." We're not here for ourselves. We're here to bring good news to the poor. So instead of having a servant "lose my life" mindset, we have a fortress mentality. "Build these walls, protect these walls, and don’t let anybody in." (Pastor Jimmy Dorrell, Mission Waco)

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth," (I John 3:18).



In His Service  Bill and Pam Ziering  26033 Mesa Drive, Carmel, CA93923  831-250-7921