March 3, 2018
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Turning Point Open Bible Church
11911 North Division Street
Spokane, Washington
Conference is free
Refreshments provided
We haven’t had a Prison Fellowship Volunteer Conference in Spokane for a while. This is your opportunity to learn about all the things Prison Fellowship does as well as learn about opportunities for you to get involved and ways your church can get involved in these rewarding ministries. The conference is free with refreshments provided so all you have to loose is a few hours of your Saturday.
This conference will have two breakout sessions:
Bringing Hope: Angle Tree
The children of prisoners find themselves suddenly alone. One or both parents are removed from the home and the family is fighting for survival. Churches participating in Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program are able to bring hope to these families and to establish redemptive relationships.
This workshop will explain the process and cast a vision for year-round ministry to prisoners’ children.
Let the Church be the Church
We all are eager to see incarcerated men and women reconciled to God. Yet even Christian prisoners often fail to successfully transition back to a life in society.
This workshop will focus on Prison Fellowship’s “Bridge Church” ministry. We will look at how returning citizens are making a huge difference in helping men and women live transformed lives.
If you can’t spend the whole morning with us, at least come for the opening session and a cup of coffee. The opening session will talk about the scope of the incarceration problem in the United States, the impact on our communities and workforce and various ways you can get involved. We will also have literature available for you to take home with you.
Don’t miss this opportunity.
]]>Acts519.org is a new web site designed to bring together the Christian based ministries I am working with. I am retired and have settled into the Spokane, WA, area. My ministry through Prison Fellowship extends well beyond the Spokane are into much of Washington State and parts of Idaho. I have one mentee in Pennsylvania.
The Holy Spirit has lead me to work with returning citizens released from prison to help them break free from the shackle of Second Prison that lead a large majority of them back to prison. The Christian community does a good job bringing the Good News to prison inmates, leading men and women to Christ, teaching the Word and encouraging these men and women to change their lives with the help of Christ our Lord.
Unfortunately, because of most Department of Corrections policies, the connections these men and women make with the church leaders who come into the prisons to minister to them are broken when they step through the prison gates back into their community. There is much work to be done to establish welcoming church communities to receive these men and women, mentor them and encourage them to help them achieve their goals of a meaningful, crime free life in Christ. Many of these returning citizens have never lived a Christian life before, never known what it is like to be responsible, hold a job, vote or be a part of a supportive community. Much of the healing necessary to change their lives occurs while they are incarcerated through the in prison ministries. It becomes the job of a nurturing, mentoring community of Christians to help them master the life skills necessary to succeed in their goals.
It is exciting to work with these men and women and watch the Holy Spirit restore families, realize their potentials and examine their potentials through Christ.
I'll use this blog to help keep you informed about what is going on in my area.