Prison-Fellowship-Annual-Report-Ibook.Pdf
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Together, We See the Need Is Great for the Redeeming Message of Jesus 2.3 million Americans are incarcerated and many of them left families behind. That’s a lot of people who need to experience the transforming power of the Gospel. OF WOMEN IN PRISON 75%arE parEnts 54%OF MOTHERS 57%OF FATHERS in state prisons reported never 1.7MILLION receiving a visit from their children CHilDREN have a mother Thanks to financial partners, volunteers, and or father serving TIME local churches across America, Prison Fellowship is helping to meet the spiritual, physical, and personal needs of prisoners and their families. • Prison Fellowship® carried out ministry in more than OF MEN IN PRISON 1,300 Prisons 65%arE parEnts • 213,745 prisoners applied for their children to receive Angel Tree® Christmas gifts APPROXIMATELY • 373,887 children of prisoners reached through Angel Tree Christmas • Over 7,700 churches participated in Angel Tree Christmas • 1,562 in-prison discipleship classes occurred • 64,265 inmates attended classes, presentations, 50%of children with and events incarcerated • 2,700 children attended Angel Tree camps • 72 in-prison evangelistic events were conducted parents are under by volunteers and local churches ten years of age • 292,000 Inside Journal® newspapers were distributed to inmates TOGETHER “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partner- ship in the gospel from the first day until now . .” Phil 1:3-5 PrisonErs FamiliES SUpportErs Inside prison, volunteers With the help of thousands Through the generosity and staff share the Gospel, of churches, we serve of partners and the disciple prisoners, and incarcerated parents and dedication of volunteers, mentor them to develop their families in the lives are changed, families the life skills, social skills, community — restoring are reunited, and God and parenting skills broken bonds and is glorified. With your needed for success when protecting prisoners’ help Prison Fellowship is released back into the children from falling prey reaching lost, imprisoned community. to the generational cycle souls by sharing the of crime. life-changing love of Jesus Christ. Prison Fellowship believes that no life is beyond the reach of God’s power. Through partnership with the local church and other nonprofit organizations, we work together to meet the spiritual, physical, and personal needs of prisoners and their families, with the ultimate goal of seeing them restored to Christ, their families and their communities. SpiritUal Sharing the transforming power of the Gospel with those impacted by crime and incarceration is at the heart of our mission. Working with our fellow Christians, we put the Gospel message into action and bring the hope of salvation behind bars. PHYsical Whether it is providing a simple Christmas gift to the child of a prisoner or affecting legislation on a state or federal level, we’re committed to providing practical, tangible help to both the incarcerated and their families. PErsonal Through the efforts of volunteers, mentors, local churches, and community leaders, we’re dedicated to providing support to help ex-prisoners successfully rejoin their families and communities. CHUrcHES WorlDVIEW CommUnitiES The church is an We are committed to With your support and essential partner for creating a movement of prayers, we seek to change Prison Fellowship. Grace, people to defend Christian the criminal justice system love, and compassion are truth in our society — to so that it reflects the freely given to prisoners learn and teach biblical principles of restorative and their families thanks worldview, which is critical justice found in the Bible. to members of the to reversing the downward As we succeed in our local church. spiral of our culture. efforts, healing occurs for victims, offenders, and communities. Together, We’re Continuing a Legacy of Kingdom Impact Greetings, Dear Friends, My first months at Prison Fellowship Ministries 35 years ago, none of us imagined that God would have been an absolute joy! What an honor it is build Prison Fellowship into an international to serve alongside so many dedicated followers movement with tens of thousands of Christian of Christ — like you — who are willing to be the volunteers serving worldwide — a movement hands and feet of Jesus. Together, we have seen that brings the light of Jesus Christ into some God move in mighty ways throughout every of the world’s darkest places. branch of Prison Fellowship. What started shortly after I left prison has become a The Church inside the walls of America’s prisons movement, and, for me, a passion — my life’s work. is growing in love and grace, justice systems are It has been an amazing 35 years. God has opened being restored, and needs are being met for the doors, prison cells, hearts, and minds in ways that families of prisoners through the Church outside only He could. the walls. This is all happening because of your dedication, your hard work, your prayers, and your I am so grateful to God for every volunteer, sacrificial giving. supporter, prayer partner, and member of the PF staff. I am overjoyed that He has called Jim Liske God has great things prepared for Prison Fellowship to serve as our CEO and Garland Hunt to serve Ministries during 2012 and beyond. I see the power as the president of Prison Fellowship. I have total and passion of Christ followers, like you, who are confidence in these strong and gifted leaders. working together with us to impact the lives of prisoners and their families with the grace, truth, I give thanks to God for all He has done through and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank us and all He will accomplish in the future. And I you for your service and dedication. am convinced that this movement of God’s people has only just begun. Blessings, In His Service, Jim Liske CEO Charles W. Colson Founder prisonfellowship.org : 1 TR ANSFORMING Generous and caring partners are investing resources and prayer into thousands of prisoners just like Reggie Holmes with the ultimate goal of seeing them transformed into new creations in Christ. Reggie is truly a living testament to God’s grace. Lives are redeemed and restored thanks to your efforts to serve the least of these. Did YOU KNow? 390,000 292,000 2,500 inmates attended Inside Journal PRisoNERS classes, newspapers were were given their own distributed in 2011 presentations & events bibles in 2011 PRisoN Fellowship® Together, We’re Seeing Lives Changed “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Cor 5:17 Reggie Holmes — A New Man in Christ Reggie was the only child of a single mom living in a troublesome neighborhood in Richmond, VA. In fact, his mom wouldn’t let him off the front porch due to the frequent shootings and rampant drug trafficking that occurred around them. As a child, he remembers attending church with his mom and happily building electric train sets in his bedroom. Robert Crenshaw — Sharing Tragically, Reggie’s mom passed away just before his 16th birthday. God’s Plan for Life with Inmates After moving in with his aunt, he stopped attending church and In September 2010, Chuck Colson presented Robert Crenshaw with started hanging out with a bad crowd. As a result of a botched Prison Fellowship’s Shining Star robbery, Reggie was arrested, convicted, and sentenced. Award for his years of dedicated service. Robert happily spends over 1,500 hours per year as a volunteer “I was scared to go to jail. You see prison movies, and you think at the Carol Vance Unit in Texas. the same things are going to happen to you, too.” But, halfway “Prison Fellowship gave me an through his sentence, Reggie applied for the Prison Fellowship opportunity to step out with reentry program after encouragement from a fellow inmate. We’re Christ, reaching out to people that thankful for partners like you who have reached out to Reggie with nobody cares about. I see myself as laboring in the fields with Christ.” the Gospel through a program that would help him learn to apply We’re thankful for volunteers like Jesus Christ’s teachings to his entire life. “It felt really special to Robert who step out in faith to know that they wanted to help me,” says Reggie. “I had not felt make an impact upon the lives of inmates with the Gospel message. that way in a while.” In 2009, Reggie was introduced to his Prison Fellowship mentor, Stephan Hicks. Stephan was released from prison over a decade ago and had come to faith in Jesus Christ as a result of Christian cellmates. The two men met once a month and began to shape and pursue some post-imprisonment goals for Reggie. Stephan recalls his own release from prison, “No one greeted me. I didn’t know where I was going.” With that in mind, Stephan created a different experience for Reggie’s release. When Reggie walked out of prison, the parking lot had two carloads of relatives ready to How is Reggie doiNG Now? See the ResUlts of welcome him home. yoUR geNERosity. prisonfellowship.org : 3 PRisoN Fellowship® Since Reggie’s release, Stephan has remained close and always willing to provide assistance. He attended Reggie’s first meeting with his probation officer, attended Reggie’s baptism, and provided premarital counseling to Reggie and his fiancée Stacy. Reggie has also found a church home at the Tabernacle of Praise. After working up the courage to confess his past to the pastor, he found grace instead of judgment.