Adventist prison ministry

[growingupinhim]

http://www.someonecares.org/

the directors are adventist. open to all Christians!

 

[smooze]

great........prison ministries is important. thanks for the link!

 

[Starr SDA Living Word]

God Bless and Happy Sabbath.

 

[happywiththelord]

Prison ministry is sooo important. I went through the program here at our local county jail, so i could be a jail minister. I took i think 6 weeks meeting for a couple hours every week, plus an extensive back ground check before they would allow you to become a jail minister. Touring the jail was so sad! I would have only been able to work with the women inmates however for security and safety reasons. What a perfect way to reach souls! They are just sitting there all day with nothing to do waiting for someone to come and talk to them. They want to see and hear you!

 

[SassySDA]

Prison ministry is sooo important. I went through the program here at our local county jail, so i could be a jail minister. I took i think 6 weeks meeting for a couple hours every week, plus an extensive back ground check before they would allow you to become a jail minister. Touring the jail was so sad! I would have only been able to work with the women inmates however for security and safety reasons. What a perfect way to reach souls! They are just sitting there all day with nothing to do waiting for someone to come and talk to them. They want to see and hear you!

You couldn't be more right about the importance of prison ministries.

I respect what you are doing there, Happy, a prison minister, WOW. I would like to expound on something though, if I may. You said you are only allowed to work with female prisoners due to safey issues.

I am female, and I worked with males for 11 years. You couldn't have gotten me to transfer to the woman's prison in my state for love nor money. They are worse, and more dangerous then the men even think of being. Simply because you are the same sex as they are, doesn't mean there are no safety issues, and I tell you this so that you stay 100% informed. You are a beautiful woman, and those women in there are not always picky about the "sex" of a partner. If you catch my drift. Just ALWAYS be careful. I'm sorry, but I became concerned because I got the feeling that the institution itself may have given the impression that because they are female prisoners they aren't as dangerous as the men. That couldn't be more wrong. Always stay alert.

May God richly bless you in this ministry, one that is so badly needed.

 

[happywiththelord]

Thanks for the concern sassy. I should have stated that i do not do it anymore. I let my creditals, that is what lets you into the jail, expire. I have not been able to renew it yet. I totally agree with you on the safety thing. The women are dangerous and i totally understand about the sex partner thing!! How sweet to say i am beautiful . That was very kind!! I made the comment about safety, only because that was the rule of the jail. men ministers could only go to the mens area, and the women ministers could only go to the womens area. But either side, is way dangerous! But God will protect!

 

[SassySDA]

Thanks for the concern sassy. I should have stated that i do not do it anymore. I let my creditals, that is what lets you into the jail, expire. I have not been able to renew it yet. I totally agree with you on the safety thing. The women are dangerous and i totally understand about the sex partner thing!! How sweet to say i am beautiful . That was very kind!! I made the comment about safety, only because that was the rule of the jail. men ministers could only go to the mens area, and the women ministers could only go to the womens area. But either side, is way dangerous! But God will protect![/QUOTE]

Amen Sista! God will protect. But what I bolded in red is exactly what I get upset about. The institution makes these rules that only men ministers can go to the men's side, and female to the women's side...as if they means you'll be safer, when it means NO SUCH THING.

With my experience behind me, I'm here to say, that if I were to become a prison minister...I would want the MALE side every time. While one has to ever be on the alert, I would definitely feel safer with the men.

 

[TrustAndObey]

I have to be really honest here and I say that I wouldn't be comfortable on either side. I'm serious, I've never been in a prison and I don't know what to expect (although prison ministry is something Austin and I both want to do so I'll soon find out I guess).

The point, though, is that it isn't about comfort and about what feels "safe". I know there are innocent people in jail, and I also know there are guilty ones that need some help knowing how much our Creator loves them.

I'll do whatever I can to help. It won't be easy at first, but nothing ever is.

 

[SassySDA]

I have to be really honest here and I say that I wouldn't be comfortable on either side. I'm serious, I've never been in a prison and I don't know what to expect (although prison ministry is something Austin and I both want to do so I'll soon find out I guess).

The point, though, is that it isn't about comfort and about what feels "safe". I know there are innocent people in jail, and I also know there are guilty ones that need some help knowing how much our Creator loves them.

I'll do whatever I can to help. It won't be easy at first, but nothing ever is.

Excellent way to put it, Lainie. Maybe I'm not stating my point well....sometimes the powers that be in prison facilities (mostly people who have NEVER walked a tier as a guard or any other employee on the front lines) give people wrong information/impressions. By telling Happy she couldn't work on the male side, simply because they were males, could have given her the mindset that "well, they said I wouldn't be safe with the males, and that's why they're putting me only with the females...SO I'LL BE SAFE".

One has to always be on alert inside of a prison, especially on tiers and in rooms with the convicted. Lainie, you know me well enough to know how I feel about those who are incarcerated. I want nothing more than for them to have God's word shared with them, and not just that, but human contact with the outside world, contact that will hopefully help them feel less useless, and a whole lot more hopeful.

All I meant to say is that no matter what their gender, and inmate can be dangerous. I just hate the way the administration handles certain things, that's all.

I think you and Austin would be FANTASTIC as prison ministers, I truly do. We have two at our church right now, and we have a portable baptismal that we take out for baptisms as well. This was something our church got permission for YEARS ago. If they tried it now, I have no doubt it would be denied. So we keep going, and we keep up with the baptismal agreement as well. We know that if we let it go, we'll never get permission again.

I've seen firsthand how much affect our prison ministries have...we recieve tithes, to this day, from prisoners that were baptized years ago, but transferred elsewhere. They consider our church home.

It's a ministry that is necessary, and that I, personally, would love to see expanded even more.

 

[TrustAndObey]

I know what you meant Sassy, but I was being honest when I said I won't feel safe on EITHER side no matter what the higher-ups say. I guess it's because it's so out of my comfort zone. However, the need is definitely there and my desire is too.

I just have to get past the first time and I'll be fine.

I think it's great what your church is doing (with the baptismals, etc)!

My son has challenged me to an arcade game. Uggghh, time to go do the best I can so he can make fun of me later...LOL!