Our ministry is helping the oppressed. Now, the oppressed we help put themselves under the oppression of prison life but the real oppression they were subjected to were the lies The Enemy told them that was instrumental in leading them down the path to make the poor decisions, bad choices they did.

Upon their being paroled, the oppression comes in the form of homelessness, poverty, and unemployment. This is an oppression all of us have the power to fight (and defeat) and it doesn’t take a lot to make a difference in these people’s lives.

One of the places we serve is at a halfway house. The financial support, prayer support, joining in, coming in, helping to disciple the men, coming into the facility with us, participating in the training, walking beside them as they come out, helping them to get established make a HUGE impact on these men.

Our volunteers sometimes buy groceries or clothes, a volunteer even bought a set of false teeth for a 44-year-old man who had no teeth in his mouth for 20 years!  That’s living an Isaiah led life while walking with the Lord.

Volunteers have come alongside us – sometimes just on Saturdays – and they are amazing at doing little things that become big deals to the men who we serve.  

One of our volunteers is Cheryl. Cheryl comes in just about every Saturday with us and brings cookies for the men while we bring milk. Together, Cheryl and I serve alongside Tony and the men who come to help him.

A couple from our church, Chuck and Debbie, recently started coming in to serve with us.

Chuck jumped right in and joined a table of four men to help assist them in the 3Thirds Discipleship Study.

Debbie jumped in and helped me set up and serve the snacks that night, and she helped in so many ways by doing whatever she saw needed to be done. Debbie also noticed the men lacked pen and paper and highlighters. She offered to get those supplies for them, and we added them to a gift basket that another volunteer, Lou, had put together with her group.

Each basket had a blanket and three pairs of socks and another volunteer came in and helped fill the baskets with soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, snacks, and more.

None of these volunteers did anything we would consider out of the ordinary but the men we served thinks it IS a big deal. You can watch the video edition of the newsletter above for more stories from the halfway house part of our ministry.

There are many different facets to get involved in and we want you to play a part. We’d like you to ponder how you’re going to get out of your seat and get into the movement of what God is doing in this ministry. And if it’s not our ministry you want to be part of, we encourage you to get involved in something to help make disciples as we are all called to do by Jesus. All ministries need help.

We’re asking you to get involved.

We’re asking you to pray and ask God how you can come alongside what God is doing with our ministry inside the prison system, and then step out further by walking with these men as they re-enter into society. Walk alongside them in an Isaiah-led way.

The Lord provides

“The Lord provides” communicates that all we’ll truly ever need comes from Him. It tells us that no matter the circumstances, no matter how dark the times are, God will always provide. Now, it may not be in the way we expect but He provides nonetheless.

As a caution, trusting that God will provide is not meant to lead anyone down a road a complacency but instead as a source of comfort; a release from fear, doubt, and worry. What we know is that you and I have the opportunity to be an instrument in the way God will provide what others have been praying for.

“But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 NLT

In the above video, we have discussed at length Kyle Idelman’s (Senior Pastor of our church at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky) sermon about gripping the plow. Scripture includes many verses on planting seeds, sowing and reaping, and harvesting. Though God truly is doing the work, we have a role within His work, His plan.

We expect God to move on our behalf when we are obedient to doing what He asks of us. We ARE serving God, we are “gripping the plow” and we ARE working in the Harvest – digging in deep working in the field – teaching folks about God and how to be disciples who make disciples.

However, God does not ask us to mindlessly grip the plow and put blinders on as we put on the horses pulling the plow. Rather, He gives us creativity and vision to build on what He has started that He would like us to continue as He directs us.

We’re using a lot of land and field metaphors for a reason. As you may recall from last month’s newsletter we have A Vision For The Future. This month we want to fill you in on some key details about what that vision entails beyond its stated objective.

As you may recall from last month we are already looking ahead to next October’s Harvest event and what God wants us to accomplish in 2020. Tony and I have a vision of having a new property and continuing to walk with the men outside of the prison system. We believe what God will do on this property will draw the attention of a great need in this country as we work toward reducing recidivism.

Reducing recidivism starts with what God is giving us the opportunity to do… to positively impact our community and raise up workers (the incarcerated) that will multiply the Kingdom, just like Paul did with Timothy… equipping them to be disciples who make disciples who make disciples.

We want to continue teaching them to be fishers of men outside of incarceration; and to be men of honor, men of integrity, and men their families can count on.

We want to prepare them to go into the free world fully equipped to handle what Satan throws their way by strengthening their faith and teaching them God’s way of living – SEEK HIM FIRST – and all this (the rest of what they want – getting a job, staying sober, getting back with their families) will be given to you

We want to provide an environment to grow spiritually first and foremost.

The new development – you should excuse the pun – in our efforts is that God has led us to property and He wants us to boldly ask people like you to come together to make what God is doing move greater. In order to acquire this property requires funding and we’re looking for Community Impact Sponsors to financially support this endeavor.

Now, a Community Impact Sponsor is not just businesses, philanthropists, and organizations, a sponsor can be an individual who just wants to help change lives.

We need MINISTRY PILLARS – Community Impact Sponsors who will come alongside us and be willing to donate $250, $500, or $1,000 per month.

Please understand all donations, no matter the size, matter but in our effort to acquire this property the GOAL is $10,000 a month in corporate giving. Having a solid foundation shows the financial health of our ministry to sustain us not only now but as we move forward with God’s work into the future. We encourage generous giving because God asks us to ASK and receive.

This vision isn’t about the two of us, it’s not because of us, and it doesn’t happen with the two of us. This endeavor happens when all of us commit – physically, financially, prayerfully – to this effort. We look forward to you being part of what God will lead us all through.

Also in the Mantra series, Pastor Idleman discusses people who will “empty the jar”. This comes from Luke 12:48 – “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

We need Community Impact Sponsors from every part of our community; supporters who are willing to give of their finances, who will “empty the jar” and step out in faith knowing and trusting that God is a great God who always provides.

God reminds us that giving of our finances shows our dependence on God to provide and not on ourselves. We need to be as compassionate as Jesus was and to be “extravagantly generous” to what God is calling us to as we “empty the jar”.

We need you to come alongside us as Jesus asks us to do, to “grip the plow”, and to “empty the jar” by being good stewards of what He has entrusted us with. We should all give generously of what God has given us: time, talent, and treasures. Can we count on you to grip the plow with us? Will you empty your jar?