Mark 4 includes a parable from Jesus about sowing seeds and where the seeds fall depends on whether the seeds take root and grow. Though Jesus was speaking about the spreading of the Gospel, the parable of the seeds is applicable to any kingdom-building activity.

Many people would consider 2020 about as barren as it gets. But, if we take a deeper look at the fields, we see that God planted a multitude of seeds that took root and grew despite the pandemic, its lockdowns, and other related restrictions. The pandemic caught us off guard but nothing surprises God and He knew this pandemic was going to happen eons ago.

What we also know is that God is connecting dots that we don’t see until He reveals them to us. Working in one part of the ministry field is on one hand to minister to the people there who need it but also to prepare us for the next step He has in mind for us.

As we all know many states went into some form of lockdown and that was particularly true for the prison system. As you would imagine, it is difficult to minister to the incarcerated when you are not allowed into the facility. While it was difficult, it was not impossible as later in 2020 we were allowed to go into the facility and continue our ministry.

Would you believe that in 2020 we had 92 baptisms? 69 of those baptized were first generation and 21 were second generation? Nothing is impossible for God!

Many years ago Tony shared with me what he had been praying for while he was incarcerated. Tony asked the Lord, “Lord, give me a dorm and I will make these men into godly men; men that honor You first in all that they do, men of integrity, men that their families respect, men that will make a difference in the community.” 

God planted that SEED in Tony’s heart, He gave him that vision long ago. 

What was put on Tony’s heart by God was a vision that the prison would have a special dorm area for men who are believers. As you would imagine, prison is not an encouraging, supportive, or life-affirming place for any Christian, particularly a new one.

The dorm inside the prison would be a place of refuge for those who want to continue their spiritual growth in a safe place surrounded by godly people and good influences. This is something that had been on Tony’s mind for years but the time for planting that seed would wait until after we had entered the prison as a ministry and broached that subject with people who shared the vision and could help make it happen. 

Conversations were had with the facility director of a Substance Abuse Program (SAP) in Louisville in 2019 about the possibility of a dorm inside of the prison that would serve as a place of spiritual growth. We had had a relationship with the SAP facility since 2018 so the director was well aware of who we are, what we are doing, and who we serve. Though the conversations were productive, the timing wasn’t right. But the seed remained.

Flash forward to last year. Back in May 2020 – during some of the most restrictive lockdown measures of the pandemic – God opened the door for us to go from serving one day a week inside the prison facility, to serving five days a week. It was a gradual progression and it happened one small step at a time as we adhered to the CDC compliances that the director required of us. We just kept serving inside the facility and offering help in any way we could (we watered that SEED). During this time, God gave us the opportunity to revisit the “prison dorm for believers” conversation with the director, and she asked us to put together a proposal to support the need for a dorm that she could present to her bosses.

Remember, not only must seeds be planted in fertile ground but need to be watered and nurtured. We saw an opportunity God had presented us with for the seed to grow and we took action.

By July 2020 Tony and I had crafted a proposal for the dorm God had put on Tony’s heart while he was still in prison. We presented the dorm proposal to the director of SAP. Our next step was to work with the Louisville Disciple-Making Movement (LDMM) leadership team to help us structure the 12 different discipleship training tools that support the 3Thirds Discipleship Training we do with the men and asked them to volunteer to train these men with us. These tools are credited to many sources and are used around the world, not just in the prison system.

However, the difference we wanted for our training with these men was that we wanted a 12- week program that would repeat 3 to 4 times a year so that every man from the facility that joins our group studies and becomes a leader would have the opportunity to receive all the pieces of training before being released regardless of when they entered our training. We needed it to be simple and not overwhelming for the men because they have SAP programming that supersedes what we are doing and these are requirements for SAP programming that we cannot interfere with.

In November 2020, we were granted permission for the dorm. We were given a dorm where up to 20 men who are in “leadership” – meaning they lead a table of 4 men and help train others to grow into leadership roles with our 3Thirds Discipleship Study at the facility – reside together to strengthen the habits they are learning, that all Christians need to develop, to grow spiritually. These are men who are doing the work and want a better life, a new life, when they get out of prison!! 

The men signed two contracts that we worked with the director to create to approve the men who would be moved into the dorm. Remember, everything we do goes through the approval of the director of the facility. They have strict guidelines they must follow and we fall under those rules. The facility helps prepare the men for release through their six-month programming they require the men to complete (SAP), we are not a requirement of the facility but a volunteer program that is offered to the men who would like to learn more about growing spiritually with God.

To help prepare the men spiritually for release, the dorm is a place for these men to “get out of the rain”. A place they can have quiet time with the Lord, study God’s Word, grow spiritually, support each other, pray for one another (and others), practice what they are learning in the Leadership Training we hold for them once a week, a place where they can use their downtime outside of their regular SAP programming to utilize the discipleship tools we teach them to better equip them to be soldiers in God’s army so they can fight off Satan’s attacks and wear the Armor of God.

We named the dorm… The Way… like in the Bible, “of the way”. 

The Dorm is in place to prepare the men for re-entry into society. Their successful re-entry into society is critically important not only for their spiritual growth but for them to make a meaningful, last reintegration into society. Tony and I prayed about taking the inside the prison dorm concept to the outside world and transform it into a residence that would nurture their spiritual growth while easing their transition into the “real world”. The residents would be comprised of the men in the prison dorm who apply and are successfully – not automatically – accepted to live on the property (Freedom Lake) after their release. The Dorm is… The Way to Freedom Lake.

The Dorm is Phase Two in ministering to the incarcerated, building upon Phase One which is going inside a prison facility with the 3Thirds Discipleship Study. The seed God planted in Tony’s heart while Tony was still in prison has taken root and is starting to grow. But that seed’s growth has a name – Freedom Lake.

Next Month… A new ministry is born. What is Freedom Lake? When did Freedom Lake come to mind? Where is Freedom Lake? How did the Freedom Lake property come available? All will be revealed in one massive God sighting. Join us again next month for an incredible story!

And one more thing before we go… in July 2020 Tony was ordained as a pastor. We know that God can change the trajectory of people’s lives, especially the incarcerated. There is no greater testimony than that of the life of Tony Cash who many considered irredeemable but God knew Tony was a man who God could use for his glory to serve and to minister to men who were like him – incarcerated and without hope. This is what makes Freedom Lake so impactful for those we serve once they are no longer behind bars.