Skip to Content
 
 
 

Minister Resources

Articles, Blogs, and News

hi

my name is kaitlyn i am 17 and i live in maine (everyone from out of state wonders wheres that-- its way up north in the eastern corner, more or less canada, but we don't speak french; no offence meant!). i am a happy-go-lucky girl who is in need of some friends right now. :( i live in a very large unfinished house with two parents, three dogs and a brother who comes and goes. i love to sing, talk, talk, and talk some more:) just ask my friends up here they no im comin from a mile away :) i also like to listen, chat, work, help out, bake sweets, eat sweets, read, play games, volunteer, and most of all i love being a friend. 

Read more

"Obama bad?": An UrbanMinistry.org Blogger's View on Our New President

Whether or not you like Obama, I stumbled upon this article by a great pastor, John Piper. In it, Piper is talking about Obama making Christ a minister of Condemnation. It is a fascinating arguement. Read-

Read more

Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

EXOFFENDER REENTRY RESOURCE  

Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

Excerpted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders, by Louis N. Jones, ConquestHouse, 2000, p. 60.  Used with permission.).

 

Careful and thorough planning is a necessary prerequisite to a successful after-care facility for ex-offenders.  Before starting up, the following questions should be considered:

 

1)    How many people will we serve?  How large should this center be?

 

2)    Can our budget handle the increased expense?  If not, how will we pay for it?

 

3)    What types of offenders shall we serve?

 

4)    Where should this center be located?

 

5)    Are there any zoning restrictions?  Are licenses required?

 

6)    Does the community support this center?

 

7)    Do we have outside resources available to handle areas we are not equipped to handle, such as medical needs?

 

8)    Can we locate a good Director for the center?

 

9)    What types of security should be in place?  How much supervision shall we employ?

 

10)Do we have good relationships with parole officers in the community?

 

11) What rules and regulations shall we adopt?

 

12)What are the penalties for violating rules and regulations?

 

13)What is the procedure for hearing grievances?

 

14)What should the typical resident’s schedule be?

 



Related Books
Meet Me at the Gate

Guide for Developing Housing for Ex-Offenders

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

The Real World of Restorative Justice Ministry: Today’s Inmates ARE Tomorrow’s Neighbors

Related Links
Koinonia House National Ministries

Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries

Transition of Prisoners, Inc.

Prison Fellowship


News
Conference Calendar
Forum
Find Others
Ask a Specialist
Read more

Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

 

Adapted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders by Louis N. Jones, Conquest House, 2000, pp. 9-22. Used with permission.

 

(NOTE:  For a detailed explanation of these steps, see Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders.)

 

 

1)              Pray for discernment about whether it is God’s will to enter this challenging type of ministry.

 

2)              Consult with your church’s leadership and ask for their support.

 

3)              Obtain the support of your congregation by providing Scripture addressing God’s attitude toward prisoners and addressing their fears and concerns.

 

4)              Determine the attitudes of the surrounding community and take steps to gain its support if necessary.

 

5)              Form a ministry team designed to meet the needs of the population of offenders you will serve.

 

6)              Visit and learn from established ministries to ex-offenders.

 

7)              Prepare to meet the immediate (e.g. food, housing, etc.) and secondary (e.g. job training, life skills instruction, etc.) needs of the ex-offender.

 

 



Related Books
Meet Me at the Gate

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

The Real World of Restorative Justice Ministry: Today’s Inmates ARE Tomorrow’s Neighbors

When Prisoners Return

Related Links
Koinonia House National Ministries

Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries

Transition of Prisoners, Inc.

Prison Fellowship


News
Conference Calendar
Forum
Find Others
Ask a Specialist

 

Read more

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

 
      RECOMMENDED BOOKS  

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

By Louis N. Jones, Conquest Books, 2000

 

Purchase Now

 

Summary:

 

Although many churches and faith-based organizations minister to prisoners while they are behind bars, far fewer are equipped to assist ex-offenders with the difficult transition as they return to their communities and families.  The staff of Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries has drawn upon its own experiences in working among ex-offenders to create this practical manual. It aims both to increase the church’s awareness of the need to minister to this population and provide churches with the information necessary to start an effective post-prison ministry.

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

This manual provides practical, Biblically-based advice for starting either a church-based or separate faith-based ministry aimed at helping ex-offenders face the many obstacles they will encounter after spending time in prison.  It provides guidance on issues ranging from what it looks like to express godly love to ex-offenders to information about the legal and organizational structure of a post-prison ministry.  It is an invaluable tool to equip Christians to engage in the vital work of restoring not only the lives but also the hearts of ex-offenders.

 

Related Books
The Real World of Restorative Justice Ministry: Today’s Inmates ARE Tomorrow’s Neighbors

Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

When Prisoners Return

Related Links
Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries

Transition of Prisoners, Inc.

Prison Fellowship


News
Conference Calendar
Forum
Find Others
Ask a Specialist

 

Read more

Straight Ahead Ministries

 

      RELATED LINK - DETAIL

Straight Ahead Ministries

 

Visit this Site

 

Summary:

 

Straight Ahead Ministries desires to equip Christians to minister to juvenile offenders in order that every juvenile offender might hear and be able to respond to the Gospel.  Toward this end, Straight Ahead works to ensure that every juvenile institution is opened to ministry; every juvenile offender has the chance to hear the Gospel; every Christian called to this ministry is trained; and every juvenile offender who believes in Christ has the opportunity to be discipled.  Straight Ahead offers free articles, newsletters, and e-newsletters to visitors on their site, and they also have available for purchase a variety of books on such topics as:

 

  • devotionals for youth,
  • ministering to at-risk youth,
  • help for parents of rebellious teens,
  • youth assessment, and
  • exhortation for teens to minister to peers. 

 

The Xtreme Walk Series Discipleship Booklets are especially helpful as they are useable for almost any teenager – they are written on a 3rd grade reading level and  assume no prior knowledge of the Bible.  Books 1-4 in the series are available in Spanish.  These booklets are distributed as the teenager completes them; he or she must send in a completion form to receive the next booklet and is thus accountable for having read each book. The ministry also provides an aftercare home for juvenile offenders who are released. 

 

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

 

Straight Ahead Ministries explains their uniqueness with these characteristics of their organization: Christ-centered, local church-connected, prayer-dependent, relationally-focused, and volunteer-driven.



Related Books
A Fresh Start: A 30-Day Follow-Through on Your Commitment to Christ

Youth Ministry in City Churches: Proven tips from over 40 youth ministry veterans

Orientation to Juvenile Justice Ministry with Teaching Guidelines

Doing Time with God: Daily Readings from Kids in Lockup

Working Ahead

Related Links
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention


News
Conference Calendar
Forum
Find Others
Ask a Specialist

Read more

Volunteer Opportunities: Minister

Postal Code