Prison Ministry
Prison Ministry
The Prison Ministry provides biblical instruction to prison inmates through a partnership with Crossroads Prison Ministries. Individuals correspond with inmates who complete Bible courses and send them in the mail for feedback. Learn more about Crossroads at https://cpministries.org
Become a Mentor
If you are interested in becoming a Crossroads Mentor, visit the following link and select if you would like to fill out their physical or online mentor application: https://cpministries.org/mentor/become-a-mentor-home. If approved as a Crossroads Mentor, You will receive detailed Mentor Training Handbook to familiarize yourself with the Crossroads program, its goals, and procedures. As a mentor, you always remain anonymous.
The Process
Many mentors at Parkside Church have found this is a rewarding way to be involved in sharing the gospel with seekers and discipling young believers, in a non-threatening and effective way. Once your application has been approved, you'll be able to enter the rotation to review inmates' lessons:
1) Receive a lesson in the mail from Crossroads.
2) Review the lesson using the answer keys you will receive from Crossroads.
3) Write a one-page letter of encouragement to the student.
4) Mail the reviewed lesson and letter directly to the student.
5) Report the student's score to Crossroads online or by phone.
Recent Blog Posts More
-
Jack's Story: Finding Faith Behind Bars
By Paige Deur | July 1, 2024
Jack’s early life was fraught with neglect and emotional abuse. His parents were distant and dismissive, often prioritizing their free time over his well-being. As a child, video games became his primary companion, as he was rarely allowed to spend time with friends.
On his sixteenth birthday, his parents took him to McDonald’s. Instead of treating him to a celebratory meal, they left him there with a job application, demanding rent from his first paycheck.
Jack’s perception of family and faith, tainted by his upbringing, led to hardships and struggles as he became a husband and father. For years, he had been skeptical of Christianity, viewing it as restrictive and uninteresting.
-
Oct20
Crossroads Prison Ministries Table
Stop by the table outside the Venue on Sunday morning, October 20, to find out more about our partnership with Crossroads Prison Ministries, talk with ministry volunteers, and learn how you can get involved.
-
Am I Making a Difference?
By Douglas Cupery
Seated at a reentry ministry’s breakfast event, I glanced around at the faces of those in attendance, my mind racing with memories. I saw friends, chaplains, and mentors who had been involved since the beginning of the reentry ministry twenty years ago. As I listened to the speakers, it became clear that many of the challenges faced by formerly incarcerated people remain unchanged. The personal and systemic societal obstacles we addressed years ago stubbornly persist. I leaned over and asked a friend, “Have we made a difference?”
Many of the volunteer mentors at Crossroads have asked me the same question. It is an understandable question to ponder as we endeavor to live out our faith in a broken world. One might easily conclude that our world’s challenges are insurmountable. I’ve been in conversations where people ask, “Why bother trying? I am just going to live my life.”
