As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have been reflecting on this past year with regards to being part of Prison Fellowship and Onesimus Ministries. What a blessing it has been to me and I trust to those whom we minister and serve! First, I am so thankful that the Lord would look upon me in my helpless estate, dead in my sins and without hope or even the desire of hope and choose to save me. I need to pray this to myself everyday as I can get caught up in the day-to-day and take comfort in the gifts, neglecting the Giver. Praise to be God that I can call Him my God and my Heavenly Father, Jesus my King and my Friend and Holy Spirit as my Guide and my Comforter! Thank you Lord!
I am grateful to God for putting in me 19 years ago the desire to serve in Prison Ministry. I recall shortly after being saved a sense that God would call me to serve in a way that I was not expecting and not in my comfort zone. Little did I know the amazing adventure that awaited me. I do not rejoice over the sins that have led to incarceration for anyone, but I do rejoice that our Savior has not overlooked those that we can be tempted to overlook and ignore because it’s inconvenient for us. Praise Him for giving us hearts of flesh to show mercy to those who so desperately need it.
I am grateful for those that serve faithfully in this ministry every Monday evening. It was about this time last year that God led some men to serve in the second service which had been covered by the men of the first service. To my first service companions – Dan, Phil, Erwin, Rick, Andy – you were and continue to be a true blessing to me – thank you!! Thank you to Jose who leads worship in the 1st service for filling in for me at times. Welcome Jim! You are blessed to be with a great bunch of Godly men!
To the newer members, my second service peeps – Matt, Troy, Ryan, Bill – it has been wonderful watching you grow in this ministry and your love for the men. You have amazing gifts that you are using faithfully to serve the Lord. A special thank you to Rick, who attends both services faithfully, sends out the weekly prayer requests, this Newsletter and has been a great friend and counselor to me. Thank you, my brother!
Finally, to all who serve Onesimus in support of the Chaplains – Heinrich and Rhonda – another round of gratitude! To the Chaplains – what an amazing job you do! We hear your stories of God’s work behind the walls and we rejoice, sometimes we cry, but we give thanks in all circumstances!
To the Onesimus board – Vernon, Phil, Dan, Rick, Scott, Jose, Heinrich and Rhonda – another shout of gratitude and praise! God blessed us with an amazing dinner this year which helped us tremendously in supporting this Ministry. This has been long-winded, my apologies, but the more I write the more I’m aware of to be grateful for. Lord, thank you! Jesus, we look forward to celebrating your birth, the greatest gift to mankind. We look forward to what You will accomplish in the coming year. All praise, glory and honor to You!