My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
If you’ve ever experienced someone coming to Christ for the very first time, it’s not something you soon forget. Such an awesome feeling of joy and excitement as you see a life changed for eternity. My wife and I just saw the movie “Jesus Revolution” in the theater over the weekend, and it was full of those moments. We highly recommend it.
The movie chronicled the start of the Jesus movement in 1970-71 out in California, then sweeping the nation. Historians record it as the greatest awakening in our county’s history. The movie centers on the Pastor of a small church full of people who all judged the Hippies for their behavior, until God brought one particular Hippie directly across the Pastor’s path. But this Hippie knew the Lord, and opened the Pastor’s eyes describing that whole generation as thirsty, searching for something in all the wrong places, and as sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:35-38)
The parallel to today’s culture was uncanny – many churches don’t understand millennials who mostly elect to avoid church and organized religion. Like the Hippies in the movie, they are thirsty and searching in the wrong places, like sheep without a shepherd. And yet we hear of revival happening at Asbury University in Kentucky.
It’s exciting to think of what God may be doing in our time. Many of us want to be a part of it, and maybe aren’t sure how. One thing is certain – we must hold fast to God’s Word and faithfully do what it says. And God’s Word tells us to take care of “the least of these”. Thank you all for your part in doing just that – through prayers and other forms of support. May God have His way with us all!
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Praise and Thanks from Chaplain Heinrich for:
- What God is doing at CCP…in the lives of staff and inmates.
- Increasing willingness of CCP Staff to share their personal and spiritual needs with the Chaplains.
- After more than 3 years of COVID-related restrictions, Permission was granted to counsel inmates in the chaplaincy offices.
- Several reports of inmates meeting for Bible study in their day rooms.
- The “unlimited” supply of Life Recovery Bibles by Prison Fellowship.
- God’s provision in the ministry’s needs by means of individuals, churches and others.
- Invitations for Chaplains to speak/report at churches.
Prayers from Onesimus Ministries:
- Pray for our Chaplains in Chester County prison – Heinrich and Rhonda – that God would bless them in so many ways to continue being a wonderful blessing to others.
- Pray that God would make a way to reopen Chester County Prison to ministry volunteers and religious gatherings.
- Pray for prison-related ministries to all be ready when God decides to move.
- Pray for continued progress within the prison for Chaplains Rhonda and Heinrich around face-to-face counselling for inmates, and that they would be able to have more personal interactions with them.
- Pray for those within the prison system suffering from physical or mental illness – may they experience a swift and complete recovery and healing.
- Pray for peace among the prison population and staff, and that more may come to experience God’s peace that surpasses all understanding.
- Pray for continuation and growth of aftercare programs among Chester County churches and other faith-based organizations. And pray for the men and women in those programs to build upon progress made in prison, and take positive steps toward wholeness and reintegration to society.
Want to know more about being a mentor, and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison? Drop us a note at info@onesimusministries.org.