ministry to parolees

The leader of the church ministering to parolees reports the usual share of life's ups and downs. One parolee who attends the church lapsed back into drugs. One of the other members decided to help restore him by praying with him daily and managing his money for him. He has joined a "Celebrate Recovery" group at a local church.

Another parolee who has been estranged from his wife is focusing on rebuilding trust between them. He invited his wife to our Christmas dinner and has been meeting with his grown children to try to restore his relationship with them. His communication with his wife has since increased dramatically and has centered around their common relationship to Christ.

One of the greatest needs of parolees is transportation. If they have a car or truck their opportunities for work open up tremendously. Please pray for wisdom on how to help these brothers gain reliable transportation.

One of the leaders was recently incarcerated for a parole violation. Apparently there is a rule against parolees doing charity work without permission. As part of outreach to the homeless, this leader has been involved in charity work, distributing backpacks and food, but was doing so without obtaining clearance from his parole officer. Now he is in prison, although at this point the church is not aware that he has been charged with anything. Please pray for protection for this brother, that God would free him to minister in any circumstance, and that He would be released soon.

Second Anniversary!

ViaCordis celebrates its 2nd anniversary this month. At the first gathering, two women and two men met at a house in Pasadena, CA to share life, study the Bible, pray for others and discuss ways to love the communities in which they live. Before the first service they were cautioned by more experienced house church members to keep looking outward beyond themselves. They heeded this advice. Almost all who attend ViaCordis make community service a priority. Tonight eight will gather for Facilitator Orientation so that they can offer practical support to those wishing to improve life skills including parenting and anger management.