Newsletter Archives

Forty Days of Prayer 2008

It's already been a year since we had our 2007 Forty Days of Prayer campaign and it was a great success. Because prayer is so important to our ministry, we will be doing this again, and we also invite you to join us at Frederik Meijer Gardens for the "KICK-OFF" celebration at no cost.

When you review the Prayer Schedule, notice that these are not merely "Oh God, please help us" type prayers, these are prayers of praise, victory, favor, thankfulness, and expectation. The prayers of the righteous, and God has made us righteous through Christ's blood as His gift to us, are powerful and effective (James 5:16).

Some of you reading this newsletter know of God's faithfulness with more than 50 years experience, others have only recently discovered the power of God's Word. When Jesus was confronted by the devil, He quoted God's Word because it never fails. Because Jesus is our High Priest, we can approach God with absolute confidence.

In Luke 17 when the disciples asked to have their faith increased, Jesus responded by saying, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and cast into the sea,’ and it will obey you," (NIV).

It's not the amount of faith that matters most. It's being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don't see (Heb. 11:1). While the world's wisdom would have us talking "about" our mountains, Jesus instructed us to talk "to" our mountains so we can have victory. Let's celebrate the power of prayer and God's Word together.

The 2008 Forty Days of Prayer ended on June 26, 2008, but we intend to do this again next year and invite you to participate. Please feel free to review our Prayer Requests to pray for us at any time.

Taken from Spring/Summer Newsletter, May 2008

 

Live Long and Prosper

Congratulations! It is now scientifically proven that your statistical chances of living a long, healthy, prosperous, and fulfilled life are way above average. It's always interesting when secular science confirms the truth of the Bible, and this is yet another case to add to the list.

We know from the Bible that it is more blessed to give than to receive, that when we give, it will be given to us, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and, that whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Anyone who puts God's Word into practice will always find out it's true.

When you hear a book title called Why Good Things Happen To Good People, you might assume that it's a Christian book. It's not. Authors Stephen Post, Ph.D. and Jill Neimark demonstrate objective, scientific research that studied generous people, and the effects that unselfish love and generosity had on their lives.

The benefits of generosity include not only financial blessing as generous people tend to become very prosperous, there is now qualified evidence showing that they live longer, healthier, and happier lives, are very creative, loyal, have a sense of humor, and more. The best way to be sick, broke, and miserable is just be selfish.

It's important to note that generosity is not just about money. Those who give of their time by volunteering and helping others reap the same benefits. Those who volunteer a couple times a week are better off than those who vigorously exercise 4 times a week. Wow, prison ministry should make you live to 120!

Taken from Spring Newsletter, March 2008

 

Prison Was a Blessing    Testimony of Tyler, a former Alpha House resident

I was adopted when I was 1½ years old from Colombia. I was adopted by good Christian parents. I was in church every time the doors were open. I regularly attended Royal Rangers and other youth programs. I always knew that there was a God who created everything we see today, but I never had a personal relationship with Him.

When I was in sixth grade, I started to use drugs and alcohol. I started to rebel against everything my parents taught me. I started to work when I was 15 years old. I always had a good work ethic. But I spent my whole check on drugs and alcohol. I dropped out of high school in 10th grade so I could work more hours.

I started to get into trouble with the law and I was put on probation. I had to do drug testing twice a month. I still continued to use drugs. After a few failed drug tests, my probation officer sent me to Western Michigan Teen Challenge. I entered the program when I was 18 years old. I really didn't want to be there, but I figured it was a way to stay out of prison.

After a few months of adjustment, I started to pay attention to what the pastors were preaching on. Teen Challenge is a place where they accept drug abusers. They had chapel every day and two 1 hour classes a day about each book of the Bible. We had a regular work assignment every day for 5 hours. We also had two hours of study hall for the homework we received that day. We had exams at the end of the month.

When I graduated in August of 2002, I started to attend First Assembly of God and their youth programs. The first Sunday I attended, I met a guy that offered me a job at a bakery. I started work 5 days after I graduated. I was also blessed with a car from my parents. Life was going good for the next few months, until I got too prideful, and I started to drink again.

I soon stopped going to church, fellowshipping with people from church, reading the Bible, and praying to Jesus, the only mediator between God and man. I soon started to get into trouble with the law again. This continued for the next few years.

In April of 2005, I was driving a stolen truck and I got into an accident on the highway. I remember the tires grabbing the dirt, but when I came to, I was outside the truck. I was not injured. I knew I couldn't run, so I just waited till the police came. I was arrested for possession of a stolen truck. I felt kind of relieved.

That night in jail, I was thinking about my life and where I went wrong. I knew I had to give my whole life to Jesus Christ. I cried out to Jesus that night and told Him, "Only you can change my life, I have only been able to mess it up." Jesus gave me His Holy Spirit that night.

I knew I still had to pay my debt to society. I was sentenced six months later for 23 to 60 months in prison. I didn't like to hear those words, but I had a deep peace that everything was going to be fine.

In prison, I attended service and Bible study faithfully every week. I also did a lot of Bible study correspondences. I had a daily prayer time so that I could talk personally with Jesus. I read the Bible daily and meditated on the Scriptures. The time in prison was a blessing because it gave me the time to get my life straight with Jesus, build a strong foundation, and change my way of thinking.

When I was released from prison on March 15, 2007, I was greeted with a new outlook on life and my family was there to pick me up. I have been staying at Alpha House and I have been blessed here; for it gives me freedom, but it also has some rules that are very helpful to me. I have Bible studies every Saturday morning with the Executive Director. He is a great blessing and he really cares about the residents.

There are two verses that let me know who I am in Jesus and how I am to live for Him.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Taken from Spring Newsletter, March 2008

 

Blame Me Be Free

There is something hidden deep within the human nature that makes it very difficult to take personal responsibility. Whenever you even hear the term personal responsibility, your mind probably goes immediately to something negative. But hidden there are treasures you'll never discover anywhere else.

Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, are prisoners of avoiding personal responsibility. In physical prisons like those we minister in, there are people who are more free than those on the outside who dwell in a mental prison. It is only when someone discovers and applies the truth that they can be free.

Romans 12:1 tells us to renew our minds for a lot of good reasons. We live in a world that lies to us every day. The devil seeks to introduce subtle lies that can rob us of our freedom. One of his most effective weapons is casting blame on the wrong things.

The world would have us believe that alcoholism is a disease, that we are products of our environment, that fate and chance control our destiny, etc. As long as a person can blame someone or some thing for all their problems, they will be unable to fix those problems because they are missing the real source.

Although human nature resists personal responsibility, it is very beneficial and liberating. God's truth always is liberating. Even as believers, we need to constantly be reminded of truth because we are being inundated with so many lies.

Suppose someone had a business failure and blamed the economy, the competition, or some other force. They could easily miss bad decisions they had made. Without recognizing the truth, they would not be able to correct the problem. With an honest inventory of their own blame, they would be equipped to succeed next time rather than repeat the failure.

Winners in life are not perfect people who don't make mistakes or never face hardships they can't control. Winners are people who recognize when to blame themselves, not make excuses, and move on. Once a problem is identified, then it can be solved. That person is free even if they are in prison.

Taken from Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

The Lost Ring   by Roy A. Borges

I used to live in a two-man cell with Jake. I slept in the bottom bunk. Jake slept in the top bunk. Although his mother was a devoted Christian, Jake didn't know Jesus. He was leaving prison soon, and I tried my best to tell him about Christ and lead him to salvation. But I wasn't succeeding. Without realizing it, I began to pull away from Jake. Then God used the ring I wear—passed down from my grandfather to my father to me—to renew my desire to seek lost souls.

One hot summer afternoon, I was in the yard playing handball. I made a hard swing at the ball. My hands were wet with perspiration, and my ring slipped off my finger and flew into the tall grass beside the handball court. Some of the other players helped me look for it. We searched for hours. I even walked on my knees through the grass. But no ring was found.

Later that day as I read my Bible, a story from Luke 15 spoke to me. The woman in the story had 10 silver coins, and she lost one. Distressed, she lit a candle and searched the house—behind the door, under the table, and in every corner. When she found the lost coin, she called her friends and neighbors together. “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost,” she exclaimed (v. 9 KJV).

When I read that story, God seemed to say to me, “You've put a lot of effort into looking for your lost ring. Are you willing to work as hard seeking lost souls? Do you care as much about them as I do?”

On the way back to my room after dinner that evening, one of the men I often play handball with asked if I'd lost a ring at the handball court. I told him I had and described the ring.

“Is this it?” he asked, holding up my ring.

“Yes!” I said joyfully.

That night—and every night after—I talked with Jake about God and the Bible. Only now I did so with a different urgency and a different heart.

Jake went home. Not long after, his mother wrote to tell me he had accepted the Lord as his Savior. I rejoiced with the angels in heaven.

Now each time I look at my ring, I remember that God takes great joy in rescuing the lost, and I'm inspired to make His joy mine.

ROY A. BORGES is a chapel clerk and author of Faith and Love Behind Prison Fences (PublishAmerica). Used by permission of Discipleship Journal – Copyright ©2007 Navpress

Taken from Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

Excerpts From a Letter We Received From a Prisoner

Leon,

Alpha Prison Ministries, Alpha House, the volunteers, and the men are always in my prayers. Even here (in prison), Alpha is known and I am asked about the ministry and the House.

I have also received a card notifying me that I will be blessed for another year with Discipleship Journal. Thank you.

My walk with my Lord Jesus has taken many paths in the last few years. The huge one was the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I need His power living and working in me every day to the glory of my Lord. Like all members of Christ's family on Earth, I have much to grow into. However, the adventure is awesome. Hallelujah!

I have heard from Marin and Terri a couple of times now. Thank you, Jesus, for their ministry to the body of Christ, and thank you, Father, for placing them together in their walk. They sent pictures of the wedding, and what Martin called “their favorite table.” That was the one showing you (Leon) and Pamela, Jan, Al, Norm, Kathleen, Elroy, and Tammy. I can see why it held so much gladness for them.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement.

In the love of Christ,
William

EDITOR'S NOTE: Martin married Terri in May, 2007.

Taken from Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

To the Power of...

Regardless of whether you like math or hate it, the term "to the power of" that we use to denote an exponent (like 2⁶ for example) is very accurate in describing what it does.

Perhaps you have heard the example of asking someone if they would rather have one million dollars or $1 doubled every day for 30 days. If you choose the latter, you would have $1 on the first day, $2 on the second day ($3 total), and so on. Your first week would provide $64 on the 7th day for a whopping total of $127 for the week. That may seem small, but on the 30th day, you would receive $536,870,912 and your total income would be over a billion dollars!

For those of you who attended our banquet back in September, you witnessed the power of exponentials at work. The one-on-one discipleship/mentoring that APM uses produces men of character who often pass on their training to others. These in turn mentor others. It starts with 2 people, those 2 produce 4, those 4 produce 8, and so on. APM will celebrate 25 years in 2008, and it started with one person.

Our guest speaker for the banquet, Jerry Dash, told of his experience 25 years ago of being reached by a prison ministry. Jerry now heads up a ministry of his own providing support and mentoring to the children of prisoners.

The person who reached Jerry all those years ago probably has no idea of the impact he has had. That one-on-one attention that Jerry received is now being multiplied thousands of times over. Children who statistically are very much "at risk" to become prisoners are instead being reached and given hope.

If you have ever thought that a little bit doesn't matter much, remember the power of exponentials. Here is one more true story to keep in mind. Two young men showed up a special church service several years ago and found the church packed. They were about to give up and leave when an usher took notice of them. The usher went out of his way to find them a seat. Both of those young men became Christians as a direct result of that church service. One of those young men was Billy Graham.

Taken from Fall/Winter Newsletter, November 2007

 

Potential New Volunteer Shares His Experience

Good Morning Leon,

The Holy Spirit at work! I had a great time Wednesday night. Jake and Elroy made me feel welcome and at home, as did the brothers in the program. The job that these two guys do is just terrific and meeting both of them has already been a great blessing. The sincerity and depth of the men that they minister to is testimony to their own faith and dedication to Jesus, and I'm just delighted to know them. I sat at a table with three men who were at different points in their walk with the Lord, and complimented each other beautifully. The One to One discipling program is really effective, especially in the way that it was employed by Doug, the man that lead our small group. We covered one page of the text and it opened us up to nearly an hour and a half of meaningful Christian conversation and teaching. I'm going to have to study and work to keep up with these guys, so the potential for my own spiritual growth is just tremendous. It seems clear to me at this point that this is where God wants me, and I can't wait for next Wednesday night to roll around. Longer term, I'm excited as to where the Holy Spirit is going to take all of us.

The following subject came up at our table Wednesday night. Conway, a black brother, had asked for prayer to sustain him in the face of the pressure he faces from the Nation of Islam movement within the prison. He had a confrontation with a man who tried to lure him into violence, and which he was able diffuse and still stand his ground as a Christian. I was proud of him for this and told him so. We talked about how though we are all one in Christ, there are challenges like this that our black and Latino brothers face that we white brothers don't.It is important for us to be one in Jesus and make sure that we support each other, and stand together in solidarity for the Lord; we pray for those who persecute any and all of us, and for each other.

I had run into this kind of thing before at St. Louis (especially in Level IV) but this was the first time I'd encountered it at Mid-Michigan. Probably because the subject just never came up. This is a delicate area and clearly something that isn't going to go away. To stand for Jesus is to stand for peace and to stand for peace is to stand for Jesus. Prison is a fascinating place — a police state under Marshall Law and a microcosm of our own future tribulation. The men that God is raising up in prison, and that we are given the privilege of training, will be the leaders that will take the Church through the grand finale of the end times. What I've seen of Alpha Prison Ministries so far tells me that we can be comforted in knowing that we will be in good hands. I am awed and humbled, and I praise God for the opportunity to come aboard and serve in any small way that I can.

Phil

Taken from Fall/Winter Newsletter, November 2007

 

Nine Eleven

We have long had September as our month for the annual banquet to honor those who support us and provide the opportunity to learn more about the effect you are having when you support APM. It also serves to inspire more support as we invite everyone who will join us to discover the work we do at APM.

For six years now, September also marks the month that permanently changed our country. As we all witness the aftermath together, we can clearly see that the devil is still "the god of this age," spreading lies and confusion to mask what is really going on. The media is so controlled by this "god" that it is obvious he wants to destroy this country just as much as the radical Islam he is also controlling.

Fortunately, we as Christians have a reliable network of information due to the fact that it is guided by an understanding of the only real source of truth, the Bible. If we renew our minds, we can have a clear understanding of what the stakes really are, just as God has appointed some of His followers who have understanding to share with us what they know.

Many years ago, Perry Stone had some ideas on end times prophecy that did not fit well with traditional interpretations. He essentially predicted many of the events now taking place in the Middle East, even Iraq itself. His ideas have now been vindicated.

He's not the only one either. Joel C. Rosenberg has been writing fiction books using his understanding of the Bible and current events. His writings have been fairly prophetic with uncanny resemblances to reality before key events even happened. Prior to the attacks on September 11, 2001, he wrote The Last Jihad, a novel which even predicted the war in Iraq.

We have informed you of this before, but it is worth repeating; we are not the only ones doing prison ministry. Radical Islamics are also trying to recruit in US prisons. They want to use the social rejection many inmates face as a tool for their own agenda. Through your support of this ministry, you are also fighting a spiritual battle. The devil hates America and wants to destroy it. Thank you for helping us on one of the battlefields.

Taken from Fall Newsletter, September 2007

 

A Real and Living Sacrifice

Dear Leon,

How are you, sir? I pray all is well with all of the activities you have going on this summer.

I wanted to thank you again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come and share God's Word with us all here. It is always a blessing to see you.

God has been so good to me. He allows me to study His Word daily and share Christ Jesus with others. Even when I'm tutoring at the school, I express God's love toward the people I teach. I need to allow Jesus' light to shine through me, and I need to be a living sacrifice unto God (Romans 12:1-2).

Well, Leon, I know it's not much, but if I can help in any way, I will. Here is $5.00 to do with whatever is needed for Alpha Prison Ministries. I hope in the future I will be able to help out more, and I'm sure I will be able to.

My prayers are with you, your family, and all of Alpha Prison Ministries. May God's grace, joy, and peace be with you always.

Christian love,
Bob

Editor's Note: As you read the letter above, take time to reflect on the words written, and the fact that this was at one time a soul without hope. Also, the $5.00 gift would not be much to us, but to a prisoner, that is a significant amount of money.

Taken from Fall Newsletter, September 2007

 

Just Say "NO!" To Fear

As our state and country both face the largest prison population in history, the added woes of budget problems in Michigan bring a dilemma our state did not need. Locking up prisoners costs the taxpayers a lot of money. Letting them go free has a lot of people even more concerned.

Let's face it, politicians are ill equipped to provide answers. Since so-called reforms were initiated in the 1990's, prison populations have grown bigger, and so has the need for funding. More people are being locked up, but many are incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Now the State of Michigan wants to release over 5000 of these inmates to help trim the budget.

The public concern is understandable. Detroit neighborhoods where many of these parolees would be located are already battling high crime rates, low employment availability, and large numbers of taxpayers leaving the state. These parolees would be entering a situation where their odds of success are very much against them. If they can't find work and housing, they could easily turn to crime.

West Michigan fares better than other areas of the state. Our economy, though not perfect, is stronger. A big advantage we have is our people of faith. We do not need to accept the curse of a bad economy when we serve a God who wants to bless us.

We also have the answers to these problems. Jesus Christ is the only one who can change the heart of any person. He can transform a murderer into a messenger of life. He can take the person who was a thief, and change them into a generous giver.

Your support of this ministry helps alleviate a serious problem. You may not receive much recognition in this world for your efforts, but we thank God for you. There will come a day when the Lord himself will proclaim your deeds for all to know. You will get to hear those words, "Well done!"

While so many around you is saying how bad things are, your giving means you can proclaim the promise of Phil. 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Taken from Summer Newsletter, July 2007

 

Peace and Confidence of a Prisoner

I grew up going to church regularly, attended Sunday School, went to Catechism, got confirmed, and all that, but I was just going through the motions. I felt that wasn't concerned with my small issues, and that he had his hands full with the old people who were getting ready to die and go be with him. Well, such is a child's thoughts, but it's only been in the last couple years where I've come to realize the monitoring that God does in my life.

Looking back, he has been there in my rising, falling, and in everything. I can now say, "Huh!! God was there when I didn't even know it!!!" And today, I see. Ya know, a lot of people in here really don't understand my daily happiness. Oh sure, I tell them that it is the joy and happiness of God and his blessings in my life, and the knowing that hey, tomorrow, well what's the worry? God's already got all that figured out. I just have to do his will and live that day when it gets here.

Sometimes it gets frustrating trying to explain to others how being a Christian isn't hard, it isn't a burden, or anything. It's just so simple, it's like hanging on to the branch of a tree and you can't pull yourself back up. Your father stands there and says, "It's OK, let go and I will catch ya." Well, soon you just get so tired you let go, but the fear is still there. Will he catch me? And he does.

Now take this scenario and repeat it 100 times with always the same result. Dad catches you. Come the 101st time, you just let go because Dad will catch you. That I guess is what happened to me. After all these years of second guessing and doubt, I've finally come to the point where I've just had to let go, and God caught me in his loving arms and said, "See, David, peace."

Now I am at peace. All is well, and all will work out just fine, and our Lord will see to that. Hey, Praise, Praise, PRAISE the Lord!!! He let someone like me along for the ride and it truly is quite peaceful. God bless you.

Sincerely,
David

Taken from Summer Newsletter, July 2007

 

Set Free In Prison

Thank you so much!

I am learning to trust God more and more as time goes on, yet I couldn't help but worry a little about being able to return to my home after parole.

Again, I see how God is in control. He knew I was headed to prison and he knew it was for my good. It really is what saved me from my own self.

Being here, I have learned not to let what others think or feel about me bother me like it did in my past. I have learned to let go and let God be my Comforter, and not seek out comfort by reverting to my old behavior, or seeking my comfort and acceptance through others.

I have been able now to look back and see how truly messed up I was, and how wrong I was in many, many ways with my old thinking. I have no one to blame but myself for being here. Yet, as I said, and as strange as it may sound, prison has saved my life and my soul. I am a much stronger person than I was before I came to prison.

Leon, I want to thank you and all the volunteers for your love for those of us in prison. I can't wait for the day I can spend some time with you when I get out. God willing, that will be in June 2008. Please pray that it will come to be as I face the parole board, and that I will not lose faith.

God's love and mine,
John

Taken from Summer Newsletter, July 2007

 

We Are Number One!

This milestone of becoming number one is now a reality, but it's nothing to be proud of. The United States now leads the world in the number of people it has in prison. We now surpass both Russia and China, countries whose populations far exceed our own.

The US only has about 5% or so of the world's population, yet we have 25% of the entire number of incarcerated people. Whoa, wait, stop, read that again; yes, let those numbers sink in, and don't just glaze over them as your read! We imprison about 7 times more citizens per capita than most countries on the Earth.

Our social attitude of "lock them up and throw away the key" isn't working. The "tough on crime" mentality is good for getting political votes, and it makes Americans feel safer even if it is false sense of security, but in practice, it has been a miserable failure. Since our prison population now exceeds two million, it is also very expensive. It would be easy to get discouraged. We live in a culture that wants to hide these people from view, hoping the problem will just go away if we can keep it out of sight and out of mind. Our society is focused on terrorism and the war, so this problem doesn't get the attention it deserves.

As irony would have it, this hidden problem is also a breeding ground for more terrorism. Extremists are recruiting in prisons. These prisoners already have animosity toward society for locking them up and discarding them, so they are prime targets to be recruited as terrorists.

As a supporter of prison ministry, you are having more impact than you probably realize at solving this problem. You are telling prisoners that they still have value and they are not forgotten. You are combating the lies that would lead them to become terrorists. Our prayer is that more people will be like you and choose to take action. Thank you for reaching out and caring.

Taken from Winter Newsletter, January 2007

 

Committed To Memory

I have bean meaning to write this letter for a while and let you know that the work you started in me went beyond what I ever thought I could do. Monty will remember the problem he had with getting me to memorize. Well, he would he amazed now! He must have been praying for old Alpha students because I felt so bad about not being able to memorize the 66 books of the Bible.

Well, I started with them again. Once I got those memorized, I went on and added the 12 Disciples, 13 if you count Mathias (Acts 1:26), and then kept going. Recently I added the 12 tribes of Israel (13 if you count Ephraim). As a foundation also, I decided I needed to know all the commandments, and then memorized them in order, plus Christ's commandments (Matthew 13 34-36; Matthew 22: 37—40). I can sit down at a blank piece of paper and write out where they are found verbatim now in order!

And I also have been working on Scriptures (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 5:17 and 15:21; Phillipians 3:13 and 4:13; Genesis 1:1 and 1:26; Romans 5:19; and Luke 21:36). I also memorized The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9) and I am almost done with the 23rd Psalm.

I can recite all 66 books in order with 100% accuracy, the Disciples and the Tribes, 100%, also the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and of the Yeast! I have been doing studies on my own and received, as a gift, a New King James large print Bible. I read every day from the Old and New Testaments and try to work on my memorization. The memorization takes maintenance!

Also, I have been going through the New Creations Bible Study program, receiving the Daily Bread, reading the daily devotional and Scripture reading for the day, and made up a bookmark that has the Ten Commandments, 12 disciples, and other things on it. Deborah at New Creations put this on a computer and is printing it in color, and I should be getting that soon.

I just wanted you to know that what was started at Alpha only made me more determined. I learn slow, but once I learn, I retain pretty well. I guess I never tried hard enough to push myself before to memorize.

I trust and pray that Alpha Prison Ministries, you, and Monty are well. Please give everyone my best regards.

Mike

Taken from Winter Newsletter, January 2007

 

How Alpha House Helps Residents

Recently, we decided to get feedback from Alpha House residents on how the residency and mentoring has helped them after being released from prison. Below are some responses to questions which are important to gage the success of our efforts.

Alpha has helped me spiritually in the following ways:

Alpha has shared Christian values and ideals in a way that was easy to understand, so I could grow, mature, and fellowship in a real life changing way. Alpha has helped me feel closer to Jesus and serve God with greater love for him and the blessings he has given me. I truly feel that Alpha gave me the foundation to genuinely serve God humbly and openly.

Spiritual guidance, accountability, and direction has been the biggest benefit from being here at Alpha House. The discipleship program is interesting and has challenged me to dig deeper into God's Word and then show ways how to apply what I've learned into my daily life.

Alpha has helped me socially in the following ways:

By providing a community of Christians that support, care for, and encourage each other to transition back into society in the best possible way. Alpha has given me direction, acceptance, knowledge, fellowship, encouragement, and best of all, Leon, whom I consider a true friend. Each day, I looked forward to new ways I could serve God and share His Word.

Alpha House provides a safe, controlled environment for social interaction with other guys that can understand and provide positive or negative feedback on situations and struggles that they can relate to. Alpha offers us hope that we, as ex-prisoners, can establish and maintain healthy friendships and become productive members of society.

Alpha has helped me financially in the following ways:

By providing a place to live at an affordable rate so I could get my feet back on the ground. Also by guiding me toward services and organizations that offer food and clothing to jump start a job search. By encouragement and direction both monetarily and emotionally to manage both money and my own growth toward independence.

Alpha House provided me with the financial guidance and accountability that I needed. I had never had a savings account or thought it was important, but through Leon's guidance and advice, I have been able to save enough money to pay the deposit and first month's rent, and still have money left over. Now I know how important it is to put money aside regularly.

Additional comments:

Alpha kept me accountable to myself and to God. I don't know if I could have made this transition on my own, but I am sure that my life would have been much more difficult. Thank you Alpha. I am a better person from having known you and will continue the path you have shared with me.

For people that have never been in prison or had to deal with the struggles that we felons face trying to reenter society, you don't understand how important a place like Alpha House can be. One of the biggest problems for felons when they try to reenter society is the loss of hope, or the feeling of helplessness. Alpha provides us with hope and a helping hand when it seems everyone else has turned their backs on us. Alpha House gives us hope and confidence, mixed with spiritual growth.

Taken from Summer Newsletter, August 2006

 

A Letter of Appreciation

I just wanted take this time to thank you and Alpha Prison Ministries for allowing me the opportunity to take part in your residency program. I cannot truly express the great joy and peace that you have added to my life by accepting me.

It's a real blessing as well as an answered prayer knowing that I have a parole placement with a positive environment and Christian foundation. It confirms the Lord plans to continue the good work in me in which He started. And it also proves the Lord performs miracles for those who are faithful, not that I need any more proof.

I realize that I still have a ways to go before February, 2007, but I can honestly assure you that my heart or desire for residency will not change. I will see the parole board in either November or December and I will keep you posted on an actual release date as soon as possible.

I will continue in my studies and do my best to reflect Christ Jesus' life in my daily walk.

Again, I just want to thank you and express my sincere gratitude, and may the Lord's peace and blessings be upon you and the ministry.

Brother in Christ Jesus,
Joseph

Taken from Spring/Summer Newsletter, May 2006

 

Prisoner's Son Killed In Iraq

Thank you for your card of condolences due to the death of my son Eric. It brings me great comfort knowing you care.

Please pass on my thanks to all of those that take part in Alpha Prison Ministries. I am forever in your debt.

Your prayers and that of so many others have made this time a lot easier here for me and my family.

I have no regrets that my son chose to serve in the armed forces. To fight for the freedom of others is truly a just and moral cause.

I hold no anger or bitterness toward those who caused his death, for they truly don't know the error of their ways. I forgive them and pray the day will come that they will cease their evil ways, and seek to live in His peace.

God's love and mine,

John -- Taken from Fall Newsletter, November 2005

 

Soul Winning
Martin's Perspective From Inside the Prisons

The summer of 1997 was the darkest period in my life. I had a serious cocaine addiction, and had committed two bank robberies. After the second robbery, I fled the state of Michigan and traveled to Indiana as a wanted fugitive. I was lost, confused, broken-hearted, and walking in complete misery. I wanted a new life but my situation seemed totally hopeless.

In the midst of my hopelessness, God sent a miracle that would alter the course of my life forever. Through a telephone call to my brother, I became aware that he had met the bank teller whom I had robbed. His first words were, "He is a Christian. He wants you to know that he and the members of his church are praying for you." I was stunned! His message brought tears to my eyes and became the turning point in my life.

A few hours later, I found myself standing alone on a balcony gazing toward the heavens. I was being shown all the pain and hurt I had inflicted on others. Only this time the pain was mine. It's realness was intensifying the heaviness in my heart and I began crying out to God for help. He reminded me of my need to ‘believe’ in the message of the cross. If I did believe, He would then give me the ‘new life’ I so desperately wanted. As I entertained these thoughts, my heart began to burn and beat faster as it made me aware another heavenly presence was now beside me on the balcony. My heart exploded with uncontrollable excitement as it recognized the One it had been searching for all along! It was JESUS! I knew He had died on the cross for my sin, and I did not deserve Him. Yet, I wanted Him so badly! With tears in my eyes, I cried out, "Come into my heart take away my cocaine addiction, and give me a new life!" As I spoke these words, His resurrected Spirit entered my body, and for the first time, I knew the sweet joy of His Spirit and the reality of being born again. His Spirit gave me the desire to live again. However, I no longer wanted to live for myself, but for Him. One week later, I returned to Michigan and turned myself in to the authorities for the bank robberies.

In the county jail I saw men with pain and despair etched on their faces. I desperately wanted them to know Jesus Christ and experience the inner joy that now lingered in my heart. I knew that at the cross of Calvary they would find meaning and purpose for their lives.

In Jackson prison, my burden for souls increased as I interacted with men whose lives had been totally destroyed by sin. I was able to sense their hopelessness due to the despair they carried. My longing for their salvation increased even more! During the night, I would find myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning weeping and talking to God about their lives. I began to communicate the Gospel to them the best way I knew how, but mostly through acts of kindness and compassion. I began to realize more than ever that at the cross, I had found meaning and purpose to my existence.

My next few years in prison were very challenging. God began to open doors for me to speak, My next few years in prison were very challenging. God began to open doors for me to speak, but I wrestled with the spirit of fear. The fear of people rejecting my messages terrified me. One particular night, I remember falling on my knees and asking God for boldness to deliver a message on repentance that He had placed in my heart. Later that evening I was given the opportunity to deliver His message to a large gathering at our Sunday night service. I was so tense as I stood at the podium looking at the men. All I could see was their big eyes staring at me. However, I found that when I stepped out in faith, the Holy Spirit gave me great liberty in speaking and connecting with the men. At the end of the message, I gave an alter call, and when the men responded and came forward to receive Christ, it was one of the most encouraging yet humbling moments in my life. My joy was not in my accomplishment, but rather in seeing the tears and joy of the men who came forward to surrender their lives to Christ.

My desire in sharing these experiences is not to entertain you, but rather to encourage you to step ‘OUT’ of the boat and to start walking by faith. Matthew 14:29 says, "Peter got ‘OUT’ of the boat." If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that sometimes we stay in the boat because we are afraid of the world and scared to preach the Gospel to those who need to hear it. However, I am convinced that we can make a difference in the lives of people around us by simply stepping ‘OUT’ of our boats of comfort and allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to flow through us. The day the Holy Spirit fell in Acts 2 was a wonderful and exhilarating experience, but Christ's disciples did not stay there. Instead, they stepped out in faith and went ‘OUT’ into the world to preach the Gospel. We also need to step ‘OUT’ into our world and reach out to broken people - just like the bank teller did in my case.

The work of evangelism can be challenging, but it's extremely rewarding. I am persuaded that there is no greater joy in the world more rewarding than seeing a new convert fall in love with Jesus, study His Word, and sing praises to His Name. The overwhelming joy of bringing souls to the cross is the greatest reward we can ever receive in this lifetime, and it cannot be measured in terms of earthly riches. It should humble us and bring tears to our eyes to know that we can be used by God to rescue souls from eternal loss.

Some of you are saying, "My spirit is stirred, but I don't have the gift of an evangelist." Your gift may not be that of an evangelist, but that should not prevent you from being a soul winner. Along with salvation comes the great privilege of helping weary souls find rest in the arms of Jesus Christ.

At this very moment, there is a soul in your life who is lost and in desperate need of guidance. This soul may be a friend, a loved one, or even the person you are living with. This soul needs you. Will you reach out to this soul with the compassion of Jesus Christ? Will you be like the prophet Isaiah and say, "Here am I! Send me."

My sole purpose in sharing this testimony is to encourage, challenge, and inspire you to become part of the greatest spiritual awakening that has ever taken place in the prison system.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:6)

Taken from Spring Newsletter, May 2005

 

Does "Tough On Crime" Work?

In recent decades, laws have become tougher, jails and prisons are getting fuller, and more are being built at taxpayer expense. As the prison population in the US now exceeds two million, this is a burden and expense we all bear together.

If you translate the prison population another way, on average, one in every 75 men in the US are in prison! Among African American males, it is one in 20, and it is one in 50 among Hispanics. These are not just numbers, these are human beings.

The idea, "Lock them up and throw away the key," has been tried. Are we better off? Is society safer? Or do we just shoulder a bigger tax burden, a higher crime rate, more repeat offenders, and more hardened criminals?

Those of us who are Christians are very much aware that Jesus Christ is the only real answer. When you change the heart, you change the person. Yet at the same time we often buy into the politically popular "tough on crime" idea. Perhaps we would do well to reexamine that position.

Pat Nolan of Justice Fellowship recently acknowledged problems with prison reform he helped support in California. These reforms were not keeping the public safe, but draining huge amounts of resources from taxpayers.

Mr. Nolan states, "I made two mistakes that led me to support these failed policies. First, I didn't realize that along with the violent offenders California locked up, there were even more non-violent offenders incarcerated – and usually for longer terms than the violent felons. And second, the increased spending for prison construction that we in the legislature authorized didn't include money to prepare the inmates for their return to society at the end of their sentences."

This ministry is built on the idea of showing compassion to those who society throws away. As a supporter, you are on the leading edge of rehabilitation. Departments of corrections are realizing that without rehabilitation, without preparing prisoners to integrate back into society, their methods fail. Offenders only get hardened and become more dangerous for the short time they spend back in society.

As our society faces these serious problems, you are taking action through your support of this ministry. While the system hands out only punishment, you are providing hope. Every life that is changed is one less drain on the system, one more person to reach others. For inmates who get released from prison, you are helping them make a successful transition back into society where they can be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Taken from Winter Newsletter, February 2005

 

A Letter to Deerfield Inmates

I have received many letters from the men at Deerfield. What a blessing it is to hear from them. I receive prayer requests and it is a privilege and honor to intercede in prayer to the Lord on your behalf.

It is a blessing to have some of the men from Deerfield come to Alpha House. I think it has been good for them to see a familiar face. God has opened the door for many men to integrate back into His family via Alpha House.

God has connected my heart to Alpha House and I have a real desire to see men prosper in every area of their lives and as leaders—beginning at home, then their church and in their communities. I believe once we know "who we are in Christ" our confidence in God grows as well as our faith. Then it is easier to accept all the promises of God that He has for us personally. Of course, all this is cultivated by spending time in His Word, time in prayer and time with people.

I will be honest and transparent with you. My life since leaving Deerfield has not been without struggles, obstacles, tests and temptation. The enemy would like nothing better than to destroy the life of someone on fire for the Lord. I cannot stress the importance of connecting and developing intimate relationships with strong men in the Lord! It is vital to living a successful Christian life.

The same root issues of fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of failure, loneliness coupled with stress are brought before me by Satan from time to time. However, I serve a mighty God. In times of need I have gone to His Word, spent time in prayer and sought out friends. Accountability is also vital to not letting any secret sin invade my life and take root. It means I have to go to others and I have to tell them what I am being tempted by or what I am struggling with. This does not allow the enemy any room to get a foothold. It is addressing the issue when it is still a thought—–right where the enemy attacks most.

I had the privilege to serve on an Emmaus Weekend. I was asked to be an assistant table leader and to give the fourth day talk. I wasn't quite certain that I was ready for; but the Lord reminded me He was in control.

I prayed almost daily while I was incarcerated for God to bring the people across my path that He knew I needed in my life. Many of those people were men (inmates) there at Deerfield and many were outside volunteers who had come in. I cannot stress enough the value of establishing those relationships both with men inside and outside.

My business is doing well. Things are tight now yet God is supplying all our needs. My business partner, Jim, and I have been able to employ some of the men from Alpha House. Our desire is to help men to be successful in every area of life beginning with their relationship with God. By our high personal and professional standards, we hope to have a positive influence in their lives. The Scripture we stand on for our business is "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:16. It is all about Him, not about us. Praise God!

Know that I am keeping you in prayer and that "nothing is impossible for God." I am a living testimony of what God can do with a "nobody." I look forward to the day that we can sit down together and talk——maybe even do a little fishing.

Bill -- Taken from Fall Newsletter, September 2003

 © Alpha Prison Ministries

Alpha Prison Ministries  •  616-538-4090   •  Grand Rapids, Michigan  •   info@alphapm.org