I love you so much and thank you for continuing to stand with me as your missionary in our local jails. It is hard to explain what an amazing work God has done in the Monroe and Wayne County Jails this year. We have a fantastic new Chaplain, Ron Morse. We have more volunteers walking the floors, teaching Bible Classes, and ministering than ever before. We have seen hundreds of lost and broken people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
We have handed out thousands of Bibles. Our faithful grading team has been grading and returning more Bible lessons than ever before in the 34-year history of Good News in our local jails. God is alive, well, and working in a mighty way behind bars. I appreciate you and your faithfulness. God bless you. Tell someone about Jesus this Christmas season!
Your Friend,
Chaplain Paul Burress
I can't tell you enough how much it means to me to have been given the privilege to serve alongside of Chaplain Paul as a Good News Chaplain. As a volunteer for more than ten years, I received a tremendous blessing while ministering to the inmates and staff. Now that I have come on full time, the blessings have also come on full time. We have seen God do some amazing things this year, and I am excited to see what will happen next!
Chaplain Ron
Volunteer Spotlight
1 Peter 1:3-6 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”
This morning in my devotion time, I stopped to reflect on the words, “though now for a little while.” Being a volunteer in the jail has given me a new perspective on those words. Can you imagine being away from your children or family while you serve time for a crime you committed? This is one of the greatest heartaches of the women in jail, particularly for those who go on to serve prison time. These words, “though now for a little while,” are comforting to the ladies who have accepted Jesus as their savior. They realize that paying the consequences for a crime may seem to take a long time, but God says our suffering is but for a little while, as time is short here on earth. I am thankful that I have been spared of many of the trials the women who are incarcerated face. By God’s grace, many of us will never understand the lifetime affliction of the women who are living on the streets suffering from the bondage of drugs and prostitution. A great many of the women in jail have lived this life and are ready for a new life. As a volunteer, I am blessed to be able to minister to the women in the Monroe County Jail by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and see lives change. On a weekly basis, a flood of women, hungry for a new start in life, rush to me and the other volunteers when we walk through the door. Seeing the ladies working through their Bible Studies, sharing their testimonies with other inmates and family members, and praying for strength to be good witnesses while serving time has been so rewarding. Throughout the years, many of the women have shared how thankful they are for going to jail because without the time of incarceration, they would have never known or felt the need for a savior. Volunteering in jail has allowed me to sharpen my ability to share the gospel, see people through God’s eyes, and witness firsthand how only Jesus can change a person’s heart and life.
Jill
Praise/Prayer Requests
We praise God for the faithful supporters of the jail ministry: our prayer partners, volunteers, and financial partners. Thank you, Jesus!
Please Pray
- For a continued open door of ministry in our local jails
- For a chaplain or volunteer to minister to the next arrested criminal you hear about on the news
- For the victims of crime
- For Chaplain Ron’s wife, Marion, in her struggle with cancer.
A Letter from Prison
Hello and greetings from the wet and wild north country. I hope this letter finds you well and serving the Lord with all of your might. I know things have been getting rough out there, especially for those who put their trust in the world system and the stock market. My prayers go out to all of you. It is sad, but even the church has been totally consumed with coveting desire for decades, trusting in money and the American dream over the Word of God for their strength and hope. We have bought into the idea of a trust fund, to exclusion of the most important bank account we have, the one in Heaven! I can only pray for those who are struggling and believe the Lord will carry His church through.
I hope the men have been growing and finding the Lord in their time of distress. I can never thank you and the volunteers enough for all that you have done for me. Without your uplifting encouragement I do not think I would have been able to carry on. You really made a huge difference in my life, and the man I am today is because of your faithfulness to share Christ and reach out to me while I was in the Monroe County Jail. I now know how much work it is to really “get under” someone and lift them up. You are an example of true faith and all that it entails. Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers over the years.
Even though the times may be hard I know one thing. With the Lord Jesus all things are possible. Nothing is too difficult for Him, if we would but trust in His holy words and life. Please tell everyone that my thoughts are for them and that I believe the Lord is working in a mighty way today. God bless you, may the Lord keep you in his mighty hand day by day.
Bill (not actual name)
Annual Banquet
Don’t miss it! Friday, April 24, 2009 at 7:00pm
Dome arena in Henrietta
United Way
Don’t forget you can donate through the United Way by designating #1138.
Thank You
Chaplain Paul Burress
Chaplain Ron Morse
130 Plymouth Ave South
Rochester, NY 14614
585-753-4032
www.goodnewsjail.org
www.beyondbars.org (Local Blog)
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