Good News Jail & Prison Ministry

Dear Friends,

Great is Thy Faithfulness is a wonderful hymn of testimony that exalts our God and Savior. In Psalm 89, the word faithfulness or faithful appears seven times. The Lord has been so faithful to us, and we praise His holy name. Muriel and I want to thank all of you who prayed for her knee replacement surgery on July 29th. She never experienced one day of pain---incredible! We just finished our first ministry trip together since her surgery. We traveled to Canada, driving 500 miles each way, and she had no difficulties at all. We leave again on Friday, October 3rd for three church mission conferences in Fredericton, Prince Edward Island, and Moncton, New Brunswick. Again, thank you for your prayers, cards, phone calls, emails, etc. We have been moved to tears on several occasion with the expression of love from our many family and friends around the world. Above all, we praise God for His faithfulness.

Travel Updates
Due to Muriel's surgery, I stayed home the month of August and even learned new culinary skills! In September, we had productive meetings with the Good News staff in Richmond, as well as our quarterly Board of Directors Meeting. It was also a privilege to speak in the Sunday morning services at Grace Baptist Church in Bowie, Md. Grace Baptist is one of our major supporting churches for our personal support needs, but they also support our ministry in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia at $20,000 per year. It was a special joy to spend time with Pastor and Mrs. Steve Lane. It was also a wonderful time meeting new friends while speaking at the Missions Conference at Devon Park Baptist Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick the last weekend in September. Pastor and Mrs. Terry Woodcock lead a church with a great heart for world evangelism. It's such a privilege to spend time with these choice servants of Christ!

Country Spotlight---Latvia
In September I had to make a quick trip to Latvia. Good News Latvia was established in 1997, and they were the first chaplains I visited in October 1999 when I became Vice President of Ministry. Ivans Naidjonoks, Good News Director---Latvia, has provided outstanding leadership for us in Latvia since 2005. Due to various reasons, and assured of the leading of the Lord, Ivans accepted a new position with Hjalp Till Live International in Sweden. Mareks Sarnovskis was recommended by Ivans, and affirmed by our Latvian chaplains as Ivans' successor. Mareks has served as a volunteer, Senior Chaplain, and Assistant Director-Latvia. Latvia is a country that was under Communist rule for many years and still suffers from economic issues that were created during that time. The world wide economic crisis has been extremely difficult for the people of Latvia as the cost of some basic necessities have increased dramatically. The government, having been forced to cut budgets, has had to cut much of the support to prison chaplains, making live even more difficult. Latvia currently has 13 chaplains and one national director, and is one of our stellar ministries.

Finances
In August I wrote concerning the great financial need in the International Ministry. I told you that without a substantial influx of funds, I would have to make some significant financial reductions in the countries where the Lord had not supplied donors. I am thrilled to tell you that He answered our prayers with the provision of $152,000 in special gifts. How we praise the lord for His faithfulness and for the generosity of His people! Thank you for praying!

As we look to the last quarter of this calendar year, we are trusting the Lord to provide what is needed in order to end this calendar year in the black. Please pray that God would provide an additional $100,000 over and above the regular giving through the end of December. The possibility of having to decrease the funds sent for chaplain support in order to keep the ministry financially viable, is still a reality that I will have to address if we do not see God's provision of these funds. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I wish that each of you could read some of the many testimonies and reports that are being received regularly from each country. God is doing a great work in the prisons throughout the world. The International Ministry (with figures through the end of July) has already seen 66,359 first time decisions and 27,914 recommitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. While this is very exciting to us today, it pales in comparison to the joy we will experience when we see those in Heaven who trusted Christ as Savior through the Good News International Ministry of which you are such a vital part.

In closing, I want to thank you for your prayers and generous giving. Muriel and I often talk about the wonderful friends God has given us through the years. Ten years ago on October 1, 1999, we stepped out in faith to serve the Lord with Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. Sometimes His leading has been very clear, while other times we learn to live with the mystery of God's will. Charles Spurgeon wrote, When you can't trace His hand you have to trust His heart. God has been so faithful to us! As the Lord gives strength and health, we want to serve Him with all our hearts.

In His Mighty Love,
Harry E. Fletcher, D.Min.

Praises:

• For the surgery and recuperation for Muriel from knee replacement surgery.
• For the fruitful 10 years of ministry God has given with Good News Jail & Prison Ministry
• For His provision of funds to support the 321 international chaplains and staff in 22 countries.

Prayer:

• For God's provision this last quarter of our calendar year. Normally this is the best time of the year for income, however, in the last two years we experienced severe financial setback due to the economy.
• For the Lord to be glorified through the faithful service of our chaplains serving in very dark and difficult places in 22 countries.

Good News Jail and Prison Ministry Update (June 09)

Chaplain's Corner

Thank you so much for your support!

It is hard to believe that half of the year has gone by already! Many exciting things have happened in the ministry during this first half-year. Our annual Sheriff’s Appreciation Banquet went extremely well, and Paul and I are very grateful for those who made it possible. Once again, Paradise Catering did an outstanding job, and the music played by the Synergy band of Victory Church was terrific. We honored Peg Miller for her service of 35 years as a grader. She has retired from the ministry at the tender age of 94. Thank you Sheriff O’Flynn, Superintendent Harling, Sheriff Piscotti, Chief Deputy Virts, and all of your staffs for allowing us the privilege to walk the halls of the jails and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the inmates and staff. We want to thank our President’s Council for their extraordinary effort in pulling the banquet together—we could not do it without you! And, of course, Dr. Harry Fletcher, who took time out of his busy schedule to bless us with a wonderful and perfectly fitted message. Most of all, we want to thank the six hundred friends from all of our supporting churches that attended the banquet and gave from their hearts to support this ministry. We love you and appreciate you, and know that you love our ministry of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ into the jails.
The Banquet was a big success, and we exceeded our budgeted requirement; even in these trying times. There is much work to be done and Paul and I are committed to meet the challenges, trusting that the Lord will give us the grace to meet them. It is June already, and our Motorcycle Run to Letchworth State Park is coming up on the 13th. This is the third year for this event and we are looking forward to a great day and a great ride!
So far this year we have graded more than 9,600 lessons, and handed out over 3,400 Bibles, and 640 inmates have made decisions for Christ! Please remember to pray for us, our families, and our volunteers and graders. We love you all in Christ,

Chaplain Ron



Inmate Testimony
Dear Paul,

It seem like just yesterday that I was with you in the Monroe County Jail. It is hard to realize that it was almost 5 years ago! Time seems to take forever but (also) rushes ahead faster than light at the same time in prison. It is almost like being in a time capsule, where whatever we do, everything that we remember stays the same. I completed a certification course with “Pure Life Ministries,” and it led to my deep conviction to memorize scripture and be honest with who I am and why. Thank you so much for all of your prayers over the years. You and the men there have been an inspiration to me and I have determined to fight the good fight, and to run the race until the end.

Also, pray for me on the 7th of June. The Chaplain will be away, and he is going to request that I be allowed to run the service while he is away. I am humbled and honored to be trusted like this, especially considering my past, and the place where I am. Of course, my greatest desire is your prayers, and the prayers of the church. Without God’s support and help I can do nothing, and I have appreciated your encouragement and prayers over the years. I believe that despite the situation, the Lord is going to use me, both while I am here in prison, and when I am finally released in 3 ½ years. I want to make the best use of my time in here that I can, and do all I can to both find radical submission to the Word of God, and to become effective in all I do for Christ.

Respectfully,
Male Inmate

Good News Jail and Prison Ministry Update

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much; we are so grateful for your prayer and/or financial support. Muriel and I often comment on the blessing of having so many wonderful friends. As Samuel Colerdige wrote years ago, Friendship is a sheltering tree.

Travel Updates
During the last two months, Muriel and I have had the privilege to visit with many of our individual donors and supporting churches/pastors from PA to ME. It was a privilege to speak at Church of the Open Door's Mission Festival in York, PA where Don, our son-in-law, serves as associate pastor. We celebrated Easter with Rob and Mary Jo in RI where Rob serves as associate pastor of Student Ministries. Christ Church partners with us in Kyrgyzstan. We also had wonderful fellowship with Calvary Hill Baptist Church in Wilton, ME, United Baptist Church in Mars Hill, ME, as well as time with Pastor Gerry Dill of Maine Coast Baptist Church. These partner with Good News Int'l.

Country Spotlight
We hear much these days in the news about the country of Malawi. We have 10 chaplains/staff serving in Malawi, a country some call the poorest in Africa. The prison conditions are absolutely awful! Recently Browncroft Community Church in Rochester, NY who partners with us in Sudan, provided a special project gift of $4,700 through one of their foundations in order to upgrade some of the prison conditions in Malawi. In particular, the gift made it possible for us to paint the walls in one prison, construct 2 toilets in another, and construct a carpentry block in a third. As you may know, the international ministry has an opportunity to apply James 2 Christianity due to the great physical and material needs in these countries. As a result of that, our chaplains have much greater receptivity to the Gospel of Christ. John Makwinja, Good News Director of Malawi, reports that there were 6,578 first time decisions for Christ in 2008 and 1,528 in the first four months of 2009. That what's it's all about! Many of you have provided gifts to help with these needed projects in other countries. Thank you, Browncroft Community Church!

Finances
The Good News Board of Directors voted at the March meeting to move our fiscal year from the calendar to July 1st-June 30th beginning this year. So, we need to end this year strong on June 30th in order to launch into the new fiscal year. As of June 1, we need about $124,000 this month to end the year in-the-black.

Many of you are aware that a foundation provided most of the funding for Good News International during its rapid growth period from 2000-2007. However, due to the economy, that foundation had to cease funding the international ministry. We are forever grateful to their great generosity without which the international ministry would not have the funds to expand from 2 chaplains in 2 countries to well over 300 chaplains in over 20 countries. We have also had several major donors affected by the current economic issues who are unable to support Good News International. We are working hard to raise funds, but we simply have been unable to catch up financially. I hope this helps you understand our present situation and why I often feel like one of the Chuck Swindoll's books, "Three steps forward, two steps back."

Good News does not have the resources in the general fund to carry the international ministry. So, as painful as it may be, I have to inform our international directors that some funding for their chaplains may be decreased in order for Good News to remain financially stable. There are no government bail outs for Good News! Neither do we want to go into debt for the future in order to fund the present.

The greatest thing you can do is pray about this need. I have to believe that since God knew in eternity past all the international chaplains we would have at this time, that He also knew the partners needed to fund their ministries. Please pray that God would touch the hearts of those He would have to partner with us in reaching those our Lord called "the least among you" (Matthew 25:40). I believe with all my heart that your present investment will reap eternal dividends. In 2008, our international chaplains reported over 100,000 decisions for Christ. There were 71,132 first-time decisions and 31, 008 re-commitments. To God be the glory!

Thank you so much for all your love, prayers, and giving. He alone can adequately reward you for your faithfulness.

In His mighty love,

Harry E. Fletcher, D.Min.
Vice President of International Ministry and Pastoral Care

Praise

• For a wonderful and productive time in PA and ME
• For the Lord's wonderful provision of friends and family
• For the privilege to serve the Lord in prisons around the world

Prayer

• For God to continue to raise up the prayer and financial partners to sustain the ministry
• For God's blessing upon our chaplains serving in dark and difficult places in 22 countries.

Letter from Dr. Harry Fletcher

Dear Friends,

Several years ago, John Denver recorded a hit with the words It's so good to be back home again. Muriel and I just returned home to the glorious Cape after spending six weeks in Florida, four weeks in SC, and one week in PA. I must confess that the Cape is all the more glorious without snow, sleet, and ice! What a great time we had with family, as well as meeting with donors, pastors, and chaplains. The Lord has blesses us with a wonderful family and loving friendships. It is also an encouragement to see their commitment to our international chaplains, even though just about every person has been affected by the economy. So, here's an update on our travels.

Florida
One of my joys is to teach a businessman's Bible class in Orlando during the month of February. Members in this class made it possible for us to hold the Chaplains Training School in Santa Cruz, Bolivia in November. At the beginning of the second Bible study in February, the men asked for an update on Bolivia. I closed the report by telling them we needed $15,000 in order to fund the ministry in 2009. By the end of the class, the total amount was raised, and the ministry in Bolivia began on March 1, 2009! Thank you, brothers, for making this possible! Good News International opened its 22nd country to prison ministry with the appointment of 3 full-time chaplains in Bolivia.

One of the men in the Bible study in Orland introduced me to Keith Taylor and Bo Cooksey, executive leaders of Missionary Ventures, a wonderful missions organization. The Christian Bikers Association provide $15,000 through Missionary Ventures to buy 10 bicycles and 8 motorbikes for our chaplains in Lithuania, Malawi, Philippines, Kenya, and Uganda! We are so grateful for this wonderful Christian organization, and the privilege to partner with them. Our chaplains are greatly blessed with this new means of transportation!

It was also a delight to meet the sister in the Lord, and her mother, who designed the template for our Summary Reports. She came to faith in Christ in the Orange County Detention Center several years ago, served time in a Florida state prison, and is now a businesswoman and faithful member of a supporting church. We are delighted to have this new tool in order to keep our donors up-to-date with their investments. We plan to provide these updated Summary Reports to donors who have an interest in a specific country. We have also created a general overview of the international ministry in the same form as the Summary Reports. God is so faithful!

South Carolina
As many of you know, the Fletcher siblings have a mini-reunion in Hilton Head for a few days in March. It was a great blessing to gather with my brothers/sisters and spouses, as well as the two widows of my eldest brothers in Heaven. We also enjoyed our time visiting with the donors and speaking in churches in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Savannah, Bluffton, and Richmond. A couple in Atlanta gave a gift to totally fund our ministry in Tyumen, Siberia. Another couple in Florida underwrites our ministry in Ukraine. Churches like Grace Community in Hilton Head, LowCountry Community in Bluffton, and Ferguson Avenue Baptist in Savannah have a great investment in our ministries in Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, India, and the Philippines. It is such an encouragement to meet with these dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are so generous. Thank you!

Pennsylvania
On the way home, Muriel and I stopped in York, and celebrated Donna's 41st birthday and Graham's (eldest grandson) 12th birthday. It was also a special joy to co-officiate with our son-in-law Don, an associate pastor at Church of the Open Door, at the baptism of Connor, their youngest son.

Muriel and I had a wonderful visit with two of our dearest friends, John and Joanne Malone. God used John to introduce me to prison ministry forty-four years ago on my first day as a student at Washington Bible College. John was the second chaplain with Good News, and invited me to go to jail with him. I never got out of jail while attending Bible college! John and Joann went to Ecuador as missionaries with Gospel Missionary Union (now Avant), and served among the Quechua Indians for 15 years. I was appointed as the 3rd chaplain with Good News as John's replacement in 1966. John and Joanne returned to the USA where John served as pastor of missions for 18 years at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, VA. Muriel and I have never known a more faithful and devoted Christian couple in all our lives. John is under hospice care with prostate cancer, and I would encourage you to pray for them.

It really is good to be back home, but what an encouragement our family and friends all over the country have been to us in ministry. These are challenging and great days to serve the Lord. We are all mindful of the fact that time in short at its longest, and eternity is ahead. May the Lord give us spiritual, eternal, and heavenly perspective as we serve Him. Thank you for your partnership.

Philippians 3:20-21

In His Mighty Love,

Harry E. Fletcher, D. Min.
Vice President of International Ministry and Pastoral Care

Praises

• For a wonderful and productive time in FL and SC, and for safety in over 9,000 miles
• For the wonderful physical family and spiritual family God has given us
• For the privilege to serve the Lord in the prisons around the world

Prayer

• For God to continue to raise up the prayer and financial partners to sustain this ministry
• For God's blessing upon our chaplains serving in dark and difficult places in 22 countries

Ministry at a Glance: 2008 Total Statistics

Chaplains
325 International, 410 Worldwide

Recommitments
31,008 international, 45,894 worldwide

Decisions
71,132 international, 80,979 worldwide

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry

Dear Victory Baptist Church,

We want to take this time to thank you for your faithful and generous gifts. Your partnership with us in this ministry has enabled us to finish 2008 well. In particular, the month of December was marked by a significant increase in support, enabling us to purchase more Bibles and special awards Bibles.

Overall, the year was incredibly blessed! There were more than 760 decisions for Christ, nearly 800 recommitments, and almost 8,000 Bibles and New Testaments handed out. Almost 19,000 lessons were graded and returned, and 45 award Bibles were given out. Those are wonderful statistics!

Consider this: In each lesson unit, there are 8 lessons, with 54 questions, and two essays. An inmate that completes all 28 units is awarded a special Bible. That is 11,796 questions answered and 428 essays!

You are a very special and vital party of this ministry. We love you and appreciate you, and look forward to seeing you at our annual banquet on April 24th.

God bless you,
Chaplain Paul Burress and Chaplain Ron Morse

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas,

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)

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry - September

Chaplain’s Corner

I am so thankful and excited to announce that Ron Morse has joined us as our new full-time Chaplain.

Ron Morse was raised in Central New York and moved with his family to Rochester in 1970. In 1971, Ron joined the Army and served for nearly twenty years in both active duty and in the reserves. Ron is a graduate of Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1995, Ron was ordained into the ministry at Victory Baptist Church in Roches­ter and planted a church in the inner city. Ron has pastored Victory in the City Baptist Church since 1995. He, along with Pastor Dennis Tieppo, opened an aftercare ministry called His Way House in 2003. His Way House is a transitional ministry for recently re­leased inmates from local county jails and New York State Prisons. He has admin­istrated the house since its opening. Ron is also the author of More Than Sin, a book designed for Christian counselors on under­standing and minis­tering to those with addictive behav­ior. The book is an expanded version of the CLEAN Ad­diction Recovery Ministry that he wrote to counsel inmates suffering from addiction. The CLEAN ministry is currently run­ning in 23 churches and 16 jails in New York, and is also in Penn­sylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida, and Texas.

Ron and his wife Marion live Rochester. They have three daughters: Claudia Eloise Jabieski, Brittany Ann, and Briana Lynn; son-in-law Blake Jabieski; and three grand­children: Dara, Amaris, and Chester.

It is an honor and a bless­ing to have Ron serving alongside me in this life-changing ministry.

Chaplain Paul Burress

Volunteer Spotlight!

What a blessing it has been to be a volunteer with Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. I teach a Bible study, and whether there is one inmate or ten in attendance, it blesses me to have been able to minister to them. The inmates are always respectful and appreciative of my coming to share God's Word with them. Many of them are willing, for the first time, to consider Jesus as the answer to their problems. That is why it is so important to have someone there to share what Jesus has done in his own life and to share what He can do for them. They need to hear the good news! It makes my day and blesses my heart every time I get to share Jesus through the opportunities that Good News Jail & Prison
Ministry gives me.

God bless,
Brent Snyder

Praise/Prayer Requests

We praise God for the faithful supporters of the jail ministry, whether they are prayer partners, volunteers, financial partners, or any combination of the three – Thank you!

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 our new Chaplain and his family as he transitions into this new full-time mission.

A letter from Prison

One thing I have found to be so sad over the years in prison is how many men get wrapped up in cults. The body of Christ has really dropped the ball in most places. It is so good to hear that that is not happening in Rochester. I have been praying for you and your min­istry there.

Please pray for the men in the State Prisons, and for the men and women of the Church who I am sure God is calling and leading to work in Jail & Prison Ministry. There is little or no glory in working with those the world calls failures, but isn’t that exactly who Jesus hung out with? Let people know that those of us inside who do know Him are working to share the light and life, but without out­side support it is far harder, and for many men too discour­aging. I am learning how to serve with a real desire and love and not just out of obliga­tion. I realized how much pride I used to have, even after getting locked up! It is amaz­ing how self deceived we can be about our spiritual maturity level. Even in the face of clear evidence of a total bankrupt character, we still try to moral­ize or justify our foolish wicked hearts. Thank God for His loving kindness and patience! For too many years I held a double minded view, and it is stripped away day by day. I am learning the joy of the cross.

I am so blessed to have men like you in my life to model the real truth of the Gospel. Let us continue the race. Pray for me so that I can really be salt and light. God Bless you. Thank you for remembering those of us who are forgotten.

Your little brother in Christ

Rick (not his real name)

Coming up

Fall

Motorcyle Run!

October 11 is our Fall Good News Motorcycle Run. Please come ride with us. (Muscle cars are welcome to come along!) We are going to have a blast and raise some money for this life- changing ministry at the same time. We will start out with a free breakfast at Bugaboo Creek Steak House in Henrietta and then take a scenic ride through Letchworth State Park. Registration starts at Bugaboo at 7:30 am. We will have breakfast and testimonies starting at 8:00 am and will be leaving for our ride at 9:00 am. We are asking all riders to self-sponsor and try to get others to sponsor as well. All donors will receive a tax write-off. Help us lower crime in our community one life at a time!

ANNUAL

PRAYER BREAKFAST

We will be having our annual prayer breakfast on November 1 at 8:00 am at North Baptist Church. This is a holy time when we come to­gether as a ministry family and fervently pray for our ministry. We will have a great breakfast and a wonder­ful time of fellowship. Breakfast is free, and we will be asking for a donation for our local ministry. You do not want to miss it!

UNITED WAY

Don’t forget you can donate through the United Way by designating #1138.

Thank You

Paul Burress (Good News Jail and Prison Ministry) - July 08

MINISTRY FACTS
• Good News Jail & Prison Ministry was established in 1961
• Provides full-time professional Christian chaplains to jails & prisons
• 90 chaplains in 24 states
• 306 chaplains in 22 foreign countries and 1 U.S. territory
• 366 facilities served nationally / internationally
• Supported entirely by private contributions

MINISTRY STATISTICS
• 510 decisions for Christ
• 386 recommitments to Christ
• 72 church services held (Wayne County Jail only)
• 2,016 attending church services (Wayne County Jail only)
• 429 Bible Classes Held
• 3,861 attending Bible classes
• 5,580 counseling sessions conducted by chaplains
• 49,507 counseling sessions conducted by volunteers

WISH LIST
• 8,000 Bibles (soft cover) to distribute to inmates
• Dedicated men & women from the community to serve as President’s Council members. (We need a total of 15 members).
• Volunteer help with our grading team
• Professional printing services for promotional flyers and information
• Church contacts (1-2) from each supporting church to help promote Special Events in 2008
• Christian Magazines & Daily Breads
• Soft Cover Christian books
• 25+ new dedicated volunteers to work inside our jails
• Volunteer office helper knowledgeable in computers and office management

PRAY FOR
• For wisdom as we search for the Chaplain God has chosen to work with us in this ministry
• 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

YOU CAN HELP!
Mark any donations on your offering envelope “Good News Jail & Prison Ministry: Paul Burress”

For Updates Visit:
www.goodnewsjail.org