What’s Up!
How does our efforts affect the insiders at a prison? Check out what MCF-Faribault insiders had to say about the recent Charis weekend! (Download here)
Charis letter to all members
Posted 12/2007
“I just love the PRISONER 2 PRISONER devotional we get each month. It is so meaningful to read what people in our same situation write about our God.”
“I didn’t get one this month. We always run out.”
These are quotes from inmates at Shakopee Correctional Institution. The Charis ministry purchases and sends 800 of these devotionals to five prisons every other month.
As a ministry we continue to be very active in Minnesota prisons. In October alone we sponsored four weekends: October 4-7 at FCI Sandstone and FMC Rochester and October 18-21 at MCF Faribault and MCF Shakopee. These weekends involved well over 100 team members from the outside as well as many inside team members...along with hundreds of insiders.
We all have one goal in our hearts: to bring the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to our incarcerated brothers and sisters. And they tell us we are making a difference in their lives. They become filled with hope, believing that Jesus Christ can change their lives permanently. They see volunteers radiating love for the Lord, and they want it for themselves.
You might not be aware of expenses associated with this ministry:
- We pay $2,500 per year for rental space for Charis supplies;
- We recently purchased 24 clear-plastic storage bins to comply with prison security;
- So far in 2007 we have purchased $1,300 worth of Bibles, including higher-priced women’s devotional Bibles for MCF-Shakopee and large-print Bibles for vision-impaired and aging inmates;
- We purchase a variety of supplies for each weekend: paper, folders, name-tag holders, markers, flowers, and more;
- In state prisons, we are required to pay more than $500 for food eaten by team members on a weekend;
- We purchased round tables to be used on the weekends because we couldn’t always borrow what we needed.
While team members have been very generous with their financial gifts, JOG donations alone do not cover the cost of weekends. In addition, the team members also pay the cost of hotel rooms for most weekends. Housing scholarships for hotel rooms would be a blessing!
We know you all have hearts for our Charis Ministry. Jesus says in His Word; “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If you are led by God to share a part of your treasure with Charis of Minnesota, we would be blessed!
New Storage Facility
For
many years the Charis ministry has kept all of its supplies at a
location in Bloomington. The sale of this property triggered a move
to a new location in Edina. With many able hands, the work was accomplished
in a few short hours. New shelving was installed and everything placed
on shelves – just in time for the fall weekends!
Many hands make light work. (l-r Bruce Kemper, Del Thoelke, Kurt Koski, Sharon Solberg, Shirley Boeser, Janet Leck)