Prison Ministry Update 10/20/11

Remnant Fellowship Prison Ministries continues to grow. There are now classes in Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee and Canada. Currently these classes are serving over 130 men and women inmates. Classes are now in five Georgia Prisons through the vision of Gwen Shamblin. And that vision is now bearing fruit with the addition of correspondence classes and inmate-run classes.  Teams continue to hold weekly classes at many locations in some cases traveling many hundreds of miles. One of the newer classes is being held at Macon State Prison where our own Joseph Smith is currently serving time. Joseph actively participates and testifies in the current class and it continues to grow as men’s lives are changed. It now numbers over 40 participants with others lined up to get into the next class.

The prison ministry team, including the MacPherson family, (pictured at top with Joseph), continues to be very encouraged weekly to hear what God is doing in the lives of these men and women through their letters and testimonies. Here are a few excerpts from those testimonies…

Nick shared after a few classes that he was inspired to pray to God because of the team’s testimonies of answered prayer. He said he prayed that if God was really there that He would show him an eagle in the sky. After looking up in the sky for two days with nothing on the third day he looked up and in the clouds was one with the shape of an eagle! Nick is 18 years old.

Sharon has been delivered from worry, 60 lbs, and does not fear getting released and going back to her old ways and habits that got her into the jail. She used to have no hope, was bitter and unforgiving but now she loves God and has many women surrounding her wanting to know what makes her so “positive”. She’s giving all glory to God for her changed heart, body and mind and finding this relationship with Him.

Mike has been taking many classes over the past years and has lost over 60lbs also. He LOVES the message of Truth that is transforming his heart and mind. Even with his life sentence his heart is full of love for God and joy and peace and he continually hungers for righteousness. He can’t wait to fellowship with like-minded believers and to testify to others around him of the True Gospel of Christ.

One interesting thing that’s happened in some of these prisoner “fellowship groups” is that they’ve been inspired to create religious themed arts and crafts for the Remnant members.  They routinely write letters and send hand made trinkets to different members of the church.  Joseph and his crafts team actually built a scale-model of the entire Remnant Church building, complete with interior and exterior design!  See the video at the bottom for more details on these artistic gifts.

Some of the reports we hear from the prisoners is that they just love the Strongholds and Weigh Down Advanced seminars that are offered along with all the other classes Weigh Down Ministries offers.  It’s not uncommon to hear stories of men and women waiting hours just to get a chance to sit in one of these classes.  One of the most exiting things that Remnant members gets to do in our services is hear a phone call over the loudspeaker from Joseph or Sonya Smith, piped in over the loudspeakers.  That always brings a smile to everyone’s face to hear how they are still pressing on for God.  It’s truly convicting to all of us that are not behind bars as we see how much effort these prisoners put into living lives purely devoted to God and laying down all their idols.  Remnant Fellowship praises God that He has allowed our church to be involved and help out communities all over the country in this way!  We’re also very appreciative of this far-reaching prison ministry vision by Gwen Shamblin and the hard-working and dedicated Prison Ministries Volunteers.  For more information visit the remnantfellowship.org website and click on the Ministry section.

Here’s a video about Joseph Smith and his artwork.   -MS