Hope Shows Benefit with Addison Road's Jenny Simmons

My first prison concert experience two years ago left me “gloriously ruined” (Kay Warren term ) for traditional music events, but our recent visit with the women at Greenville Federal Correctional Institute (Greenville, IL) left me a bit speechless … I don’t mean to sound so dramatic, but I think a few of us departed the facility a bit stunned at how God showed up.

Since they couldn’t allow cameras inside at this facility, I’ll do my best to paint a few word pictures of the evening:

First, for me, the fact that we were there at all – after two  years of confusion, anticipation and uncertainty regarding if and how Hope Shows would continue to provide Christian concerts in prisons – humbled me. I was so thankful God orchestrated another opportunity (the first Hope Shows prison concert featured Sara Groves in December 2009). Albeit a fairy energetic individual, I instead found myself just watching, smiling, and admiring God … standing in awe of His creativity.

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First story of the night … We’re all set. Greenville College CCM Professor, Gary Erickson, and student assistant, Caleb Loeppky, make a few finals tweaks on the sound system (such a gift!). My awesome ( TY Target) pink and white light trees stand at four corners, framing and lighting our stage area.  Sound check is done. The artists and volunteers are munching down on a few of “my favorite things” snacks and sweets (candy cane kisses, mint M&M’s, white chocolate-covered pretzels and gummy bears) I brought to accompany our dinner snack. I’m writing down a few notes to guide my comments to the ladies … and then Addison Road‘s Jenny Simmons calls my name.

I look over to see Jenny kneeling on the floor, holding the hand of a young lady in the front row. They both have huge tears collecting in their eyes. I was surprised by the sight, but didn’t have much time to process it before Jenny shared that this young lady was a good friend of hers from high school in Texas (10 hours away). They had cheered together, volunteered together, laughed together and, I’m sure, cried together … and now God had brought them unexpectedly together in this holy place.

I believe this encounter did a few things … it put a face on the inmates Jenny would minister to that night, it comforted a young girl we later learned (from her roommate) was really struggling with loneliness as she continued to lead the prison’s praise and worship team, and it connected the “us-es” and the “thems” in the room through their joint tears. As much as I believed we needed to be there, should be there and wanted to be there that night, I felt a sense of attachment to this specific community that didn’t exist before I saw Jenny kneeling at the feet of one of the ladies we came to encourage.

God working through Jenny proved a lasting memory of the night. Her authenticity, sharing with the women about her own struggles, her stories of redemption and and her honesty shone through word and song out to the prison community around her. At the end of the night Jenny shared with the audience her shock at seeing her high school friend, and closed with, “I didn’t even know what a prisoner looks like, and then I saw my friend from high school walk in the room. All I see is beautiful women here.”

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I don’t think I’ll ever forget the chorus of sniffling that accompanied Jenny’s perfectly-chosen song list, starting with the first notes and flowing freely throughout the night as the ladies expressed teary appreciation on their way back to their dorms. Ladies seated in chairs and on bleachers in the well-used multi-purpose gym initially sought to hold back emotion, but as the evening went on, defenses were lowered and the room was bathed in watery-eyed smiles.

It was a good night, but a bittersweet one as well. Life is hard. Life is painful. Life has consequences. For us to whom the grace of freedom has been granted, we are called to care for those imprisoned by their pain, their choices and choices of others. Life is not what they hoped it would be, and may not be for days, weeks, months or years.

But there is hope, hope of the saving, redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ who rebuilds, restores and recreates new lives out of our past ones in miraculous ways that make Plan B, Plan C or Plan Z seem like a beautiful, even more valuable Plan A (thanks Pastor Doug Newton). He uses it all for our good and His glory.

We have to trust in the darkness of life that God is working when we can’t see Him – or even when we don’t acknowledge Him – on our behalf for a unique purpose.

As the night went on we started to see ladies get up, go to the bathroom and get toilet paper Kleenexes for their friends. At one point the growing sound of sniffling motivated Doris, one of the inmates assisting us with the event, to retrieve new rolls of toilet paper from another section of the gym. What was, at first, quiet attempts to assist crying friends became an openly-acknowledge struggle for most of the crowd, and Doris’ gift of new toilet paper rolls made a lot of the women chuckle.

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Jenny provided a beautiful soundtrack for the night … “My Story,” “All That Matters,” “Change in the Making,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and a personal favorite, “Hope Now,” emphasized the message of redemption and hope we sought to present to the women (check out the lyrics to each). St. Louis guest violinist, Mitchell Kirby, transformed the room with his moving performance of “Silent Night.” Jenny motivated the women early on with “Fight Another Day,” and her well-received rendition of Bruno Mars’ hit, “Just the Way You Are,” got the girls singing along:

When I see your face | There’s not a thing that I would change | ‘Cause you’re amazing | Just the way you are
And when you smile | The whole world stops and stares for a while | ‘Cause girl you’re amazing | Just the way you are

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This was the first time Hope Shows implemented a new initiative to fill a prison library with hope through a collection of my favorite things written by Beth Moore, Karen Kingsbury (girls need good fiction as much as they need good Scripture ), John Eldredge and even a little Dave Ramsey and Financial Peace (especially valuable for those preparing to re-enter society and new life awaiting them on the outside). Because of the minimum-security level of the camp, we were also allowed to bring in CDs by CCM favorites, Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, tobyMac, Brandon Heath, Francesca Battistelli, popular Latin American Christian artist, Alex Campos, and, of course, Addison Road. These resources were donated as “hope” we could leave with them after we were gone … words and music that could surround them with the Gospel.

As the women were leaving, one young lady stopped me on the way out and said, “I’m not a Christian, but you make me want to be.” To which I responded, “Well, we left a lot of resources in the library to help you with that.” ).

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I can’t close this post without saying Thank You …

• to Addison Road and Jenny Simmons, for her music, her heart and her words
• to Jon Meyer, backing up Jenny on guitar and BGVs and an artist in his own right, for your participation
• to Mitchell Kirby and his parents, a remarkable young violinist from Troy, MO, who made the tw0-hour trip two days in a row (on school nights! ) to accompany Jenny with beautiful music
• to Greenville College for hosting the benefit event and for GC faculty and student support of both nights, including CCM Professor Gary Erickson and student assistant, Caleb Loeppky with sound production, GC Prison Club director, Kent Dunnington, and his students, Carli Marlowe, Darci Sample, Ashley Sharp and Jaison Ashbaugh with event coordination assistance, and CCM student performers at the benefit
• to Daisy, a GC student willing to share her testimony of brokenness, healing and hope following two briefs incarcerations
• to Greenville Federal Correctional Institute, Chaplain Thayer, Ski Lirious, Jennifer and the other counselors and guards assisting with the night. Ski spent a great deal of time managing background checks, equipment approvals and staff concerns regarding the prison event. The staff was wonderful to work with and the logistics (seemingly ) went off without a hitch.
• to my son, Taylor, the first of my three men to attend a Hope Shows prison concert. Your help was greatly appreciated, but I’m even more thankful one of you had the chance to see first-hand this ministry passion driving your mom.
• to all our Hope Shows donors, without whom there would be no prison concerts. These concerts are a direct reflection of your support. I hope you see the beauty of what you’ve provided when you look in the mirror.
• and, to the Clapham Group, Troy and Sara Groves and the “Human Dignity and Rights Talent Team.” Your grant in support of activities designed to bring human dignity to incarcerated communities made this prison concert possible. This foundational gift opened the door for Hope Shows to move forward with this Greenville FCI event prior to the benefit concert.

Hope Shows Presents Greenville FCI Prison Benefit, Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Hope Shows presents “Rehearse Hope: Girls Night Out @ Greenville College 4 Girls Night In @ Greenville FCI” benefit, featuring Jenny Simmons of Addison Road and special music by Greenville College Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) students, held on Wednesday, December 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilson Recital Hall at the Whitlock Music Center on the campus of Greenville College.

The $10 ticket (pay at door) admits one person to the benefit event AND admits a female inmate to a prison show in the women’s minimum security camp at Greenville Federal Correctional Institute. A love offering will also be accepted for additional costs of the prison show.

“Hope Shows puts legs to the scriptural mandate to visit those in prison (Matthew 25),” states founder Robyn Lyn. “We bring the hope of the gospel as presented in Christian music to communities desperately in need of this message. We give prison communities our time, our talents and our care with the intention of leaving with them new hope, new resources and new direction for their future.”

Presenting a Christian concert in a prison setting provides Hope Shows a unique opportunity to connect with inmates who might never choose to read the Bible, meet with a counselor or pursue additional training and education. “Statistics such as ’80% of inmates lose 100% of contact with the outside world in two years’ and ‘At least 95% of all state prisoners will be released from prison at some point,’ motivate us to engage and encourage inmates toward new life-changing, future-reorienting choices, viewing their season of incarceration as preparation for new purpose, whether that purpose is lived out inside or outside the walls of their current facility.”

Hope Shows’ “Rehearse Hope” benefit events raise funds for prison shows as well as raise awareness for prison ministry. As the median age of prison ministry volunteers increases, the demand for the 40 and under generations to embrace prison ministry opportunities has also increased. “Rehearse Hope” benefit events highlight music of hope alongside stories of redemption of former inmates and family members of inmates, educating the audience to the possibilities for prison ministry in their community.

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Addison Road (www.addisonroad.com), featured at AgapeFest 2010, has released popular CCM radio singles, “Hope Now,” “What Do I Know of Holy,” “Fight Another Day,” and most recently, “This Little Light of Mine.” Lead Singer Jenny Simmons knows how to talk about brokenness, hope and healing with hurting communities. Audiences appreciate her empathy and love her openness to sharing in life with them.

Hope Shows (www.hopeshows.com) produces Christian music events in dark places and on behalf of people in difficult circumstances, including prison concerts and benefit events on behalf of prison ministry. Hope Shows also creates resources and campaigns designed to encourage, educate and equip people in ministry to inmates, former inmates and families of inmates.

Hope Shows events are sponsored by Tweet Hope consultants, providing social media management for socially-minded messaging initiatives.

For 2011 (as with the 2009 collection), the Hope Rocks Campaign is collecting new CDs (preferably shrink-wrapped) to encourage the girls of Mercy Ministries, a Christ-centered residential treatment program. It is our desire to provide significant CD libraries of Christian music produced in 2011 for each of the four Mercy Ministries homes in the United States (Monroe, LA, Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO and Sacramento, CA).

If you would like to participate in the Hope Rocks Christmas Collection, you can mail your CDs to:

Hope Rocks Campaign
P.O. Box 652
Greenville, IL 62246

Please postmark your contribution by Friday, December 16, 2011. Your purchase of Christian CDs will benefit the Mercy Ministries girls as well as support the ministries of Christian music artists.

Hope Shows
Hope Shows produces Christian concerts in prisons and benefit events on behalf of prison ministry.

Hope Rocks Campaign
In addition to raising funds for prison concerts and creating awareness for prison ministry, the Hope Rocks Campaign seeks to get Christian music to other places where it’s most needed.

Mercy Ministries
Since 1983, Mercy Ministries of America has provided hope and healing to generations of desperate young women who are seeking freedom from life-controlling problems such as: drug and alcohol addictions, depression, eating disorders, unplanned pregnancy, physical and sexual abuse, and self-harm. Their free-of-charge, biblically-based program serves a diverse population of young women from various socio-economic backgrounds, aged 13-28.

For those willing and/or interested in the topic of prison ministry, I thank you in advance for the time you invest in reading these posts.

But By Grace
Forward

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners.
- Hebrews 13:3

As I sat across the table from my sister’s best friend in a sterile visitors’ room filled with women dressed in matching blue apparel (and the friends and family visiting them), I knew that the young lady on the other side of our table could be my sister, or me. At that moment, like every visit to a prison since that day, the phrase, “But by the grace of God is this not me,” has humbled me and reminds me to be grace-full.

But, what am I to do with that grace? 1 Corinthians 15:10 states, “But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste”  (The Message, emphasis mine). God has called me to prison ministry, to work on His behalf on behalf of His beloved, incarcerated in our nation’s jails, prisons and juvenile detention centers. He’s called me to visit inmates with the hope of the Gospel (Matthew 25:36).

He’s also called me to remind those living on the outside of ominous walls and barbed-wire fences that “those people” could be us … and they equally worthy of our respect and care. Change the circumstances that launch us into adulthood and you change the trajectory of our journey.

One mistake, one poor choice, one bad day, one too many parties, one too many homeless nights, and any middle-class (lower-class, upper-class) young lady (like the one I was visiting) or young man (teenager, older woman or older man), could find their lives significantly altered by a desperate act, a selfish act, an accident or an intentional choice to break the law. We all break the Ten Commandments on a daily basis …

We are all sinners saved by God’s gift of grace through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8). As Lennie Spitale, author of Prison Ministry: Understanding Prison Culture Inside and Out, states, “Our ministry grants us the blessing of recognizing that everyone is wearing prison garb – and that grace knows no bounds.”

But By Grace will visit statics that impact the “potential for prison,” including low-income living, minority groups, substandard education, substance abuse and addictions, abuse, fatherless homes, children of inmates and mental health issues; AND explore the “potential for prison ministry,” opportunities to be the face of grace to inmates, former inmates and their families living in “the land of the free,” a nation that currently houses 25% of the world’s total prison population.

But By Grace will also address the 65% recidivism rate in light of these challenging circumstances, as many newly-released inmates return to the same situations from which they entered prison. I believe in the truth of Stephen Covey’s statement in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “if you put a good person in a bad system you’re going to get a back result.” We can invest our lives in creating new systems for former inmates in order to position them for new purpose and success in their lives outside prison walls.

But By Grace will call us to care for those affected by a season(s) of incarceration and provide a repository of resources from which we can withdraw opportunities for prison ministry.

“God blesses his people with extravagant grace so they might extend his extravagant glory to all the peoples on the earth,” states megachurch pastor and author, David Platt, in his book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. “God’s design for taking the gospel to the world is a slow, intentional, simple process that involves every one of his people sacrificing every facet of their lives to multiple the life of Christ in others,” “

The thing I find most amazing in amazing grace is the chance to give it out.
- Brandon Heath, “I’m Not Who I Was”

I guess I could have also titled this post, “Why I Want to Kiss the Fish,” in reference to another national Christian radio network, Salem Communications, “Why I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart,” for my friends (since high school, mind you) at Joy FM in St. Louis, “Why I’d Give My Life for New Life,” the Illinois network of radio stations (WIBI, 91.5 WCIC FM, & WBGL) partnering with Hope Shows prison concerts in the region, “Why I’ve Got the Spirit,” in central Missouri and southern Indiana, or “Why I Stay on the WAY … FM,” a favorite of mine when I’m visiting Nashville, TN, West Palm Beach, FL or driving through Louisville, KY.

The point being … I believe in the surrounding hope of the Gospel as presented through Christian music AND the power of Christian music radio to both distribute the Word and facilitate communities of faith.

For those who know me, they know my passion for Christian music was birthed long ago under the tutelage of Amy Grant’s Straight Ahead, Michael W. Smith 2, Steve Camp and Kenny Marks. My young adult years in Nashville produced opportunities for me to participate in a number of Brian Mason Christmas parties (a popular Sunday morning DJ on a mainstream station in Nashville, TN), welcome Bob Augsburg and Way FM to Nashville, pay regular visits to WCBW (now Joy FM) friends at home in St. Louis, interact with well-known radio personalities Joe Battaglia and Greg Cassidy at Gospel Music Association’s Annual DJ-Artist Reception and watch heads turn as Christian radio’s godfather, John Rivers, would saunter into a room wearing his Texas-sized cowboy hat on his Texas-sized frame accompanied by his Texas-sized success in the industry.

As much as God tuned my heart into the music and lyrics of Christian music, He also tuned my attention and my appreciation for Christian music radio.

Throughout the last five years marketing AgapeFest, a Christian music festival in southern Illinois, I have loved growing my relationships with Christian music stations across Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky. As much as I have appreciated their partnership with the festival, I also have loved promoting their stations to our audiences … in particular, WIBI, a member of the New Life Media Network of stations based in Carlinville, IL, has served as our primary event sponsor, a relationship that eventually grew to include Hope Shows.

It was WIBI Station Manager Jeremiah Beck who first invited me to produce a prison concert. With their full support, along with the support of sister station 91.5 WCIC FM (and the valued support of their listeners), Hope Shows brought Sara Groves to the ladies at Lincoln Correctional Center.

This concert would not have happened without a specific interest in outreach to  prisoners in the region, a Matthew 25:36 directive, stirring in Jeremiah’s heart as he was reading Willowcreek Founding Pastor Bill Hybels’ Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision. As God was planting in my heart the idea of getting Christian music where it’s most needed, God was also growing a concern for communities of need in the mind and heart of the station manager of a large Christian music radio station.

And WIBI has responded to the needs of the poor, orphans, widows, the sick and those in prison, positioning themselves to promote the work of Convoy of Hope in Haiti, Compassion International, Project S.A.F.E. (Stuffed Animals for Emergencies) to bring love to children in local hospitals and Hope Shows, as well as sponsoring a regional car care day for single parents, partnering with a project to provide CDs to our military overseas, and collecting duffle bags for foster children who are often removed suddenly from their homes without anything in which to carry their belongings. As WIBI has engaged listeners to help those in need, God’s work has multiplied in the region.

In neighboring St. Louis, MO,  newly-expanded Joy FM invites their listeners to partner in monthly Project Joy outreach activities including summer missions trips, 5K fundraising events on behalf of Mercy Ministries, Myanmar outreach and crisis pregnancy centers,  and, most recently, tornado relief efforts in a neighboring community. While visiting Dallas last fall, I heard a Christian station promoting a Christian book and Bible drive to benefit area prison libraries.

When Jeremiah Beck and I discussed the logistical challenges of a prison concert early in the planning process, we both noted our concern for followup after the show. We talked about the importance of the prison chaplain, existing church ministries in each facility and encouraging churches to develop new prison ministries … all viable options. But when I placed my first call to a local prison chaplain, I found out that radio was the primary (oftentimes only) source of music for inmates.

Due to strict regulations at most levels of prison security, many inmates do not have access to CDs, iPods or other listening devices, but some have access to radio headsets. As he said this, I smiled as I quickly understood the opportunity for  Christian radio to continue the ministry started at the prison concert. They were one followup resource inmates could access 24/7. In their very limited surroundings … the Lincoln Correctional Center inmates could be surround by the hope and community offered through WIBI.

Christian radio has given voice to the Hands and Feet Project in Haiti founded by Audio Adrenaline, Mercy Ministries Biblically-based rehabilitation service to young women ages 13-28, Compassion International child sponsorships, the importance of adoption as shared by Steven Curtis Chapman and Show Hope, the needs of crisis pregnancy centers across the country, and, this past December, Hope Shows and prison ministry … as Sara Groves was heard across the country talking about her latest project, “O Holy Night” Tour Live: The Prison Show, recorded at our first Hope Shows prison concert.

As I heard the voices of the ladies of Lincoln Correctional Center joining in with Sara and her band on the song, “Carols,” I couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful to K-Love for playing the song for their listeners. The music helped to tell the story in ways words alone couldn’t … and it didn’t hurt that K-Love is the nation’s largest Christian music radio network.

So what?

• If you’re not listening, listen. If you live in a community without a Christian radio station, I encourage you to listen online (www.klove.com, www.air1.com, www.wayfm.com, www.94fmthefish.net, www.wibi.org, www.joyfmonline.com and many local and regional stations offer live streams). Surround yourself with hope throughout the day – at work, at home, in the car, on your iPod.
• Tell your friends and family. Someone you know needs to listen today. Post a link to your favorite Christian radio station on facebook, twitter and other social networking websites.
• Support your Christian music radio station. The nonprofit, listener-supported Christian music stations in your region rely on individual contributions, church donations and business underwriting to continue to do the work to which they’ve been called. They also need volunteers for sharathons, office work, prayer teams and special event support.
• Partner with your Christian station in outreach to your community. Attend benefit concerts, support cause-related initiatives and participate in outreach activities.

The melody, the chorus, the voice … all absolutely stunning and new. Somehow – and I don’t know how (possibly I became hypnotized by the simply-beautiful vocals halfway through the song?) – I never completely listened to the words (apparently). I knew it talked about a hurting woman in one verse, and I could sing you the chorus (don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that to you, but I do know the words), but, again, somehow I missed the third verse … until this morning:

What Love Really Means by JJ Heller

He’s waiting to die as he sits all alone
He’s a man in a cell who regrets what he’s done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul,
“Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home”

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said,
“I know you’ve murdered and I know you’ve lied
I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I…

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew”

The problem now becomes how to fit Third Day, Addison Road, Remedy Drive, downhere, Brandon Heath, Jason Gray, Sara Groves, Matthew West and JJ Heller into one prison, as I’m  not sure I can go into the next one without ALL of them. We’ve got some great people making some great music in the Christian music industry. I am honored to promote them.

For those who care for inmates and former inmates, please play them this song. (But first, get “What Love Really Means” (single) or When I’m With You (album)on iTunes so JJ can keep making beautiful music. )

January 11, 2011

Beth Moore recently turned my attention to Psalm 107:1-22:

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

² Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³ those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

¹⁰ Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
¹¹ because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
¹² So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
¹⁶ for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
¹⁸ They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
²⁰ He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
²² Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

Revelation 12:10-11 tells us:

“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony …

My years in public relations and marketing have taught me the value of story. My love of movies reminds me of my love of story. The success of movies such as, The Blind Side, has captured the attention of film producers, reminding them of the market value of true stories that testify to redeeming hope and love. And, more recently, Christian artist, Matthew West, released a new CD called The Story of Your Life, in which he chose to serve as a mouthpiece for the stories others have been unable to tell themselves … but stories that need to be heard.

As the new kid on the block, I know my worldview of prison ministry is limited, but from our first Hope Shows benefit event God has been emphasizing the importance of telling this story. This wasn’t what we set out to do … our initial plan was solely to visit inmates with the Gospel presented through music, but, through the response to the public dialogue mixed with my PR training, God directed my attention to the other side of the coin … yes, we were to visit prisoners, but we also have the opportunity to share their stories with those on the outside … enlisting more help in the care of inmates, former inmates and families of inmates.

I stated in my first public testimony about Hope Shows, “I … believe we have a young generation unfamiliar with Chuck Colson and unaware of the need for prison ministry in general.” Although not meant as criticism of PF, I was still surprised when I received an email from Drew Clyde the morning after I posted my comments on the Hope Shows website. In my defense, I had also mentioned a specific desire “to partner with Prison Fellowship, connecting inmates with their ministry when it’s available at their facility.” Drew’s role as director of the Next Generation Initiative, and developer of the “Forgive, Don’t Forget” campaign, put in him in the perfect position to continue this dialogue with me.

I have loved the opportunities to hear your stories at the last two Prison Fellowship’s Operation Starting Line (OSL) meetings and know there are more stories and more opportunities to get the word out about prison ministry in our communities. God has created a passion in me for getting the right stories and the right opportunities to the next generations of adults and young adults. Let’s respond to Don Smarto’s concern, voiced in his article, “Where Are the Younger Leaders” (PDF), about the number of current ministry leaders with grey hair.  We can do that in two ways, we can color our hair like I do , or we can reach out and engage those coming behind us … their time, their talents and their financial support.

I know the energy expended on behalf of ministry, administration and fundraising drains our time and our resources, but I just encourage you all to keep telling your stories … like the Koinonia House article we just received (“Wheaton Man Helps Ex-Cons Readjust to the Outside”). Stories educate, encourage and engage our audiences about our Jesus-driven mission to visit those in prison (Matthew 25:31-46).

I’d also love to put The DeMoss Group on the spot for our April meeting and suggest a time for some PR training, specifically focused on gaining the attention of new digital media and social networking outlets. (But my guess is that this is already in the works.) I won’t put you on the spot without offering to help.

I’ll just close with a thank you to Sara Groves and INO Records. Their investment in the release of a live CD from Sara’s Hope Shows prison concert brought the prison ministry conversation to Christian music fans, media outlets and radio stations, including an interview with Sara about prison ministry on K-Love, the nation’s largest Christian music radio network. She literally gave voice to the ladies at Lincoln Correctional Center when K-Love played the song, “Carols” from the live CD. For this song, Sara and her band had stepped out from behind the microphones and amps to sing with the women. Their collective voices resound with hope and serve to humanize those whose lives are lived behind bars.

I encourage us to continue “to sacrifice thank offerings” for His presence in this work of prison ministry and “to tell of His works” in our prisons “with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:22)

Victory will come “through the word of our testimony” and the testimonies of the inmates, former inmates and families of inmates we serve. (Revelation 12:11)

P.S. I came across this letter written by an inmate that closes out the final chapter in Lennie Spitale’s book, Prison Ministry: Understanding Prison Culture Inside and Out. It says what I was trying to say so much better than I said it:

Sometimes, when folks come to visit, they ask me what they can do. They usually mean they want to buy something for me, to provide something tangible. I like to tell them what I’m going to tell you this afternoon. I ask that they let the outside world know that the body of Christ is alive and well inside here. Tell them there is a remnant seeking God’s face, who has repented of the sins that put them in here and who has asked the Creator to help them stay free in Him so that there will be no further need of incarceration. Tell them that life goes on for those in the Lord.

Satan’s press wants the public to be afraid of us. The secular media focuses on what terrible things have been done by those of us living in here. The public does not know the whole story. You can help. The Lord needs you, we need you, to help balance the record. Please tell the world that Christ lives in prison. Please tell the prayer warriors in your community to lift up inmates in their regular prayers. Lives have been changed in this facility and places like it all over the world. Please tell people about it. You will be blessed for your efforts.

Sara Groves & the Ladies of LCC

Family-Friendly Morning Show Hosts, Melody and Jeremiah, Interview Sara Groves About Hope Shows Prison Christmas Concert and FREE Live Recording of Event

Transcript from Thursday, December 23, 2010.
Listen to audio at www.melodyandjeremiah.com.
View photos from the event at http://www.hopeshows.com/nggallery/page-776/album-1/gallery-2/.

Jeremiah: You’ve got a brand new Christmas CD out that people can download and listen to … and WIBI, our friends with Hope Shows, Robyn Florian, and the women at the Lincoln (IL) correctional facility had a small role in this Christmas album being recorded.

Sara: Yes, a big role.

Jeremiah: I was hoping you’d be able to share a little bit about what that experience was like coming in to Illinois and doing a Christmas prison concert at a women’s prison.

Sara: We wouldn’t have gotten in there if it wasn’t for you guys and for Hope Shows. We did not do any of the heavy lifting. You guys cleared the way for us to go, and share our hearts, and do what we were already doing out on the road. I’ve done prison ministry with my grandparents, who have served in prison volunteer work for 40 years, and I’ve gotten through with a guitar before, or maybe a keyboard, but I’ve never gotten through with an entire tour. It was a special night.

You’re in there somewhere cheering, Jeremiah. I think you can hear yourself cheering in there somewhere.

Jeremiah: I thought I was imagining it when I listened to it, but if you think that’s me, I’ll own that. That’s awesome.

Sara: We were recording every night from that tour. We were actually intending to put together a live album of all the different nights from different cities, but when we listened to that recording – and you were there, you know it was a special night – Troy [Sara’s husband] just said, “I want everybody to hear this, this is really special.”

LCC Ladies Show Hope Shows Tickets

We feel like the recording goes a long way to humanize these women in our prison population. The church is alive and well behind bars. There are, of course, women who are still bent on self destruction and self-destructive behaviors, but there are also women who are passionately serving Jesus … to get to minister to them is really cool. The Bible study group from the correctional center was in the back praying the whole time we were there as we were sharing.

It was just an incredible time to encourage the believers to share the Good News with those who hadn’t heard, and it came out in the recording, especially when we were lifting our voices together.

Jeremiah: First of all, to get your equipment in and out of the prison, everything had to be unpacked and inventoried and looked through – and when I say everything, I mean everything single thing had to be taken out – and they wouldn’t even let us get out of our vehicles at a certain point. We had to sit and wait through security, of course.

I was shocked, then, that you all were able to release the recording of this concert as a CD. How did that come together? How did that work out?

WCIC, WIBI, Hope Shows w/ Sara Groves

Sara:They [Lincoln Correctional Center and state prison staff] have been so gracious across the board. You just said it, but they bent over backwards. This was a lot of work for the warden, for the guards, for Hope Shows, and for the chaplain, Cynthia … it was just a lot of work for everybody, but I think that overall the message of the record is that these are women with hopes and dreams.

I hope this encourages other people to be a part of prison ministry and to think about the prisoner. We’ve had a lot of favor with this project, and I feel like God has been in it since the beginning.

On our Christmas tour, the theme of the night was that Jesus enters suffering that is not His own. We already had a family friend calling in from Chicago every single night of the tour who came to Christ through my grandparents’ prison ministry. He shared each night what it meant to have someone visit him in prison and to bring the Gospel to him at that time in his life.

So that was all in place before Robyn called us and said, “Would you bring this show into the prison?” She had no idea that this was the theme of our night, that this is what we were already talking about. It was such a neat experience … the whole thing felt like it was orchestrated from the beginning and we had a lot of favor and a lot of help from everybody at the prison.

Jeremiah: Sara, can I ask you to share the story you shared that night at the prison about your very first visit to a prison?

Sara: The man that called in each night to share, his name is John Thompson, and he was a new believer that year in 1972. It was his first Christmas as a Christian and my great grandma was reading the Christmas story. My grandparents were there, they were doing a special Christmas Eve service for about 200 men and, as John tells it, right on cue – right as Baby Jesus is born in the story – I started to cry at the back of the room (my mother had smuggled me in under her coat, which would not happen today ).

I was three months old, and John and I met first there. He shares the story every night [during the concert], and he loves to get to the part where he says, “And that baby was Sara Groves.” We were a makeshift nativity that night, my mom, my dad and I. John loves to tell that story, and he and my grandparents and I have kept in touch over these many years because of that story. We felt connected right from the beginning.

Melody: One of the things I love about this project is that prison ministry has been a part of your entire life, but I think for so many people that, although they feel led to do this, it feels a little intimidating. What would you say to someone who may feel led to be involved in prison ministry?

Visit "Present Hope for Prison Ministry" for a variety of opportunities to care for inmates, former inmates and their families.

Sara: It isn’t easy. You need to find the volunteer groups that are going in and you have to work with a lot of different systems, but it is so worthwhile. What I’ve done is such small fragment compared to what my grandparents did. They went inside for 40 years, two times a week, so faithfully. They made themselves a part of the everyday lives of the men across those years.

Prison ministry is so valuable. I think Jeremiah could testify to this too, but I talked to many women [at LCC] who were getting out in a really short amount of time. One woman was getting out that Friday. Most inmates are not in for life, they’re in for a time, and then they are our neighbors again. There’s such a desperate need for mentoring, and there’s such a desire for mentorship when they’re incarcerated.

[At LCC] there was a church serving there, and one of the things they were doing was cake decorating classes so the [LCC] women could learn a trade. The church does different types of classes based on the women’s abilities in the church. These women are sharing out of their expertise, out of their gifts, and they were sharing these gifts with the [LCC] women, who probably didn’t have a lot of input from their mothers or another mentor. The dividends of this are just incredible.

I would encourage anyone considering prison ministry. It takes a little work to get into a volunteer program at a prison but your service will be so appreciated. I think, as always, when we go in with open hands to serve, God uses that.

Jeremiah: Please share with our listening family and friends how they can go about getting your CD. You can download the project for free and make a contribution toward future prison shows.

Sara: [The contributions] go to Hope Shows. When it says, “Tip the Artist,” any of that goes to Hope Shows. You can go to our website, www.saragroves.com and download the full record for FREE!

Melody: It’s definitely worth it, the music is incredible. … You can hear it in the recording, when you listen to the music, that is really is all of these women coming together for this incredible night of music. It’s so easy for us to go, “Oh, those are those people who are behind bars,” instead of realizing these are moms and sisters and daughters and people with a past and with a very real future.

Sara: … and hopes and dreams. You hear that when they’re singing, “Oh come let us adore Him.” It’s such a neat moment.

Jeremiah: It was so impactful at the end of the night, as they were orderly dismissing the women, we made it a point to thank every single one of the women who came personally. They just adored getting a hug or a handshake, and were genuinely appreciative, Sara, that you and your band came to do that concert. I’ll never forget it.

I know that you made an impact on their lives, something that God will be able to use for years to come. Thanks for doing it. Thank you for releasing the music so that people can hear it. And thanks for spending time with us today, it’s been awesome.

Sara: We wouldn’t have been able to do it without your station and the support of your listeners, so thank you all.

"My Prison Cell of Loneliness" by Robert Barber (Artist's Note: I wanted to give the feeling of loneliness. There is still hope though which is why the light from the moon shines through the prison bars.)

… and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Isaiah 58:10

In a spiritual economy where our time is as valuable as our money, we’re challenged to spend ourselves as wisely as we spend our money. If we allow the priorities of God, others and ourselves to define the structure of our day and our relationships, God’s blessings await.

He promises to be our light in darkness, to guide us always, to satisfy our needs in the desert seasons of life, to strengthen our frame, to refresh us so that we can keep on keeping on the journey He has for us ahead (Isaiah 58:11 according to Robyn). And here’s the deal … I now know this to be true.

I thought it was true when I had a consistent income, a team of co-workers I loved, all my children in one house, a variety of leadership opportunities in my profession and a plan … life felt safe. Not perfect. Not as I thought it would be. But good, and safe.

Then God initiated change in my life. Children grow up and leave for college, co-workers move, career paths are redirected … and in this midst of all of this He called me to spend myself in a way I didn’t see coming. And, in order to spend myself in new ways, I had to let go of former places of security and trust Him like I have never trusted Him before.

“Safe” has become a relative term … I once heard the statement, “You’re never more safe or blessed than when you’re in the middle of God’s will.” Somewhere along the way, I think I traded “safe” in for “confidence” that God is working to bring about a new purpose and that I can trust Him to complete this work as He deems best.

For many of us in this challenging financial economy, the last few years have not been a season of excess, but a season of manna. When we’re living off manna, the daily provision of just what we need like God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, we’re tempted to hoard what we have out of fear and insecurity about future provision.

But, when God calls … journeys are redefined, uncertainty oftentimes becomes a daily companion, confidence in Christ is our only hope, and new things spring up.

A Little History

For some reason that only God can remember (because I can’t ), I read Chuck Colson’s book, Born Again, in the early 1980s while I was in high school. “In 1974 Charles W. Colson pleaded guilty to Watergate-related offenses and, after a tumultuous investigation, served seven months in prison. In his search for meaning and purpose in the face of the Watergate scandal, Colson penned Born Again” (book description). “Prison Fellowship, founded by Chuck Colson, reaches out to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families both as an act of service to Jesus Christ and as a contribution to restoring peace to our cities and communities endangered by crime” (Prison Fellowship).  In hindsight, I can see that God began a work in my heart toward prison ministry decades ago.

Fifteen years ago, my father and I visited a close family friend in a Florida medium-security women’s prison. As we tried to love her across a cold table in a sterile visiting room, I took in the prison-imposed limits on her life, all the children visiting their moms who were confined to this facility and the overwhelming pain of incarceration.

Living in Nashville at the time, I looked into the possibilities of prison ministry at a women’s state prison in West Nashville … and then God moved us to Greenville (IL). Greenville is home to a federal correctional facility, but at the time it housed men in both the minimum-security camp and the medium-security prison. Not feeling led to continue my pursuit of prison ministry at the time, I invested in family, work and church. I had no idea what God had started growing in my heart at the time.

In the fifteen years since, I have invested my time in raising three incredible young men, growing in the field of nonprofit PR and marketing, producing Christian music events and educational conferences and seeking various ways to minister to those dealing with depression.

And fifteen years later, God put all these pieces together in a new ministry direction, Hope Shows … and He gave new meaning to this long-dormant interest in prison ministry. (Read “Hope Shows Testimony” for more on the story. )

In all my years of event production and nonprofit work, nothing has compared to the evening of December 12, 2009 (see video) … as I stood amongst 500 ladies from Lincoln Correctional Center listening to Christian artist, Sara Groves, minister to them through music, I knew I was “gloriously ruined”* for traditional concerts. Their smiles, their voices, their stories, their pain, their hope and their gratitude resound through my mind and heart as Hope Shows invests in more prison concerts, more benefit events and more resources on their behalf.

Present Hope for Prison Ministry

Sometimes the greatest challenge in “spending” yourself, is knowing how and where to invest your time. When I first became interested in prison ministry, it took a little investigating to figure out how to get involved at the Tennessee prison. Now, with Hope Shows, I again find myself discovering new systems, making important connections and learning the ropes. I’m still learning, but believe that Hope Shows is about producing resources as well as prison concerts and benefit events … so we have produced our first resource.

Present Hope for Prison Ministry is a NEW resource designed to serve as a repository of ideas, contacts and programs for prison ministry … a layman’s guide for individuals, churches and corrections officers to spend themselves on behalf of inmates, former inmates and families of inmates. As new and unique opportunities to participate in prison ministry present themselves, we’ll add them to this Present Hope resource.

This is in no way an exhaustive list … just some ideas to help those interested in prison ministry find their way in through in-prison care, after-care ministry or ministry to families of inmates.

Not everyone that is called to prison ministry is called to physically enter a prison. Present Hope offers suggestions for a letter writing ministry, donating books and Bibles to prison libraries, financial support for prison programs and many other ways to care for inmates. Present Hope also provides numerous opportunities to care for former inmates and families of inmates on the outside.

Only God can use it all like He has in the development of Hope Shows … in addition to my professional experiences and desire for ministry, my years as a single parent gave  me understanding for the struggles the spouses of inmates experience caring for their families on one income; deep heartbreak and loss of relationships granted me a glimpse of the grief inmates experience while separated from loved ones; the loneliness of many years of singleness produced empathy for the lonesome living life inside prison cells; my mistakes and the pain caused by others have taught me that life is a little more complicated than we once thought, and about the need for repentance and forgiveness; and the hope of healing and new life encourages all of us to journey forward toward a God who loves us and promises to make something new and valuable out of our broken pieces.

So, from a grace-fueled wealth of faith and hope, the team at Hope Shows seeks to spend ourselves on behalf of those in prison, visiting them in their time of need and reminding others of the call to care for the incarcerated. In doing so, we hope He shines His light through this ministry on to those desperate for the hope only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can offer. We invite you to join us …

In her book, Say Yes to God, author Kay Warren writes, “Deliberately choosing to enter into the experience of a fellow human being sets the stage for God to make an entrance. … Choosing to suffer with proves our love for our Savior and at the same time proves to the least, the last, and the lost that there is a Savior who loves them.”

As I was in the process of writing this post, I was also getting a valuable dose of Louie Giglio (speaker, pastor, Passion founder) … His November 21, 2010 message at Passion City Church (Atlanta, GA), entitled, “Fully Alive,” addressed the significance of how we spend our days. He closes an incredible message with, “No one can rob you from the opportunity to invest your days well,” and encourages the Church to LIVE (Psalm 39:4-5), GIVE (Philippians 2:5-8, NASB) and LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:13). He states, “Protecting my life is not my mission, rather giving it away … that’s what You’ve called me to do.” (View Louie’s PCC messages online.)

And Beth Moore, in her Bible study, A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place, states, “God has ordained that others may see the reality of His presence by the illumination of our lives shed forth! … Christ was the Olive Tree pressed to make available the pure oil of the Holy Spirit to fuel our lamps continually.”

Singer-songwriter Brandon Heath sheds light on His light with a new single, “Light In Me.” We can be His light and His hope to those burning out and growing dim if we spend ourselves on their behalf …

The Light In Me by Brandon Heath
(listen on YouTube)

My life before you
I was a flame burning down
I was burning out

But You knew me better
For You there was never a doubt
Not since You gave me Your light

Something was different
I knew it the instant
that you put the light in me

The spark, the shot to the heart
You are the hope that leads me out of the dark
You let your love shine down
so that the world can see
that you put the light in me
You put the light in me

You are the maker
You tell the sun when to rise
I’m just a house on a hill

But You make me brighter
Than all the stars in the sky
Keep me from growing dim

Cause in Your perfection
I’m just a reflection
So pull me closer to You

I’ll catch like a fire
And I’ll hold You higher
Cause you put the light in me

I’ll raise it high
I’ll let it show
From the rooftops down
To the streets below

In day and night
You will be known
And all will see
You put the light in me

(And I highly recommend you pre-order Brandon Heath’s NEW CD, Leaving Eden, on iTunes or grab the single, “The Light In Me”.)

* I borrowed the phrase “gloriously ruined” from Kay Warren’s book, Say Yes to God: A Call to Courageous Surrender. Wife of best-selling author/pastor, Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven® Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?), Kay Warren describes her transformational journey from her “safe” life as a suburban pastor’s wife to a riskier role as an international AIDS advocate after becoming “seriously disturbed” and “gloriously ruined” by a new-found concern for those affected by AIDS.

As presented at Greenville Free Methodist Church, Sunday, November 28, 2010

I recently came across the following quote, “Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future; faith is the ability to dance to it today.” (D Muir)

Although I didn’t see it coming when I attended my first Amy Grant concert as a teenager, God has directed Christian music to play an instrumental role in my life’s journey. With a name like Robyn, also the name for a migratory songbird, a quote like, “A bird does not sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song,” becomes a challenge to hope in the face of many questions.

I have spent the last 16 months watching God redeem great loss for new purpose. My only hope, from day one, has been a growing faith in Him to piece it all together … believing in a new song for this life He’s given me to live. As note by note falls into place, I’ve begun to more fully understand His creativity, love and power as He orchestrates a new plan that’s bringing to completion all that He has started in my life.

And He has shown up over and over again – as I’ve struggled with my hope – to remind me to keep my eyes on Him, as a violinist focuses on their conductor. I’m learning I can’t change the tune of anyone else, but in the face of free will, I’ve seen His grace produce amazing new chords I didn’t know existed.

While in this place of tension and uncertainty I have tried desperately to incline my ear toward the song He has selected for me and to dance to the best of my ability as I learn the steps. I have a feeling I look pretty awkward at times, but every once in a while I experience all this training come together for something beautiful.

Matt Hammit, lead singer of Christian band, Sanctus Real, recently wrote about this tension in a blog about his newborn son’s life-threatening health challenges. He states, “… tension is the place where the worst of life and the best of true hope meet to unveil our eyes to God’s artistic work of redemption. What a mighty and creatively loving God we serve. He allows us to know great pain, so that we can know the greater pleasure of trading it in for purpose.”

I believe God has called me to present the music of hope to those who need it most, and to help them voice their pain and their need to the church Jesus invited to care. I desire to dance as I take each step with Hope Shows and prison ministry, in celebration of the hope I have in His redeeming work in my life and in the lives of the inmates we serve.