I sat in the floor of Jeff’s 6' x 8' cell as we discussed the Gospel. After a brief overview of what it means to repent of our sins, trust Jesus Christ, and be saved, Jeff shared his testimony with me. Jeff had been in prison the majority of his adult life. However there had been a time that he made a confession of faith and had lived for the Lord. He expounded on how he would look forward to gathering for fellowship with God’s people; he read his Bible daily, and sought the Lord. For the first time as an adult, Jeff had held down a good job and stayed sober, but then he was sucked back in.
He let his guard down after he had dated a lady from church for a while. They ended up moving in together and living in sin. Jeff, while for once in his life had been living in victory, lost his closeness with God as he began to spiral downwards back into a life of addiction and crime. At a crucial time, when he needed safety from a constant tugging world, Jeff had no SafeHaven.
We see many men come to Christ through our churches Jail Ministries in DeSoto County. Men from all walks of life, with different types of crimes, some disowned by family and friends, come to the chapel on Wednesday nights to hear that there is still hope - And His name is Jesus! We see Disciples of Christ made, lives touched and changed. Even gang bangers lay down their “flags” to express total commitment to Christ. These men witness to and pray for their cell mates. They are studying the word, and have abandoned their old way of seeing the world around them for Biblical world view.
Now pause with me just for a minute to consider their situation. They never went to church before now. They don’t have many Christian friends or examples to follow in the “free world”. These new babes in Christ have no where positive to turn when they are released. They have no job, they have no money, and they have no vehicle or shelter. Some are able to stay with old friends until they can get back on their feet, but often things don’t move as quickly as they would like. A few weeks without a job, still around their old strongholds, living with their old buddies, finally culminates into these precious babes falling back into the bondage they have been freed from.
What could we be doing as representatives of Christ in our community to help these men transition into obedient soldiers for Christ? How can they effectively stay focused on God and grow as no longer convicts for Christ, but godly husbands, fathers, sons, and friends? How can we help them reach others? Help is coming! Help is coming in the form of a non-profit religious based transitional house and program. Men from four different churches in our association who are involved in jail ministries at the Desoto County Jail have come together over the past several months to research, draw-up, and incorporate SafeHaven of North Mississippi, Inc.
In the next few months we will be answering questions while looking for partners to join us in the support of this new work. It is necessary that God’s people pull together to help the down trodden. Please be in prayer as God leads us to look for property and operational funds. - Trey Clenney