Engaging the Church

While many Churches are engaged in the Correctional ministry, many are still in the dark on how to get involved in the ministry. Engaging the Church can involve simple raising awareness to the community, donations, and outreach ministries. Correctional ministry can give believers young and old an opportunity to witness the transformational power of Christ like no where else, by being a part of the transformational process through Christ.

Resources to assist in engaging the church

Churchgoer Views of Prison Ministry  A survey of 1006 American Churchgoers Conducted by Lifeway Research & Sponsored by the Correctional Ministries Institute, Prison Fellowship, CMCA and Kairos Prison Ministry International.

4 Simple Ways Churches Can Engage in Prison Ministry
This article by Dr. Karen Swanson, published by Lifeway Research, outlines 4 easy ways your church can minister to incarcerated individuals and their families.

Prison Ministry for Church Growth
Phil Vanauken from Baylor University describes 10 ways prison ministry helps churches grow:  “Prison ministry offers unique, vital opportunities for personal spiritual growth because volunteers get personally involved, even immersed, in the gospel basics: witnessing, Bible teaching, counseling, worship, and encouragement.

Modeling the Future of Religion in America
Last month, Pew Research Center released a study exploring how the religious composition of the United States might change by 2070. One of the conclusions that drew widespread attention is that Christians – who constituted 64% of the nation’s population in 2020 – may no longer be the majority five decades from now.

Faith Programs and Corrections Annotated Bibliography provided by Kairos

Creating Healing Communities: Empowering churches and a Faith-based reentry program.

The Implications of Meritocracy on the Church: Grace Erased for Incarcerated Individuals article in Christianity Today by Dominque DuBois Gulliard

Does Your Church Have Enough Samaritans? article in Christianity Today by Scott Larson

The Onesimus Workshop:  The purpose of the Onesimus Workshop is to orient churches to the process of welcoming former prisoners into the life of their church for building up the body of Christ.

Resources available to members

The following articles are found in the Members Section of the CMCA Website:

  • The Criminal Justice System and Going to Court
  • Adult Jail Visitation for Clergy
  • Adult Jail Visitation and Posting Bond
  • Ministry with Families of the Incarcerated
  • Jail Ministry Opportunities