Ministry

Ministry

For 31 years I have been involved in jail and prison ministry. I began in 1979 at age 20 and joined Prisoners for Christ Outreach Ministries in 1993.

With PFC I am privileged to serve in various capacities:

Preaching in Jails and Prisons. Presently I am on a two-year plan to visit all DOC prisons and numerous county jails and juvenile institution in Washington State. I visit at least two locations every month. This is my greatest joy in the ministry and I've been doing it for years and years and years!
Dean, PFC University. PFC trains volunteers, and I write seminars, recruit teachers, and help the office in the organizing and execution of our twice-annual all-day training sessions. I've been leading this effort since 1997.
Board of Directors. Since 2004 I've served with other godly men on the board of directors for both Prisoners For
Christ as well as Standing Stones Ministry (our clean and sober home in Yakima). Presently I'm the secretary and also serve on the Finance Committee. This is a thankless job but, hey, leaders do what leaders do!
International Group Leader. Serve as chairman of the Advisory Council, and lead or co-lead one or two trips internationally every year since 2006. International Missions is grueling, and everyone should consider going at least once!
Manager, National Expansion. Presently we are working with a new team in Arizona, with other states in line for beginning PFC in-prison ministry services. I train and equip our new teams. This activity was initiated in 2009.
Short Term Missions. Annually I travel with Catalyst Worship Band to Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon as we invade numerous prisons and jails to present concerts and preach the gospel. One Fri/Sat/Sun in the summer. Always a highlight for the year!

Another prison ministry activity I'm involved with is the Washington Chaplains Association. I serve as Secretary there and am the webmaster (www.wca2000.org).

Check out this income cycle for non profits. I'm also on the Board of Directors for our aftercare facility, Northwest Transitional Living. (As opportunity presents itself I serve as guest preacher at various jails and prisons in Washington State.)

Jail and prison ministry has been a joy for me for many years. My personal testimony does not bespeak of someone who'd have a burden for prisoners, but then again I'm not in jails and prisons to share about how to roll a joint or steal a car, but rather how to live as a Christian and raise a Godly family - which I have done and am doing and by God's grace will continue to do. That is what the men want to hear about, and so I have a message for them! On May 21, 2004 I was interviewed on the KTBW-TV show "Public Report" hosted by George Pettingell. The subject was Crime and I discussed this topic and what Prisoners For Christ is doing in the arena of jails, prisons, and juvenile institutions. I have the 30-minute video tape of the show.

One of the "out of the box" activities I pursued in 2004 was playing the role of Peter in Cedar Park Church's annual Easter play "The Victor." There were eight showings leading up to Easter Sunday. The out of the box part including my first drama involvement since junior high school, as well as wearing lots of make-up (including eye-liner, foundation, and lipstick - yechh!). For the four core purposes of Cedar Park, click here. In 2005, and again in 2006, I was cast in the role of Cornelius, Captain of the Roman Guard. He's a mean-spirited, bad-attitude thug, but he gets saved in the end!

I joined Catalyst, a drama group headed by David and Michelle Potter (see their Drama Techniques paper). We presented the play "Bridge of Blood," the story of Jim Elliot and the four other missionaries killed by the Auca Indians in Ecuador in 1956. Truly an inspiring story. I played the role of pilot/missionary Nate Saint in 2004, and in 2005 I played the title role of Jim Elliot. Catalyst works with local churches for performances (I'm in charge of booking the performances). We present the play 8-12 times in churches, prisons, juvenile institutions, and para-church venues in western Washington. Use this bulletin announcement. Interested in being a part of Catalyst? Check out this online cast survey.

In 2008 I was provided the opportunity to preach at Cedar Park's Mt. Vernon church. The schedule is here. My former pastor, Pastor Rollie Capes, and his wife Dottie, joined the work too. He and I preached and taught many times. David Potter brought the Catalyst Worship Band on many occasions. What a blessing!

PRISON MINISTRY

PRISON TRAINING

MINISTRY HOMEPAGES

Prisoners For Christ
Cedar Park Church
Catalyst Drama
Prison Fellowship Ministries
Washington Chaplains Association
Dunklin Memorial Church (substance abuse center, see Trip Report)

MINISTRY STUDIES

PERSONAL

This site was last updated 07/02/11