Eye 2 Eye: When Church is Not Church

By Bishop Charles Scott
She forgot what she came for. She had left behind her valued possession. She was running faster and faster and could not contain her emotions. She felt a dry thirst in her mouth but an eternal satisfaction in her soul. She had just met Him, and she had to tell others about Him. She had but one simple message, “Come see a man . . . is not this the Christ?” She was not in church, but she was having church.

She released the aroma of the pungent perfume until it filled the air. She broke the box and released the fragrance until every drop of the atmosphere was drenched in the odor. She did not care that she was being criticized for her extreme worship. She refused to stop with the precious ointment; she continued the lavish expression of praise by wiping His feet with her hair. She was not in church, but she was having church.

He felt no pain for the first time in years. He could see the scars from the cuts and bruises, but he knew he was healed. He did not want to leave Him. He wanted to stay with Him forever. He was a little afraid of the future, but he knew he was free from the past. He had a long trip ahead, but at least his mind was clear, his spirit was free and his soul had peace. He began to compose how to tell others what had happened. He had been bound for so long. He had hurt for so long. He had been alone for so long. He knew he could not wait until he reached his home; he had to tell someone, anyone and everyone what He had done for him. He was not in church, but he was having church.

He fell among the flopping fish. He could not believe what he had seen. He saw the empty net suddenly become full. He felt the cool water begin to fill the boat, but he knelt anyway. He had to get it out. He had to say it. He had to confess, “I am a sinful man.” He was being reborn. He was finding a new life. He was accepting his destiny. He was not in church, but he was having church.

We have a hard time with it. We struggle to accept it. We try, but once we have been in church, it seems like church ought to be church. We get used to the natural and miss the supernatural. We get used to the method and forget the message. We get used to system and miss the Spirit. We know how to talk inside the church; we know how to act inside the church; we know how to fulfill Christian expectations in the church; but when will we start being the Church when we are not in the church?

We need to be the Church. We need to be absolute—there is only one true way to eternal life and His name is Jesus Christ. We need to be global—there is a world around us dying for the message we hear and take for granted. We need to be connected—there is one validation that we are children of God and that is that we display love one for another. We need to be relevant—there is a cry for hope in this generation: the hope we have when we declare Christ is in us, the hope of Glory. We need to be the Pentecostal Church of God: a Church that is the Church even when we are not in church.

Not long ago our family walked down one of the most notable intersections in America. As thousands of people passed by, two men and one woman stood on the corners preaching, witnessing and distributing tracts with a fervent passion proclaiming the gospel. Their efforts did not seem to make much difference to the hustle and bustle of the city. But they were there. They were not in the church, but they were having church. Maybe it’s time for us to connect as the Church when we are not in the church. Maybe it’s time for us to be absolute as the Church when we are not in the church. Maybe it’s time for us to be global as the Church when we are not in the church. Maybe it’s time to be relevant as the Church when we are not in the church. Maybe we can see this eye to eye, even if we are not in church.

Reaching Into the Box: Implementing a prison ministry in the local church

By Michael C. Nadraus
"Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." (Matthew 25:36)

I sat in a crowded visiting room a bit impatient, eagerly waiting for my friend. Every few minutes the loud click of the metal doors echoed and I would glance over to see who was coming out. Would I recognize him? Would he recognize me? I had never met him face to face, but we were brothers. I saw his face from old news clips and photos. I knew about the people he murdered, and how his life was almost taken by an inmate years ago. This time, David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam serial killer, was coming for me.

Prison ministry is a golden opportunity to reach out to inmates who have hit rock bottom. Spiritually hungry and looking for something, these prisoners truly open up their hearts and minds to the Word of God when it is preached. They are alone, lost and in need of love, a church that truly cares and of Jesus Christ.

Whether it is a county jail or a maximum-security penitentiary, these inmates are searching for something. They know they messed up and have to pay the consequences. Except for being on death row for murder or a smaller charge like marijuana possession, they are just like us, only behind concrete walls and locked cells. If we don’t reach out to them with God’s Word, who will?

To get a prison ministry on its feet is really simple. A desire in the heart of just one person, or even a few of the church members, to go and plant gospel seeds in the department of corrections in their area is the first step. A plan of action needs to be set up to make sure all the bases are covered in this ministry. Over time a core of faithful servants will emerge as those who will continue to serve in this ministry.

Present the idea to the church and begin praying for doors to open and laborers to come forth and serve. Prayer is the key to a successful ministry. The results are literally tripled on prison service days when we hold a prayer meeting the day before we go. The carnal Christian might say it’s just coincidence, but the faithful can call it by its true title, the power of God unleashed by going to Him in humble prayer. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Next, compile a list of area juvenile homes, federal penitentiaries, county jails and state prisons. Depending on how far your church group is willing to travel will determine the radius in which you look for them. Typically, the prison ministries I have been in will travel up to three hours away in any direction.

The Internet is a valuable tool in finding the addresses and phone numbers that are needed. Key words to look up in the search engine are “department of corrections” and the state where you live. Actual jail names will also bring up information that should get the right website where you can find the contact information. If that doesn’t work for you, a quick phone call to Information will get you the numbers needed. Playing the part of an Internet detective can score you tons of much-needed information.

Once you have a complete list of prisons, begin to call them one by one and ask for the chaplain’s office. Write down the chaplain’s name and remember it. Be personal and friendly and open with him. Let him see the enthusiasm you have, and let him hear your smile over the phone. A joyful spirit is hard not to like.

Let the chaplain know who you are, where you’re from and what you have to offer for his inmates. Anything from a one-man service and up can be done. Tell him what a service will consist of, such as special music, with possibly a guitar included, preaching, testifying and Scripture reading. The more interactive you make it sound, the more enticing it is, and the more chance you have with him. Once a chaplain is on your side, you have a key piece of the puzzle. A great friendship with a chaplain can provide you with many years of services in his prison. Once a good reputation has been established, you will be able to use it when you approach other prisons.

Over a 9-year time span at Maranatha Baptist Bible College, the Lord has blessed us with the opportunity to see 199 men and women inmates saved in over 100 church services. There have been numerous assurances, major decisions in lives made, hundreds of Bibles given to men and women who didn’t have their own copy, tens of thousands of tracts on salvation handed out and message upon message preached. It all started with one phone call leading to our first service. The flood-gates opened, and within the next few years we got involved with the death-row population.

DEATH ROW: THE OTHER SIDE OF PRISON MINISTRY
“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

Death Row is currently home to almost 4,000 inmates. Day after day they sit in a cell waiting for their appointment with death, the dreaded execution date. On that day they meet one of these five dooms: lethal injection, electrocution, hanging, firing squad or the gas chamber. Some are innocent of the crimes they are accused of committing, but many are hopelessly guilty of murder.

Another opportunity for ministry that any Christian can do is to be a pen-pal. Men writing to men and women to women is the best format for this. There are only about 50 ladies on death row, so often we choose ladies with long or life sentences. These ladies can be found on the Internet just as the death row inmates can. (Anyone who needs names of inmates to write to can also contact me for free lists). Death-row inmates are the best to write to since they are in prison for life and are the closest to death.

Death row was renamed “life row” by convicted “pick ax” murderer Karla Faye Tucker a few years back. Death row is not the end of the journey for these inmates, but the beginning. Faith in God helps many of them get through the ordeal. Some outsiders call it “prison religion,” a fake religious awakening created to impress or fool guards and others around them. Prison religion is real, but it would be foolish to think it was the only kind. There is true genuine repentance and faith found in prison. Death row inmates have one thing that we don’t have—a set time and date when they know they are going to die. One convicted murderer/drug addict was quoted minutes before his lethal injection as saying, “I lived by the needle, and now I die by the needle.”

A few things to remember when corresponding with the prisoners: always place their DOC# (department of correction) number on the envelope next to their name. Always place your return address on the envelope and on the inside of the letter to insure they will get it. Each envelope going out to an inmate for the first time can be stuffed with tracts and John, Romans or whatever seems fitting. Hand-sign all typed letters; it personalizes the letter. Never send money. (If you give to one you had better have enough for all.) Never be scared to be personal or open. They are on death row, so there is no worry of them ever getting out legally unless they are innocent. Common sense and some good judgment will help you to make some good choices with what to and not to do.

Using the church address as the return address is fine if the person does not want to use his/her home address. Purchase some stamps and envelopes. Find church members who would like to participate and have them begin with a letter bearing their personal testimony and a little bit about themselves and why they are writing the letter. I find the more open you are with them, the more open they will be with you. Maybe a night could be devoted to writing letters, or have a youth activity of addressing and stuffing envelopes. Be creative in getting everyone involved in some aspect. Letting everyone have a part brings a sense of teamwork. When souls begin to get saved, everyone rejoices.

The first letter should be just one page long so as not to overwhelm the person. Always write Bible verses out; don’t just use Scripture references. The inmate may not even own a Bible in which to look it up. Be sure to accurately copy the Scripture. Hand sign the letter and be sure to refer to yourself many times in the letter to personalize it. The secret to writing many letters is to type up a great first letter. You can use the same first letter again when writing to other inmates. Just use the CTRL-H function on Microsoft Word to replace the inmate’s name. I find that with my main letter, for every ten I send out I get back about five or six responses. Anyone stuck at what to write can email me at Mnadraus@aol.com and ask for a copy of my first letter, and I will send it to you.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). I have seen this in my own life and the lives of the men and women who have tried the prison ministry. You need to sink your teeth into it and experience it first hand. Once you get a taste of it you will see how good it really is. But to taste it, you need to get involved and have a part in it.

Convicted cannibal killer Jeffrey Dahmer is a prime example of Christ’s saving grace. Dahmer said after his salvation, “Thank God, there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins.” David Berkowitz once said, “I didn’t want to only hurt them; I wanted to kill them.” And “I am the Monster Beelzebub, the chubby behemoth. I love to hunt.” Now he is a born again Christian and can be seen daily in prison preaching the gospel to lost souls. We as born again Christians need to teach these people how to build their lives around and upon the Word of God and to be faithful in all areas, both big and small. They can learn that they don’t need to have a perfect past to live by faith. Paul was an accomplice to murder when he stood by and held the coats at Stephen’s killing. He was imprisoned after his conversion and sat locked up rejoicing in the Lord. God can and will do mighty things with anyone if they open up their life to Him.

The implementation of the death row and pen-pal ministries is simple and can be a great asset to any local church. One of the end results my team has seen, besides the saving of souls, is a bond between the men that went out on the ministry. They come back with closer relationships to each other. People besides the pastor get a chance to preach and testify in the prisons. A fire is set in each one of them to serve God. There does not seem to be a downside to the ministry. It does take a good deal of time and sometimes an entire day is given up to go, but it can hardly be called a sacrifice when there are such eternal rewards. There is just too much blessing and rejoicing going on afterwards to call it a sacrifice.

At last the metal doors opened and I saw his smiling face. He hurried over to me and gave me a giant bear hug. I shook the hand that once pulled the trigger. I saw the scar on his neck from when he was almost killed by a fellow prison inmate. Reality struck. I was taken back by the thoughts of David Berkowitz’s past, but then refreshed by the man he had become—a born-again Christian. He was once a child of the devil but now a child of God and my brother in Jesus Christ. David gave his life to God while in prison. He knew Ephesians 2:8-9 was true: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

A few years before, I wrote David and explained the gospel. I waited patiently, not knowing if I would ever hear back from him. I just wanted him to know that God could/would forgive him. I was in college and loved to check my mailbox for mail. When I saw David’s letter I got chills! I waited a few hours for the anticipation to build before opening it and showed the letter to basically everyone I passed in the halls. I read it in private and found out he was saved already and learned his testimony. Praise God! That was the beginning of a great encouraging friendship that almost spans a decade. There have been scores of letters and frequent visits. On these visits I get to treat my brother to a special meal from the vending machine and speak of the blessings God bestows to us daily. I truly count David as a dear friend. People I meet think I’m crazy or just don’t see how God can change such a person. I think of Saul in Acts who got saved and became Paul. Is there really a difference between him and David Berkowitz? It began with the idea that I would do this to minister to the prisoners, when in reality they are an encouragement to me.

[David Berkowitz, known as the the Son of Sam, is now known as the Son of Hope. In 1987 he dropped to his knees and asked Jesus to be his Lord. To read his compelling story and to learn more about his world wide ministry visit his website: www.ariseandshine.org.]

God on Death Row is a book I wrote a few years back that answers some tough questions. Could convicted cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer get to heaven before you? If I shot 13 people, could I still get to heaven? These and other questions are addressed in this book. It’s a journey in the lives of murderers and their amazing stories of finding faith in God, and salvation, as told through their letters— 19 convicted murderers in all. God on Death Row includes tons of personal letters, photos, last statements, last meals, etc. Be prepared, this book will change your life! (See page 21 for details.) You can always email me at Mnadraus(at)aol.com or call me at 920-220-3093 with any questions about prison ministry or my book God on Death Row.

About the Author:
I am Michael Nadraus. I’m 31 years old with a deep passion for souls behind prison bars. I grew up Catholic on Long Island, NY and became a born again Christian on February 8, 1995. I went to a Bible college in Wisconsin in 1999 and ultimately came back to NY on fire to serve God. I currently teach in junior church, preach to the children and help run youth group weekly at New Hope Baptist Church, where my beautiful wife Hannah and I attend.

Harvest Impact: Different Strokes for Different Folks!

By Wayman Ming Jr., General Secretary
“Different strokes for different folks”! Have you ever heard that saying before? If so, you know that it is often used to describe the reality that everyone is different. What a liberating and freeing fact! We didn’t all come off of an assembly line looking and acting the same. We are God’s custom design.

I believe that one of our greatest assets in effective evangelism is reaching different people in different ways. Is it possible that we have not been able to get “outside the box of evangelism” because we have operated with some misconceptions toward the dreaded “E” word?

Allow me to illustrate! What image comes to mind when you think of the word “evangelism?” Does it invoke enthusiasm for reaching your friends and family members? Or does it overwhelm you with negative connotations? Are you excited about sharing your faith? Or do you think of infamous televangelists, known primarily for extracting large sums of money? The stereotypical street preacher, megaphone in hand, blaring and bellowing out indictments about the end of the world? Or the “never say no” Mormon at your front door seeking to proselyte you?

The enemy of our soul has literally hindered the expansion of God’s kingdom because we haven’t realized that evangelism is not built upon a “megaphone in hand,” but a commitment to strategically being ourselves in evangelism.

Some people may be a megaphone blower while others may not. Some may be a door-to-door knocker while others may not. Some may be an apologist or someone who can merge faith with fact while others may not. Some may be a servant who provides random acts of kindness to win others to Christ while others may not. Yet, the important truth is allowing God to use our gifts, talents, personality and temperament in expanding His kingdom. Different strokes for different folks!

Simon Peter used a “confrontational” approach. On the Day of Pentecost he proclaimed the gospel with such boldness that he confronted his own people with crucifying the Messiah! He reached 3,000 for the Lord in one day. Some people in our world today won’t come to Christ until someone like Peter confronts them with the gospel.

The Apostle Paul used an “intellectual” approach. Read any of his letters in the Bible, especially Romans, and you will see that he was a master at laying out a sound explanation concerning the truths of God. In his writings his natural tendency was to argue point-counterpoint with imaginary foes who might challenge his positions. He was a master at crafting a road to Christ. Without a doubt, there are people who must connect with an evangelist like Paul who will not give them easy answers or platitudes such as “You’ll just have to accept everything by faith.” In our educated society today, some people need to hear the gospel not only declared, but defined and defended.

The blind man used a “testimonial” approach. The blind man was effective just like Peter and Paul; yet, he refused confrontation like Peter and intellectualism like Paul. He simply spoke from experience and said, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.” How many people will come to Christ simply because someone is able to say, “I don’t understand a lot of things, but one thing I do know; I once was blind, but now I see.” They don’t need confrontation or debate; they simply need a testimony.

The Samaritan woman used an “invitational” approach. When she experienced Christ, she immediately went to her town, loaded up her van, and brought a bunch of people to hear Jesus for themselves. Her simple invitation brought salvation to her city. How many people in America would experience Christ if someone would just go to the special effort of inviting them to a credible life-giving church or outreach event?

Dorcas used a “service” approach. She was constantly performing loving acts of service to those who were in need in her community. In fact, her work was so special to God that when she died a premature death, God sent confrontational Peter to raise her from the dead and put her back into the evangelistic ministry. Although the service approach to evangelism tends to get less press than the others and is often longer in producing fruit, it is one of the most important of all the evangelistic approaches. Dorcas is able to reach people that nobody else can reach.

Friend, your greatest asset in the kingdom of God is to strategically be yourself! You may preach it from the housetops like Peter. Or define and direct people into the Kingdom like Paul. Or testify from experience like the blind man. Or bring a van full of people to church like the Samaritan woman. Or draw people to the feet of the Master with your kindness and generosity like Dorcas. Or perhaps . . . you may simply reach people in your own unique way like none of the above. Remember, when it comes to evangelism, there are “different strokes for different folks”!