Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

Adapted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders by Louis N. Jones, Conquest House, 2000, pp. 9-22. Used with permission.

(NOTE:  For a detailed explanation of these steps, see Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders.)

1)              Pray for discernment about whether it is God’s will to enter this challenging type of ministry.

2)              Consult with your church’s leadership and ask for their support.

3)              Obtain the support of your congregation by providing Scripture addressing God’s attitude toward prisoners and addressing their fears and concerns.

4)              Determine the attitudes of the surrounding community and take steps to gain its support if necessary.

5)              Form a ministry team designed to meet the needs of the population of offenders you will serve.

6)              Visit and learn from established ministries to ex-offenders.

7)              Prepare to meet the immediate (e.g. food, housing, etc.) and secondary (e.g. job training, life skills instruction, etc.) needs of the ex-offender.