Bible Literacy Class Starts New Study

On June 14 Larry and Sharon began a study Wide Angle, Framing your Worldview by Charles Colson and Rick Warren.  It is a 6 video series.  So far the response has been excellent.  The study starts off with the explanation of what a worldview is and who has a worldview.  We all do, of course.  Your worldview contains the beliefs you build your life on and determines how you view everything: God, people, life and death, good and evil, pain and suffering, the past, present and future.  So It is important that we know what we as Christians hold as a worldview and how it differs from the worldview of the “world” and nonbelievers.  The session titles include 1.  My Worldview Matters.  2. How Do We Know What’s True?  3.  Where Did We Come From?  4.  It’s a Messed Up World.  5.  What’s the Solution?  6.  What Do I Do Now?  Continue to pray for us and the men as we present this study to them every Sunday afternoon.

Teach me to Pray

 We are going to start a new study at Dixon CC on prayer.   It was a request from some of the men…”Teach Me To Pray in 28 Days”  by Kay Arthur.  We  were able to purchase books for each of the participants and ill be showing Kay Arthur’s DVD that goes along with the study.  It’s a 4 week class, but I have a feeling that we will stretch it out for a couple of more weeks – especially with the input we usually get from the class.   Keep us in prayer!!

The Purpose Driven Life

On December 28 we started the study – The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.  We will be listening to the 20 minute DVD and going through a workbook at that time, with discussion time afterwards.  God laid this study on Larry’s heart  and provided the finances to purchase the books and DVD to share this with the men at Dixon.  Praise God!!  It’s a great group.  We have about 15 men signed up for this now.  I just got word that Dixon was on lock-down, so we are not sure if we will be able to go in tomorrow (Sun Jan 11).  I am not sure why it is on lockdown – hopefully it is just because of the weather and will be open again by tomorrow.   Keep us in prayer as we go through this book.  Please keep all the men at Dixon CC in prayer – especially the Christians on the inside who daily witness to their fellow inmates!

True Financial Freedom

On December 13 we  completed a 13 week class on Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University in the Dixon CC.   We started out with 17 in the class and 15 graduated.  On graduation day Pastor Eric Kersten(pictured with Larry Davis )  from Calvary Lighthouse church in Rochelle visited the class and gave a few words of encouragment to the men graduating.  Eric said he really enjoyed being there, and the men all seemed to enjoy getting to know Eric.   It was so good to see all the men graduate with a positive attitude from this class, and we will miss each and every one of them.  They will be released soon.   Keep them in prayer!

Missionaries visit Dixon Bible Class!

On  Saturday November 29, 2008, Michael and Andrea Erickson, missionaries located in  San Pablo City, Lacuna, Philippines, visited the Prison Fellowship Ministry Bible study.  They shared stories from their experiences with Face The Children, part of the Philippine Frontline Ministries.  Their work involves working mostly with the orphanage/rescue center  in San Pablo City, where they work directly with the children and have administrative duties as well.  But they also spend a lot of their time working in the church and school associated with Frontline.  Mike leads worship and often gets opportunities to preach.  Andrea is a teacher and teaches English in the school.  They shared stories of victories and some sad occasions as well.  But in all cases, the gospel of Jesus Christ was given out in word and in practice.  The response from the men was amazing, as they supported them in prayer and blessings for their ministry.  They are pictured above with their 2 year old son Josiah.

Dixon Bible Study Themes for 2008

Our list of themes for the Dixon Bible study is below.  Remember that these are not just topics to handle loosely, but real issues that affect those who are incarcerated.  We want to be careful to apply these issues to their life, stating the problems and discussing solutions in their lives.   March and April went well with the topics for those months and the men responded to the work of the Holy Spirit during these studies.

March:       Sacrifice   (completed)

April:         Forgiveness (seeking reconciliation) (Completed)

May            Parenting/Father’s role                                            September:  Temptation/bondage

June:          Anger/resentment                                                   October:       Fear/Anxiety

July:           Authority issues/humility                                       November:   Thanksgiving/Praise/Worship

August:      Sexual Purity                                                          December:    Oppression/Depression

Some suggested material to support the issues of concern covered in the Bible studies are as follows:

Victory over Darkness; Bondage Breaker;  Steps to Freedom in Christ; Winning Spiritual Warfare; Overcoming Depression:   By Neil T. Anderson

Dad’s Everything Book for Sons: Practical Idea for a Quality Relationship; The blessing:  Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love; Eight Steps to Intimacy:    By John Trent

Experiencing the Father’s Embrace; Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship:   By Jack Frost

The Purity Principle  by Randy Alcorn

Everyman’s Battle:  Winning the War on Sexual Purity  by Steven Arterburn

www.desiregod.org   Articles, books, CDs by John Piper on sexual purity, etc.

Authority & Sumission by Watchman Nee

Liberated through Submission:  God’s Design for Freedom in all Relationships by P.B. Wilson

True Freedom:  What Christian Submission & Authority Look Like   by Steven Fry

Activity recap for April 2008

  This month the Bible Literacy Class on Sunday afternoon at Dixon is continuing the study of 30 Life Principles.  It is going very well.  We have had a lot of discussion by the class as they apply these principles to their own lives.  

Thursday afternoons we started “God’s Way of Handling Money” with 11 in attendance.  As I expressed before, we were a little apprehensive because the majority of these men will be in for life.  We wondered if the study was applicable to their needs.  However, God’s principles apply to every aspect of live and God knows who needs what – so we put it in God’s hands and the study is going extremely well.  

The PFM monthly cell-by-cell visit was on April 26.  This was an exciting day, and we left there knowing that God was reaching into the hearts of many in North house and South PC.

Phil was able to join a group conducting a seminar at Sheridan Correctional Center on April 26.  I am hoping to hear more from him soon about this and we will share it here with you. 

Continue to pray for our volunteers on the outside – the ones who take care of all the cards and correspondence – and prayer requests.  A lot of work, love and committment goes into all of these very needed ministries.

Crown Financial goes to Pontiac!

   We have been given the privilege of conducting a Crown Financial Bible study in Pontiac Correctional Center.   The first session was  April 17 and we had 10 in attendance.  At first Larry and I were concerned.  Our desire was to take the course about handling money God’s way to the minimun security area to inmates who would soon be released.  However, we were instead asked to give the study in the protective custody wing where most of the inmates have life sentences.   A great deal of (sorry to admit – worry), prayer and changing our minds on how to teach the subject went on for a month prior to starting the course.  We actually were still discussing how to present it as we made the 1-1/2 hour drive down.  But God knew what He was up to, and who He wanted to hear about His principles of handling money.  The principles apply not only to money, but to every aspect of our lives – we knew that – we just didn’t know how the inmates would respond.  Well, Praise God! we had a great session, much discussion and feedback from the group.  They were enthusiastic, not only about what they, themselves, were getting out of it – but what they could pass on to their families on the outside.  We are looking forward to  tomorrow’s session (Thursday April 24).  Keep us in prayer each Thursday.

Dixon -PFM Saturday Bible Study

The subject for April for the PFM Saturday Bible Study will be  Forgiveness.  Remember to pray for the team member going in each Saturday.  The subjects for subsequent months will be forthcoming.

Facing the Giants!

On Saturday March 15, we were able to present the film “Facing the Giants” to the Prison Fellowship Ministry Bible class at Dixon Correctional Center.  There were 14 men present and all seemed to enjoy the film.  We also handed out a review page of the film so they could review the Biblical lesson that are dealt with within the movie.  We were so blessed to be able to share this movie with the men.