This Sunday lots of folks will tune in to the Super Bowl. Millions of people will sit down to watch not just the game, but hours of post-game analysis by commentators who will debate what determined the outcome of the competition. What plays turned out to be game-changing?
Recently at Prison Fellowship, we watched in awe as God brought about a real game-changer for inmates in California. Thanks to our partnership with World Impact and a generous donor, we now have the ability to make The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI), a seminary-level theological education, available to prisoners in every single California prison. Prisoners who graduate from this program will return to the same neighborhoods where they learned to break the law, now prepared to not just stay out of jail, but to breathe life into their families, churches and communities.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation needs to be applauded for their openness to an educational opportunity like TUMI. This rigorous program requires discipline, group interaction, critical thinking skills and leadership, skills that will make them engaged citizens and valuable employees once they graduate.
And as a former pastor, I am especially thrilled about the availability of this program in California. I would have loved to have men and women returning to my church who were prepared to lead and serve in ministries of reconciliation and renewal. Just think of the exponential impact! These ex-prisoners will return to churches ready to reach and train those who have never violated the law how to engage in the healing of those torn and scarred by incarceration. This is a true game-changer!
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