Over the next year, 650,000 prisoners will be released across the United States. And, unfortunately, their likelihood of returning to prison is high—unless someone steps in to help them out.
Bridge churches around the country are taking on that role. A bridge church, according to Prison Fellowship® Executive Director Mark Hubbell, is a church that’s “passionate about ministering to former prisoners.” This passion spills across all areas of their ministry, from sharing the Gospel message to supplying everyday toiletries.
For a newly released ex-prisoner, even the smallest things can present big challenges. The average ex-prisoner will hit the streets with little or no money, no place to live, no job, and damaged family relations. They tend to fall back into lives of crime as a means to survive, which is proven in a current national recidivism rate of above 60 percent.
When someone reaches out to help an ex-prisoner, though, their odds of success greatly improve.
One church that has fully embraced the call to bridge the reentry gap is 2,800-member Sonrise Church in Hillsboro, Oregon, where Pastor Jerry Metee leads a weekly adults-only service called “Light My Way.” The service provides ex-prisoners with a safe place to worship—especially those with sex offenses, as they are unable to attend traditional worship services.
Church staff member Angela Cordry helps with the “Light My Way” ministry, and sees firsthand the joy that ex-prisoners feel when they’re included in a family of believers. “They are so happy just to be accepted and to have a place to go to worship,” said Cordry. “To be respected and to have a place that treats them with respect and dignity means more to them than anything else.”
The service attracts about 80 attendees each Sunday afternoon—four times their average reported attendance at the start of 2009. The ministry also has a large volunteer base, including 25 individuals that help out each week. Their goal is to “show up just to love on these guys,” said Cordry.
And that love goes a long way. The church offers help in many ways, including: a food closet; a clothes closet; a homeless shelter during winter months; and children’s meals in the park during summer months. They also created a website that helps with housing searches, assisting ex-prisoners in finding suitable, affordable places to live within the community.
Bridge churches come in all shapes and sizes. Some, like Sonrise Church, may have the ability to offer many varied programs for ex-prisoners, while others may offer only one or two programs. At any rate, the mission of each bridge church remains the same. Regarding bridge church offerings, Hubbell notes, “What is actually offered varies from church to church, but the idea is that this is a church that has a greater-than-normal interest in working with returning ex-prisoners.”
Sonrise Church also runs several recovery ministries to assist ex-prisoners as they fight to overcome drug and alcohol addictions. These include the programs Abundant Life and Celebrate Recovery, and arranging to hold Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings on site.
Sonrise Church works hand-in-hand with the Department of Corrections to ensure compliance with DOC regulations and on-site security. Although the church is not required to follow the DOC’s rules, they still seek DOC endorsement because a good relationship can only expand the ministry—reaching more ex-prisoners for Christ.
“I don’t feel that it’s the job of the Department of Corrections to rehabilitate prisoners,” said Cordry. “Enough people sit back and wring their hands when they see prisoners or sex offenders being released from prison. I believe in being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. That’s what He expects from us.”
Sonrise Church is certainly leading the way for other bridge churches across the U.S., shining as an example of what true brotherly love is all about.
“It’s just the DNA of our church,” notes Cordry. “We’re not too concerned with our internal programs. We focus on reaching out to the community.”
If your church is not currently involved in reentry efforts, consider talking to your pastor about the importance of reaching out to ex-prisoners. By showing them the love of Christ in practical ways, you can play a part in changing their lives and your community forever. And your heart will without doubt be changed in the process.
“There is such a sense of fulfillment in helping [ex-prisoners],” adds Cordry. “These churches that don’t want to get down in the ditches are missing out on a huge blessing.”
