Celebrate Second Chance Month

Why should your church celebrate second chances?

• Fulfill God’s calling for your church. Second chances are at the heart of the Gospel. As Christ’s ambassadors, we have been declared ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17–21).
• Broaden your community impact. Creating a second chance culture broadens your church’s reach in the community. You can become a beacon of hope for local families seeking a safe environment and compassionate community.
• Minister to your own congregation. There are likely families in your church carrying the burden of a criminal record. Many remain silent about their past due to the shame they feel or stigma that comes with having a record. Starting this conversation can empower your congregation to experience healing and share their own stories.
• Communicate the God-given value of every person. By celebrating, you’re communicating to your congregation and community that all men and women—including those with a criminal record—are more than the sum of their past failures. They are made in the image of God, and that identity gives them value.
• Offer hope and a second chance. You can declare that your church offers a compassionate, supportive community for people needing a second chance. This doesn’t diminish the value of accountability or enable destructive behaviors to continue but opens pathways to restoration and redemption for those who have fully faced the consequences of their actions.

How can your church celebrate second chances?

• Host a Second Chance Sunday. Choose a Sunday or another day that works for your church to highlight the power of second chances.
• Use second chance resources to highlight second chances. You can access celebration resources designed to equip your church to shine a light on the power of second chances—including Tammy Franklin’s powerful testimonial video, service slides offering next steps, social media graphics, free T-shirts for your staff, and more when you sign up to host a celebration.
• Share testimonies of real-life second chances. Let your congregation hear stories of restoration from those impacted by incarceration in your community.

What does a second chance celebration look like?

How your church celebrates and advocates for second chances is up to you, but here are some ideas from other churches who are celebrating with us:

• Use your service time on a Sunday to host a Second Chance Sunday. (You may also choose a different day of the week.) You can share the featured video from Prison Fellowship^® at this service to cast a vision for how your congregation can help unlock second chances for families impacted by a criminal record.
• Give a sermon or hold an on-stage moment that highlights the power of second chances and the opportunity the Church has to be ambassadors for change.
• Host a career fair for people with a criminal record in your community who may struggle to secure employment.
• Conduct a prayer walk or service to pray for families in your community needing a second chance.
• Encourage people to join our virtual Outrageous Justice^® small group using our curriculum designed to help you and your congregation gain a deeper understanding of biblical justice, insights into challenges in the American criminal justice system, and practical guidance on how to pursue God’s design for hope, healing, and restoration.

“I just think that the moment we’re in is a messy moment in our culture. The moment we’re in, though, doesn’t pause the mission we’re on, and I think if God’s people would show up, showing and sharing the love of Jesus in the kind of restorative mission that we’re calling people to today here, that it would change the world in which we live.” —Dr. Ed Stetzer, dean of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University

While April is Second Chance Month^®, we encourage your church to find ways to highlight second chances throughout the year. Whenever you choose to celebrate, we have the resources for your church to make it happen!