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Just Another Ministry
Introduction
Watch the evening news and it seems like crime is everywhere. Chances are either you or someone you know has been a victim of crime. You may even know someone who is or has been incarcerated. In 2014, almost 3% of the adult population in the US was in jail or prison, or on probation or parole. In 2018, about one in four American adults lived with a criminal record. While the US represents only about 4.4 percent of the world’s population, it houses around 22 percent of the world’s prisoners. In 2015, nearly one third of working age adults had a criminal record.
According to the US Department of Justice, over 95% of all state prison inmates complete their sentences and are released to go home — and become your neighbors. State budgets for prisons have been decreasing of late, and prisons have fewer rehabilitation programs than they used to. Recidivism is a constant problem: the Bureau of Justice Statistics says that 77% of released prisoners are rearrested for parole violations and/or new offenses within five years of release.
Just Another Ministry (aka JAM) is committed to the belief that reform is indeed possible, and that reform begins within the individual him/herself. JAM goes inside the prison with Bible studies and life skills courses to help inmates change their lives and learn to live a better life when they are released. JAM provides resources for inmates and their families while incarcerated, resources for planning as the inmates come closer to release, and resources for newly-released inmates.
Mission and Purpose
Mission
Prison Ministry
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
TDCJ Chaplaincy Department
Just Another Ministry
Purpose
Services may include worship services, Bible studies, mentoring and counseling, life skills classes, literacy and ESOL education, literature distribution, and pen pal and friendly visitor programs.
With respect to inmates, services may also include pre-release preparation and post-release aftercare assistance and programs. Services may be provided in-prison/jail, in the community, and/or via correspondence.
With respect to immigrants and refugees, services may also include translation and interpretation assistance, and cross-cultural education programs.
Services may be provided bilingually when appropriate team members are available.
Just Another Ministry may assemble a team of musicians to perform at worship services and other events in and out of the prison.
To maximize our impact on current efforts, we may seek to collaborate with other non-profit organizations which fall under the 501(c)(3) section of the internal revenue code and are operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.
At times, per the discretion of the board of directors, we may provide internships or volunteer opportunities which shall provide opportunities for involvement in said activities and programs in order to have a greater impact for change.
Scriptural Foundation
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
because the Lord has anointed Me
to bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
and freedom to prisoners.
Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1 NASB
Do you not know that the unrighteous
will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived;
neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor homosexuals, nor thieves,
nor the covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor swindlers,
will inherit the kingdom of God.
Such were some of you;
but you were washed,
but you were sanctified,
but you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the Spirit of our God.
I Cor 6:6-11 NASB
Therefore as you go,
make disciples of all ethnic groups,
baptizing them in the name
of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you.
Matt 28:19-20
I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Matt 25:35-36
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Jn 1:8-9 NKJV
So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
John 8:36 NIV
And Jesus said,
“Neither do I condemn you;
go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8:11 ESV
Statement of Faith
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
As adopted by the National Association of Evangelicals.
Just Another Ministry intends to embody the concept of "the unity of the faith" as described in the scriptures. As such, we will avoid the following subjects:
- scriptures other than the Holy Bible
- denominations and sects
- method and meaning of baptism and communion
- speaking in tongues, prophesying, and other charismatic phenomena
- laying on of hands, anointing with oil
- Marian theology, rosary beads
- politics, abortion, capital punishment, marijuana legalization
Just Another Ministry is a Christian ministry. However, JAM will work with non-Christians on a case-by-case basis in a spirit of cooperation and service to the inmates.
Videos
The above video is a snippet edited from the Full Video (here)
Blog Articles and Podcasts
Other Articles on Criminal Justice Issues
Article: Parole costs too much so he chose to go back to prison
Article: How criminal justice costs create modern day debtors prisons
Article: It's time to end prison slavery and treat incarcerated people humanely
Article: Prison reform finally has a shot in Congress
Our Partner Ministries
Other Prison Ministries
Prison Fellowship (Chuck Colson's ministry), USA
The Marshall Project (criminal justice reform), USA
Useful Links
COVID-19
TDCJ COVID-19 latest update
Volunteer Services
Volunteer Services phone 936-437-3026 home FAQ
Volunteer Application Handbook Training schedule by date by location
On-line Volunteer retraining Mentor training
TDCJ Volunteer Services email list
TDCJ General
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Board of Criminal Justice
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
TDCJ Rehabilitation Programs Division (RPD)
TDCJ Website for Work (to hire parolees)
TDCJ Reentry and Integration Division
TDCJ Parole Division
TDCJ Victim Services Division
Windham School District
Unit locator
Offender locator
Video Visitation
TDCJ Phone Directory
Special Event Calendar
NOTE: This is an UNOFFICIAL calendar based on information collected from various, usually reliable, sources.
Who Are We?
Our team is headed by Mike Miller, our Vice President and Executive Director, an ordained minister and former part-time pastor of a Lao (refugee) Baptist church. Mike is also a retired software developer who has committed to full time prison ministry. Mike holds the BA in Biblical Studies from Criswell College (1986) with further study in theology and missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained minister (1988). Mike is a member of Homprakhoun Baptist Church in Dallas and the Narrow Trail Cowboy Church in Sachse.
Mike became an approved and trained TDCJ Chaplaincy Volunteer in 2013, though he has been active in prison ministry in one capacity or another for over 20 years. He was laid off from his job as a software developer in late 2015. After two and a half years of job search, which resulted in exactly two job interviews (probably due to his age), Mike surrendered to full-time prison ministry in February of 2018. Mike says, "You've heard the thing about God closing doors? Well, I think God not only closed that door, but also chained it, padlocked it, and welded it shut!"
Mike is a CVCA at the Hutchins Unit, Dallas TX, and a member of the Correctional Ministries and Chaplains Association.
Mike was awarded a Governor's Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Award in 2019.
The above video is a snippet edited from the Full Video (here)
Jim and Susan Russell are retired accountants in Wyoming. They serve as board members, managers and advisors to JAM. Jim is the President of JAM and is active in nursing home ministry, and Susan is the Secretary/Treasurer of JAM, and also of the Meals On Wheels Foundation in Casper. They are members of Grace Lutheran Church in Casper. They are also trained and approved TDCJ Volunteers.
David Keller is an elder at the Narrow Trail Cowboy Church in Sachse TX. He is a trained and approved TDCJ Volunteer.
Bountha Oudavanh is an elder at Homprakhoun Baptist Church in Dallas TX.
John Miller is a founder and former music pastor of The Next Level Church in Englewood CO.
Jill Park.
Donate
Contact Info
Just Another Ministry
P.O.Box 942063
Plano TX 75094-2063
