We don’t equip a few volunteers from the back. This is an opportunity to disciple an entire congregation towards Christ’s ongoing work of resurrection in an age of mass incarceration in America.
That starts with getting leadership fully behind it.
The first step is sharing the basic vision. One Parish One Prisoner is a two-year journey for your congregation answering the call to be a resurrection community: an incarcerated brother or sister will be returning to your neighborhood soon. They applied to this program, asking for new community and new life.
A local church community, gathered in the name of forgiveness and resurrection, has everything a releasing person might need to rebuild a new life (trusting friendship and community, rides to appointments, job connections, funds to pay off stranglehold fines and get a driver’s license, hope). Just as importantly, we believe churches need these relationships for their own transformation and tangible encounter with Christ, who said he wanted to be loved through the prisoner (Matthew 25).
It is essential that this journey begins with your church leadership’s full blessing, where they can say:
“YES, this will be a missional priority for our church for 2+ years.
We’re excited to involve study groups, sermons, youth, and missional energies to this work. We want to know and love an incarcerated friend through their release in our community.
And we want to grow, ourselves, through the journey.”
TUITION
One Parish One Prisoner is funded in part by participating churches’ tuition, operating on a sliding scale.
12 - 50 congregants / 6 - 10 families: $250
50 - 300 congregants / 10 - 75 families: $1,000
300 - 750 congregants / 75 - 250 families: $3,000
750+ congregants / 250+ families: $5,000
This is a one-time cost for your church’s two years of curriculum, pairing, training, program support, and guidance.
Once your church leadership says YES to this journey, commitment and cost, you can use this portal here to submit online
Or mail a check to:
Underground Ministries / OPOP Tuition
PO Box 174
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Next, we get the entire congregation excited.
Share the One Parish One Prisoner VIDEO with your congregation during the mission or announcements portion of your service. Announce that this is a mission opportunity you are exploring.
You can also invite our founder Chris Hoke and other Underground Ministries team members to GUEST PREACH and share more of this work with your congregation, answering more questions during the coffee hour (in person or remotely).
Center this new ministry in your church communications, newsletters, emails. Use links to our homepage: oneparishoneprisoner.org . Use our logos. Rather than just another charity effort, we see many congregations’ faith and interest surge during this season: a sense of purpose for the church in this age!
Often, just the invitation opens and unlocks buried parts of your congregation. Listen not just for excitements and fears, but for what the Spirit might be bringing to the surface already:
relationships that already exist with incarcerated loved ones
untold stories of hidden wounds
fear-based, punitive mindsets not aligned with Christ’s redeeming love for sinners and outcasts
members who’ve volunteered in a prison, or who have a passion for restorative just work.
The work has already begun.
The next—and probably most important—step is prayerfully recruiting your team: 7 members of your wider church community (including the Pastor role) to enter this two-year journey of relationship and mutual transformation with one community member releasing from prison.
Don’t just wait for volunteers to self-select. Get a sheet of paper and prayerfully brainstorm folks in your church to personally invite into this work.
Many pastors tell us this was a surprisingly energizing experience: talking with a variety of men and women in their congregation about a very specific opportunity for relationship, justice and mission. It opens rich conversations about their stories, and provides an opportunity for pastors to name their congregants gifts and bigger yearnings within very personal conversations. You as a pastor/leader will be part of the team, so the invitation is strong.
WHO TO RECRUIT
FOLKS WHO WANT TO GROW, LEARN, BE CHALLENGED, BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR FAITH AND IN THEIR COMMUNITY:
the retiree with wisdom, time to write letters, offer rides upon release
the restless young college student asking big questions about God and society, possibly done with church
the stay-at-home parent raising two kids and itching for meaningful conversation with someone else facing confinement
the construction worker who’s quiet around church stuff but incredibly experienced in the gritty realities of working class coworkers
the lawyer, teacher, social worker, mental health professional with immense skills but not yet integrated into the ministry of the church—till now
definitely any formerly-incarcerated member of your community (worshipper or not)
NOT:
church members who already do too much
someone with poor boundaries, obvious codependency or a need to save/mentor people
prison ministry veterans itching to be the recognized experts (an understandable feeling, but they can hijack the team’s shared, fresh learning journey; still honor them, ask if the team can consult them)
THE MORE VARIETY THE BETTER: mix young & old, faithful & skeptical, church elders & new attenders.
This is an opportunity for discipleship. Who do you want to call into this journey with you?
WHEN YOU GET TO THIS STEP, WE WILL BUILD YOU A CUSTOMIZED RECRUITMENT & REGISTRATION PAGE TO SEND EACH CANDIDATE.
Then, simply invite them check that page with videos and to consider joining you on this journey—with a phone call or coffee soon after.
As soon as you have 7 registered team members, we can begin! The ball will be in your court at this step.
Meanwhile, we at Underground Ministries are . . .
Most of the time, we connect you with someone in prison who’s applied to One Parish One Prisoner.
This is much of the hidden work of Underground Ministries: receiving applications from men and women in various prisons around the state, calling their prison classification staff and personal references, verifying dates and timelines, highlighting certain details, and taking time to honor the vulnerability and courage of our incarcerated brothers and sisters applying to be the “prisoner” of One Parish One Prisoner.
Sometimes we already have someone returning to your town (in roughly a year) and we are eager to pair you and schedule the Kickoff Orientation immediately (see fifth step below)!
But sometimes a church is ready—and we don’t yet have an applicant who is releasing into your neck of the woods (often the case in less populated regions).
This is not a problem, but a rich opportunity for learning as you approach the tombs together:
LAZARUS IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY?
Mass incarceration affects more of our communities than we want to admit.
It’s very possible that several members of your congregation already know someone who’s locked up. They just don’t advertise it. The hurt is there in the shadows, in the pews, in the silence.
In fact, after one parish proudly announced they would begin this One Parish One Prisoner journey, played the videos, shared the website, a woman wrote to the priest: essentially,
“My own son came home from prison just last year and no one here would help him. He wanted to change, and come to church! But because of his charges, he got the runaround, they quoted policy, and he despaired of ever finding welcome or support in his new life.”
We recommend doing a “Lazarus Inventory” as you share with your congregation. From up front on a Sunday, say (and get ready to take notes):
“Raise your hand if you think our church should do this, welcoming someone home from prison.
“Now raise your hand if you know someone who’s in prison.
“Keep your hand raised if they are coming home to this area within the next few years.
“Do you think they’d want something like this?”
If hands are still raised, wonderful.
We are excited to help you talk to that family, get an application to the incarcerated loved one, and practice resurrection within your own parish!
OR GET A JUMPSTART ON YOUR TEAM’S LEARNING JOURNEY
If you’ve done the Lazarus Inventory and there’s not an organic pairing from within your own parish/community, no problem.
We can schedule your team’s Kickoff Orientation, get you started on your monthly team meetings and learning modules. Within a few months, we’ll be thrilled to introduce you to your releasing friend, and your letters will begin. This way, your team has a chance to practice the rhythms of learning and meeting as a tight team before turning your full attention to your first letters with a new friend, still in prison.
Once your Parish Team is assembled and we have an applicant with the corresponding release date and location, we will schedule your . . .
When the team is all registered, we will find a good time to gather together for your personalized Kickoff Orientation—for two and a half hours, in person or on Zoom.
We normally do Kickoff Orientations on a Sunday since it is easy to gather people after church. We hope you will join us in turning the morning worship space into an OPOP Sunday, a chance to share with your congregation what your team is up to, introduce your releasing friend, and be prayed for by the congregation.
We will provide a Starter Kit for each team member. It’s essential that each team member be at this Orientation. Together, we will build the team and various roles, introduce your new incarcerated friend, clarify our purpose, guide you through your online learning map, and send you off on the journey together!
Review The Steps
WE’RE HERE AT EACH STEP
Many congregations tell us even this discernment process was like a shot in the arm, waking up the church’s passions and interest in ministry.
We’re thrilled you’ve come this far. . We’ll be in touch. Don’t hesitate to email us (alvin@undergroundministries.org ) with any questions.
We’re here to help you at every step towards the tombs of your community, where Jesus is waiting.
