If you think about it, the original movement of Jesus, as recorded in the gospel accounts, nearly always leapt forward and outward through small, unlikely relationships.

It’s not just the handful of disciples he called. Look at the woman at the well (John 4): something about that connection between the two of them—the real person Jesus and the real woman—was so potent that it led to the rest of her friends and community getting involved, people who were used to being treated as outsiders by Jesus’ people.

It starts with one relationship.

Look at the Book of Acts, the grassroots birth of the church, the resurrection movement. Over and over, entire communities who had nothing to do with each other get opened and connected through an odd relationship with one person.

Feared Saul of Tarsus being embraced by Ananias, who visited Saul while he was healing and changing, and the little Damascus congregation took Saul in (Acts 9). That was just the beginning of a new apostle being formed, a movement they couldn’t have seen coming.

Then Barnabas had a good connection with Saul. Barnabas took Saul under his wing, advocated for him to a larger community in Jerusalem who were afraid and skeptical (Acts 14). That opened a door. Boom. The Jesus movement changed and grew.

Or Peter feeling God telling him to trust the pagan, oppressive soldier Cornelius and even go to his house (Acts 11)! That unlikely connection, that relationship, led not just to a huge theological and political shift in Peter, and the rest of the Jesus movement, but it led to an outbreak of God’s love in Cornelius’ network.

Is it possible that the same Spirit of the Resurrected Christ might be working through your team and your friend, through this program right now, to get your church closer to the underground realities of your community?

“WHERE MIGHT GOD BE LEADING US NEXT?”

We encourage you to have a large meal with your team this month, and any new community connections (your released friend, their family members, a recovery home or non-profit you’ve worked with through the reentry process). And then, together, ask these questions:

• Of all the barriers to reentry (“stones” to roll away) and areas of healing (“layers” to unbind) that we handled together, is there one that we feel passionate about getting more involved with locally?

• How might this one relationship of resurrection be leading us to deepen a partnership we already started while accompanying him/her?

• What efforts in our church, what local organizations, what neighborhoods can we better support and learn with?

Here are some examples:

HOUSING / LOCAL NONPROFIT

One Presbyterian church connected with a local recovery home when they had to find clean and sober release housing for their friend. They came to deeply respect the staff and small nonprofit running the house, and now the church is exploring ways to partner with them long term. One relationship brought them together.

GOING INTO PRISONS

A Catholic church, through all the organizing around their OPOP team and releasing friend, learned more about other volunteers in the church who regularly go into a local prison for prayer and restorative justice circles. Now more people are signing up to join this program, eager to spend more time with men and women inside the prisons.

REGIONAL ORGANIZING

This same church went a step further: thinking about inviting all men and women inside the prison groups to apply for One Parish One Prisoner—and then working throughout the archdiocese to promote this partnership, recruit and match releasing friends with parishes in different towns and counties. (We’d love to help you do this: info@undergroundministries.org)

VIOLENCE IN THE HOME

One church we’ve mentioned before realized that they, inside the church, as well as their releasing friend, shared painful histories of violence in the home. Initially, this turned fear surrounding the domestic violence charges into a more vulnerable culture of asking each other’s stories. Then it led to bringing guest speakers to the church to address how churches can become safer places for suffering families to be honest and get help. Now they are asking if there’s a larger call for their church to be involved in domestic violence healing work in their community—for middle class church insiders and poor men and women with DV records, alike.

What could the larger call be for your team and church?

• Creating more release housing in your area?

• Immigration barriers facing families?

• Supporting families of the incarcerated in your area?

• Supporting prison reform legislation on the state level?

• Connecting your local denomination/network with OPOP and other prison ministries?

LET US KNOW WHAT’S DEVELOPING!

We love hearing where this experience is taking different communities into deeper ministry. Drop us a line and tell us a bit at: info@undergroundministries.org