• In this process, people need practical how-to hooks or turning points. • In this process, people need to have a sense of personal agency and choice. • In this process, people need acceptance and encouragement from others. Can you see how an ordinary congregation is, in fact, uniquely positioned to help the returning citizen who wants to desist from criminal activity, and how it can be the supportive community where change can happen? Whatever your church’s size or giftedness, you can provide deep purpose, real belong- ing, and a new identity. Bottom line: It’s time to start thinking differently. Think G race instead of karma. Think R estoration instead of retribution. Think of what people actually need instead of what you think they deserve. Think A ssets and strengths instead of needs and risks. Think of what return- ing citizens can bring to the table instead of what they might take from it. Think N etworking. Think of being a strong link in a chain instead of doing all or nothing. Think D esistance. Think of the transformative power of acceptance and be- longing and new identity in Christ instead of abdicating to professional in- terventions. Here are some thought-provoking resources that can help reframe your thinking. Braithwaite, John. Crime, Shame, and Reintegration. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Johnson, Byron R. More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How It Could Matter More. West Conshohocken, PA, 2011. Lampman, Lisa Barnes and Michelle D. Shattuck, eds. God and the Victim: Theological Reflections on Evil, Victimization, and Forgiveness. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999. Toews, Barb. The Little Book of Restorative Justice for People in Prison: Rebuild- ing the Web of Relationships . New York: Good Books, 2006. Zehr, Howard. Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice. Third Edition . Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2005.
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