ministry but never getting intentional about linking that ministry with an invitation and clear pathway to involvement post-release. • has the bandwidth and connections to be able to have a consistent presence at a local facility. Inmates can be a skeptical bunch and are often wary of folks who are inconsistent. Tips for getting started Start by checking with your local jail’s volunteer coordinator or chaplain to get an accurate picture of who’s already active in the jail and/or what it would take for you to become involved. Take time to meet with local prison ministries to see if there might be a potential fit. Since you’re looking to establish rela- tionships with inmates who might want to connect with your congregation post-release, try to make sure that your proposed jail ministry activity will al- low you to interact with enough inmates and also that it will include sufficient personal interaction (conversation, prayer, listening, coaching, life-applica- tion Bible study) to help you build relationships. Advantages to the Jail to Congregation Pipeline model It’s authentic. A n invitation to connect with your congregation is more au- thentic, meaningful, and effective if it’s building on a personal relationship. The people you’re inviting already feel comfortable with you. It’s organic. Your congregation members are not only acting as ministers from the congregation, they’re also acting as both personal guides and hosts into the life of the congregation, connecting returning citizens to other con- gregation members. The discomfort and fear of rejection felt by returning cit- izens when entering into a church community is greatly eased when they’re connecting with a community they’ve already gotten to know. Challenges of the Jail to Congregation Pipeline model It’s fragile. This model is predicated not only on the ability to maintain a steady flow of volunteers who can provide a sustained presence in a jail but also on an ability to keep getting access to enter the facility. Scheduling issues (synching an available time slot at the jail with your volunteers’ availabili- ty), ongoing approval from jail staff and administrators, and other issues can make access unreliable. COVID-19, for example, wiped out this pipeline for years, as volunteer admission was halted. It’s regulated. It’s essential to get a clear understanding of your jail’s “firewall” policies. Some facilities prohibit regular jail volunteers from working with re- turning citizens when they are released.
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