the returning citizens. • Residential Recovery/Re-entry Housing. It meets practical needs and is a vehicle to remove barriers for those coming out of incarceration. • Initial reentry assistance with housing, clothing and employ- ment • Members are mostly old gangsters themselves radically saved. • Our congregation’s reentry ministry is combined with our re- covery ministry called Community Recovery International. The most successful aspects we offer are a year-round, weekly recov- ery ministry evening where we offer a free meal, recovery wor- ship, and seven recovery groups. All of our mentoring, therapy, networking of resources, accountability navigation, and the like. We also offer online video resources and livestreaming that pro- vides recovery support. The majority of our people who attend on our recovery nights are returning citizens. We have been able to bridge dozens of returning citizens to the congregation over the past 23 years. • In-person ministry at the prison • Pen pal, book distribution, Bible studies Most challenging aspects of your congregation’s reentry ministries: • Mental health • Transportation and housing. The need is great. • We don’t have the number of people or financial resources we need. • Our program is new and the congregation is not fully aware that we exist. We need to overcome the stigma. • Recidivism. • Attitudes of indifference. Individuals are entitled to their own opinions and choices. This can be somewhat challenging at times. • Showing the returnees that they matter and are not inferior. • The most challenging is becoming an organic church with be- lievers who prefer traditional church instead. • Life Recovery Groups—our groups are a challenge because many who start out with good intentions do not stay with it long enough to effect the changes needed in their lives. • I’m honestly not sure what is needed to specifically help those with reentry. • We need more resources. • Engaging congregation members to have life-on-life, long-term
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