A Special Message to Pastors

From Rev. Glenn L. Morrison, President of Follow Up Ministries, Inc.

Dear Pastor:

The Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ awaits His coming. It has surely waited a long time. Our work — our Great Commission — is to share His light with a world that still lives largely in darkness. Nowhere is that darkness more forbidding than in the shadows of our county jails, in our juvenile halls, and in the mushrooming number of state and federal prisons that dot our countryside.

Follow Up Ministries was formed to partner with our great churches in reaching prisoners for Jesus Christ. It has labored in this mission field for over forty years! Forging partnerships with churches, on the one hand, and with institutional chaplains on the other, Follow Up has focused on teamwork, rather than competition — always seeking to complement the work of existing outreaches and ministries, rather than compete with them. It is "trans-denominational;" its volunteers come from diverse churches and denominations. It is privately funded and receives no denominational or governmental support.

Follow Up Ministries has based its work on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, seeking to help chaplains promote the cause of "discipleship" inside the walls. It's a "hands-on" type of ministry. Its volunteers serve inside prison walls, going into the cell blocks and recreation areas to touch lives directly.

This is the home mission field to which we have been called.

More than ever, we believe Jesus wants to reach prisoners. For many in jail, the time may be short. We must reach them for Christ, while they are isolated from the cares of the world, open to the overtures of One Who Cares.

Chaplains cannot do this alone; many are reaching out to form partnerships with the greater Church of Jesus Christ. That is where we come in as a specialist in jail ministry. Follow Up Ministries is helping in several important ways:

	We recruit and train volunteer Christians to share this important missionary burden.
	We supply printed Bible studies — a full 28-lesson course — which is free to prisoners.
	And we hold weekend seminars in prisons, where Christian prisoners are built up and discipled to share the Word effectively with other prisoners.

Beyond that we are available to assist qualified ex-felons as they adjust to the problems of "street life."

 And we are available to help you, the Pastor, in seeking solutions to the special problems raised by a church member who has become incarcerated.

The word "disciple" is central to our work, both inside and outside the barred walls. This kind of work calls for the maturity of a true "disciple of Jesus Christ." But unique service calls for unique disciples — men and women uniquely prepared and called by God — men and women that may not fit our mental image of the traditional "missionary." But they are missionaries, even though they may not look the part right now. Because of their uniqueness, they may need special encouragement from you in order to find their way to the unusual mission field for which they are being prepared.

Your awareness of this opportunity — your recognition of the special challenges involved in ministry to the incarcerated — your acknowledgement of its vital importance to the church and to the peace of our streets and the sanctity of the home — all these are ways in which we invite you to participate in this great work.

We stand ready to assist you in building bridges to the eternal souls of prisoners young and old. If you are interested, please let us hear from you.

Gratefully yours in His service,

Glenn L. Morrison
President