Each Thursday evening, a GAP team goes inside the St. Francois County jail to lead and teach our Conquering Addiction ministry. On her first night, “Kim,” one of the participants, held up a Bible and stated, “I have to tell you that I don’t believe this.” After just a few weeks of teaching, loving, praying and leading by our small team, as well as encouragement by some of the girls attending with her, God has changed Kim. Have you ever watched someone as scripture starts opening up to them for the first time? Last week, the group was discussing whether or not you can truly know God if you do not read His word. Kim was the first to say, “No, you cannot,” while holding up her new study Bible. “You can know ABOUT Him, but cannot KNOW Him.” She also stated that she has looked for love her whole life and has never felt loved until now -- she knows God loves her. She feels free now even though she is inside the jail. Wow, do you realize the significance of the last statement?!
If you would like to hear more stories about this awesome jail ministry, talk to the two who are leading it – Judy Schubert and Melinda Cromer. They would be the first to give God all of the glory; in fact, here is what they say about this story about Kim: “The Holy Spirit has changed and continues to change her heart. She wears the biggest and most precious smile now that you could imagine. How great is our God!”
GAP teams are also teaching Conquering Addiction at The Bridge (beginning again September 7), inside the Farmington Correctional Center and the Aquinas Treatment Center as well as providing mentoring and teaching in the Community Supervision Center. If you are interested in more information about our GAP ministry, please e-mail yourgap@yahoo.com or call 573-518-1131. There are many ways to serve in GAP, but an easy way to begin is to help with transportation (to church, Alpha, job interviews, court, college, etc.). What do we need the most? PRAYER for this ministry and for the people we are reaching.
