SOCPM Newsletter | May 7, 2022

Greetings,

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate: An ugh in Sheridan but still going strong at Dixon

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate: The next and big step in starting a ministry for correctional officers

On the Home Front: Yes they came, if only two. They being the hummingbirds

On the Prayer Front - All things family and SOCPM

These are the topics for this week's SOCPM Newsletter. I hope you enjoy it, despite my lack of an editor. Michelle would like to edit my newsletters (I think she has a deep-seated desire to be an English teacher with a red pencil in hand), but her work voids the time.

To Him be the glory in ALL things and Him alone,

Scott Kalas
Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate

I was hitting my pre-COVID stride but got tripped up by Sheridan. An e-mail from Sheridan on April 26 stated, 'we will need to temporarily place volunteer services on hold at Sheridan Correctional Center until further notice effective today, Tuesday, April 26, 2022' Oh well, it is what it is because God is sovereign.

Meanwhile, at Dixon, things are going well. The Discipleship and Malachi Dads class saw new students each week and only a couple of drops. James, in Discipleship, has been discharged, and Joseph in Malachi Dads has a new job and his work hours conflict with class time.

These past two weeks in Discipleship, we listened to message 3 Jesus: Ruler and Judge and message 4 Returning to Our First Love of What Does Revelation Teach? The feedback has been positive. The only ugh is that the DVD player has not recognized the previous two weeks. When it first happened on April 27, it wasn't looking good. The CO told us he wasn't aware of any other DVD players in the building. Thankfully, God's grace came through. A lady on staff at Dixon staff happened to be in the building and knew of another DVD player in another classroom. Unfortunately, we had to revert to using it again this week when the same issue arose. The DVD player worked with another DVD, and my DVD worked in the other DVD player, but why the original DVD player and my DVD can't play together is beyond my tech skills.

Week three in Malachi Dads was on chapter three, 'Salvation,' is my favorite chapter as it gives an excellent opportunity to share the Gospel. I did see a lot of nodding heads, which was encouraging. Week four's chapter was 'Christian Living part one.' The emphasis was that Christian living is not just doing good works. Though good works are evidence of Christain living, studying God's Word, connecting to a church, and having a Christian Fellowship are much more critical. Again it was encouraging, with many nodding heads.

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate

There were nine new enrollments in the Fundamentals of Faith study. The guys who enroll in the 'Fundamentals of Faith' study will receive a 13-part study workbook. I get the workbooks through SOCPM ministry partner 'Mt. Nebo. When students complete their studies on their own time, outside the classroom. I'll review the workbook to see if they finished it with a sincere effort. If they have, they'll receive a John MacArthur Study Bible.

I met with Dixon's Chaplain Thomas Wednesday to discuss the next step in having a ministry to Dixon correctional officers and other Dixon staff. After his initial talking to Dixon administration about my request, the administration asked I put together a proposal detailing what the ministry to co & staff would involve.

Chaplain Thomas added that they might deny my request because I'm not available for all three shifts. He also cautioned me if approved, someone who is anti-Christian may approach me and ask me questions wanting me to answer my Christian beliefs, and if they consider my response offensive, they may take steps to have SOCPM and me removed from Dixon.

I've communicated with Heirs of Restraint, a ministry to correctional officers, who gave me permission to download their resources intended for on-staff correctional officers. I also purchased 'Daily Briefings Volume One,' a collection of devotions written for correctional officers. 

My proposal to Dixon is to offer copies of the Daily Briefings, taking of prayer requests, and an information sheet on how to contact Heirs of Restraint directly. I also said I would not conduct any teachings or prayer on Dixon's premises.
Would you please pray I get approval but will not have to encounter someone who does not want Christianity in Dixon?
SOCPM had its first presence at Clothes Closet. The response was anything was not what I had hoped. But I will pray for God's leading on how to have a better response in June. Would you please pray for better response at the June Clothes closet?

In the last SOCPM Newsletter, I wrote about the farewell luncheon for Dixon volunteers Larry and Sharon. I've since received a picture of our farewell lunch gathering.

Left to right; Sharon, Susan, Cliff, Chaplain Thomas, Scott, Mary, Larry

On the Home Front

I ended up putting the hummingbird feeder outside my office window and had my first hummingbird.

My first customer

I just happened to look up at the correct time and took the picture before he or she had their fill of my yummy nectar and flew away, so it's a poor picture. I've since had a second hummingbird, but most of this week, it has been raining. I don't know much about hummingbirds, but I imagine they do not like the rain. One thing I did learn about hummingbirds is there are 322 species.

On the Prayer Front

Cameron - My communication with Cameron this week did not go well. He was rightfully so upset and angry that the woman who lives next door to him was beat up by her husband, and she went back to him after he spent less than a day in jail. Another unfortunate outcome was that Cameron was so angry he started being verbally abusive to me and my involvement in prison ministry. He was verbally abusive in other ways, mostly attacking people he knows I love. His excuse for his verbal abuse and anger was not finding a therapist. He says they leave or change therapists as soon as he has a couple of sessions with one. In addition to Cameron's salvation and permanent sobriety, will you please pray he can find a therapist he likes and one who will be his therapist long-term?

Michelle (aka my lovely bride) - Praise the pain she has been having in her wrist has improved, and in a recent visit to an orthopedist, she was told no further treatment is necessary. She asks that you would pray that the insurance approves her getting gel injected into her knees as a treatment for her RA. Would you also pray she remains diligent in God's Word?

Self -  Praise to God for me, too, on medical matters. Both my heart echocardiogram and nuclear stress test had good results. In addition, I've still not missed any days of my daily reading in my chronological Bible in a year plan. I've started rehearsing my fundraising presentation, and I still lack confidence. Would you please pray I find the confidence I lack in God and trust in Him that I will give good presentations?

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