SOCPM Newsletter | July 30, 2022

Greetings,

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate: Soon to be certificate time at Dixon. 

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate: Clergy visits and Church Connect are happening, hoping parole contacts happen next.

On the Home Front: No hornets, but a never found step-brother possibly found.

On the Prayer Front:  All things family, SOCPM, and more.

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

Despite all the lockdowns and other post-COVID challenges, SOCPM completed Malachi Dads: The Heart of a Father this week. We concluded by watching 'Inmate Challenge,' a video recorded at the infamous Angola, aka Louisiana State Penitentiary. Three inmates, Ron, Daryl, and George, all serving life sentences but had significant roles in the development of Malachi Dads and currently are pastors to inmates at Angola. They give some stern words on the responsibilities of being a father despite being incarcerated. The classroom discussion after the video is always the most responsive by SOCPM Malachi Dad students.

We conclude What Does Revelation Teach Part 1 next week. I've begun accepting enrollment for the next term, and I was encouraged to see five current Malachi Dads who've not taken a Discipleship class previously request to enroll in the next Discipleship class.

I plan to distribute 15 certificates to the Discipleship students and 18 to Christain Living students. Generally, after the conclusion of a class term, I take a three-week break to refresh and plan for the next term. However, because of Sheridan only being in class 4 and class 5 of 14 in Malachi Dads and Discipleship, respectively, and my wanting to begin the next term classes all in the same week, I'll be offering 'Bonus Programs in Dixon over the next several weeks. I'll share more on the Bonus Programs in a future SOCPM Newsletter.

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate


I've at long last received notification that I received approval for clergy visits at Kane County Jail. I try to keep track of any former students admitted into an Illinois county jail. As best I know, there are no SOCPM Alumni currently in Kane County Jail.

I'm waiting for a reply from Stateville Chapalin Adamson on his understanding of IDOC's policy on IDOC volunteers having contact with inmates on parole. When I first became a volunteer, it was a strict policy, strict no contact. However, over the years, I've heard from other volunteers the policy has been laxened to allow contact if it is ministry related. However, ministry-related can be ambiguous and easily abused by some. Chaplain Adamson has been an IDOC chaplain for many years, and I would trust his insight and interpretation of the current policy. I hope to be allowed contact in the role of clergy or pastor; however, IDOC would define ministry-related.

The first Church Connect request has bared fruit. Tyler, a SOCPM student in Sheridan's Christian Living and Discipleship classes, requested a church in the downstate Springfield area. Southern View Chapel, a 9Marks Church, said in reply to a recent e-mail that they, as a church family, are already working with two other men who were in IDOC, and Tyler would be welcome to join their church family. So, as I write this newsletter on Thursday, I plan to give Tyler the good news Friday.
I received two other Church Connect requests from Sheridan students last Friday, and I plan to begin a more in-depth search for them next week.

On the Home Front

No hornets invaded my office the past two weeks, and the back is much better. Still, a tightness and a twinge here and there, but I'm back to my regimen of three thirty-minute treadmill workouts a week. I'm feeling enough vigor I plan to up the treadmill elevation a notch starting next week.

I wish I could say the same for my diet, but avoiding snacking is still challenging. I ask for prayers. I use the self-control God has blessed me with to reduce snacking.

I tend to snack less when I do jigsaw puzzles on my computer instead of reading. So, I've done quite a few puzzles recently. I've also subscribed to Ancestry for six months. Per Ancestry, they have 4,700+ hints for me to review. But, I can't review the hints if I'm not a paid member. Most are nothing to get excited about; a lot are places of residence for those already on my family tree. I've also started searching for Michelle's stepfather, aka Daddy to Michelle, family tree. I'm confident I've identified a half-brother on my dad's side of the family. His name is Bruce; he was adopted by his stepfather, who is 77 years old. Unfortunately, he hasn't responded to a message I sent him on Facebook. I want to connect if only for pictures, but I expect he won't.

Nevertheless, I enjoy genealogy-related stuff. I currently have 878 people in my family tree. One interesting find this past week, though not confirmed with hard evidence, is the original spelling of my last name Kallas.

On the Prayer Front

Cameron - Cameron has moved into a new apartment with a female roommate he met through rehab. Please pray for sobriety for both, and guard Cameron's heart not to feel a need to be the fixer of any issues. Pray that God will provide the furnishings for their home. He still has several health issues that still need treatment. Please pray he takes the necessary initiatives and the providers repond effectively. As always, pray for his salvation, again permanent sobriety.

Michelle (aka my lovely bride) - Praise her knees are still pain-free; she has not experienced any swelling. She remains disciplined in doing daily walks. Pray God gives her insight on work-related tasks; she remains in God's Word.

Self - Praise; SOCPM has two new ministry partners; with each fundraising presentation, my confidence and encouragement increase, my back pain has dramatically improved, and I've resumed walking on the treadmill. I would look to God's grace in my having self-control in my diet, specifically to stop snacking. I will have a colonoscopy and EGD this Friday. Would you please the preparation goes as well as can be expected and show no cause for concern? Would you continue to pray for ongoing confidence and encouragement in my SOCPM fundraising efforts and significant strides in reaching SOCPM's fundraising goal?

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