Christian Formation Ministries, Inc.

Richard H. & Dawn M. Johnson

Ministry History

Richard and Dawn began their public ministry under the name Stonefingers Ministries, which was founded in January of 1994 to support Richard "Stonefingers" Johnson's concert ministry. In 1996, the whole family hit the road together, giving up their home to live full time in a fifth-wheel trailer, and traveling to minister to thousands of people in prisons, jails, churches, and aftercare programs throughout the United States and Canada.

As the kids (Suzanna and Jimmy) grew older, Dawn became more active in public ministry. While concert ministry was still a very important part of their work, they began to do more teaching and preaching. Richard had previously been ordained as a Southern Baptist, but in recognition of their calling, the pastor and elders of Restoration Christian Church (their home church in Sellersburg, Indiana) ordained both Richard and Dawn as Ministers of the Gospel.

The ministry continued to evolve. The trailer they lived in became a laboratory for relationships. Dawn and Richard began to develop several seminars that addressed specific issues having to do with enjoying healthy and intimate relationships with God and with others. These seminars have had a powerful positive impact on thousands of people in and out of prison over the years.

As time passed, the Lord added a new dimension to Richard and Dawn's ministry; they became more of a mom and dad to the people they ministered to. Pastors and other church and ministry leaders began to call on them for support, encouragement, and counsel.

This change in their ministry began to take a new form in 2004, when the Lord called Richard aside to spend time with Him. The family returned to Indiana, parked the fifth-wheel in their church's parking lot, and Richard went on sabbatical.

Over the next three months the Lord began to lay out a new mission, and a detailed plan for their ministry (please click on the Our Mission link).

The eighteen months that followed were a time of transition, as Richard and Dawn began to prepare for the new ministry. They stopped living on the road in December of 2005, moving into a new home just two days before Christmas. In January of 2005, they founded a new organization; Christian Formation Ministries, Inc., and began to build a ministry to help offenders and their families in southern Indiana make a successful and permanent transition from the prison system to freedom.

Since then, the work has grown at a rapid pace. The ministry is already active in five correctional facilities. Churches representing a wide range of Christian doctrines and practices are participating. Volunteers are coming forward and getting involved. Prayer and financial support is growing. We are much farther along than we expected to be at this time, and we are still just getting started.

Something new is taking shape in southern Indiana; it is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

is Lord!

Jesusislordus loves you! Jesuslove

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