Christian Formation Ministries, Inc.

Richard H. & Dawn M. Johnson

Our Mission: To Reduce Crime, One Changed Life at a Time

How Our Ministry Helps Offenders Make a Successful and Permanent Re-entry into Free Society:

1.PREPARATION...Inside Local Correctional Facilities:

CFM volunteers minister on a regularly-scheduled basis at five southern Indiana correctional facilities: Floyd County Jail, Becher Adult Correctional Complex (formerly Clark County Jail), Henryville Correctional Facility, Madison Correctional Facility for Women, and the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center.

Our goal is to help incarcerated persons establish a solid life-long foundation in Jesus Christ, so they can stay out of jail or prison permanently after their release. While they are still serving time, we provide them with spiritual and emotional support through our Someone Who Cares program. Our Life Management Skills classes help participants deal with the issues that keep them coming back to prison.

Inside local correctional facilities, we model the Gospel, build relationships, and help residents prepare for a successful transition into "the free world."

2. TRANSITION...Outside Local Correctional Facilities:

People newly released from custody face a number of challenges; a place to live, a job, and transportation are just a few of the issues they must deal with immediately...and there are spiritual and emotional issues that need attention, too. Without help, and in spite of their best intentions, most ex-offenders (65-80%) re-offend and return to prison within three years of their release. This is an unacceptable and expensive waste of human potential...and tax dollars.

Here's the good news...with the assistance of ministries like ours, most ex-offenders succeed in staying out of jail for good. When the church gets involved, and ex-offenders get the support they need, only 9-23% will re-offend!

At our newly-opened Christian Formation Center, ex-offenders, and their spouses and families, receive the spiritual and emotional support, life skills training, and other assistance they need to break the cycle of crime and addiction for good.

3. RESTITUTION...The Key to Permanent Freedom:

As ex-offenders successfully complete the transition from prison to freedom, we’ll invite them to begin to “give back” through our Pay it Forward Fellowship. Many won't wait to be asked! Through Pay it Forward, ex-offenders return to prison and jail as volunteers, to help others break the cycle that keeps them in the system.

Some of the most effective advocates for personal change are people who have experienced it themselves. Peer-to-peer ministry is powerful.

As time passes and the ministry grows, we look forward to seeing many currently incarcerated people return to free society to become positive and successful role models, offering "the same comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted" to those still trapped in the cycle of crime and incarceration.

How do we reduce crime? One changed life at a time.

Jesus is Lord!

Jesusislordus loves you! Jesuslove

Copyright © 2005-2008 Christian Formation Ministries, Inc.