Uniting Jews, Catholics, Protestants, All Believers Under God of The Holy Bible, Speaking Truth in Love.
Louie E. Johnston Jr., Founderwww.ChristianPatriots.usChristian Patriots Historian, Minister, Author, Speaker
Evangelicals canlearn from Mormons!
Men of Valor Prison Ministries, founded and led by Carl Carlson, is a Most Valuable Partner ministry, deserving every bit of financial and prayer support we can give. I send this message to all Layman Lessons Ministries Supporters, Men of Valor Supporters, and to the citizens of Middle Tennessee, many of whom have opposed this vital ministry being in their neighborhood, not realizing how vital Men of Valor is to our community!
Men of Valor is without doubt THE most vital program to rescue and rehabilitate men in prison, for an entire year before they get out, so they become responsible, accountable citizens that contribute to society instead of being a weapon against innocent citizens unleashed to wreak havoc. You Decide…which felons will YOU support? One you can support with voluntary financial contributions and prayer support, the other with your tax dollars to return them to prison after extensive costs of the Criminal Justice system process. Which is least likely to harm you or your family or other citizens? You will support one or the other group by your action or apathy…Choose!
A team from Men of Valor worked in our Saturday open air Church for the Homeless, preparing our hot Banquet meal for 150+, after having set up our tables, chairs, sound system, all as a part of their Saturday “give back to the community” program, where their men rotate Saturdays to volunteer to help the needy…contrast that with Felons who get out of prison without the Men of Valor program, without the Christian staff support and training, who wind up wandering the streets, homeless, hopeless, and growing more desperate each day.
I speak as an expert on Homelessness, directly “From the War Zone”, having worked as a full time minister without compensation to the Homeless for the past 7 years, building Layman Lessons Christian Church Ministries to the second largest provider of Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Christian Training in Middle Tennessee…all without a single paid staff person. We Feed 2,000 homeless meals weekly, Clothe hundreds, Shelter dozens, and Make Disciples in our Christian Men’s Training Center where 17 former homeless are given new lives in Christ, with full time jobs, learning to do things God’s way. I have housed felons from Men of Valor for their transition to their housing centers, lived with them personally. I have witnessed the impact of their Bible Studies, where men get honest before God with encouragement of Men of Valor leaders. Men of Valor impact all they contact, positively, with very few exceptions that certainly should not be the focus, but often overshadow the great good achieved by those who persevere to pursue good and shun wrongdoing. It is time to encourage the encouragers!
I also speak as an expert who has marveled at the incredible work of the Men of Valor Prison Ministries, having personally observed the bulldog love of their staff toward the men in their program, which constantly looks beyond every fault, to see the need. The Staff provides constant encouragement and support to men getting out of prison to find that few if any employers will hire them…but Men of Valor wear out the phones to find opportunities for their brothers to work, knowing how vital that is to their survival. The Staff provides leadership beyond the call of duty, no clock punchers in the bunch, spending themselves inside the Prison Walls preparing felons to become New Creatures in Christ, then holding their hands and walking beside them every step of the way when they have paid their debt to society and return to mainstream life in America, providing employment opportunities, transitional housing and sincere support. The Staff conducts Bible Studies during the week, to provide that support network critical to success in a hard unforgiving world that turns their backs on felons more than ever before.
I speak as a Layman who has led a small Army of Compassion for the past 7 years, serving tens of thousands of Homeless men and women. I find the great majority of Homeless are now Felons, who want to work, who want to live a normal life, but are denied opportunities by Background checks that go back to the cradle to disqualify anyone with a felony. Many felons see no option for survival in their minds except crime, since they are denied honest work opportunity by all except Day Labor agencies who rotate 100 daily work opportunities between 500 Homeless wanting to work each day, so none can get enough regular work to break that cycle of poverty to get off the streets. How will they survive? More important…how will society survive with a growing homeless population of felons growing more desperate every day? Men of Valor is of vital importance.
