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What if every Orthodox parish came together to serve those in the prisons and jails of our own communities?
We cannot serve the more than 1.8 million people in prison across the U.S, without the support and involvement of our churches. Having parish-based prison ministries allows us to have a truly national reach.
There are many ways your church can be involved in the work of OCPM. You can see here a few of the engagement models for parish ministry.
Fill out the form below and our team will reach out to set up a free consultation and find the right path forward for your church’s local prison ministry.
Your church can become part of OCPM’s Correspondence Ministry by gathering a team of trained Pen Pals. In this critical ministry you will do “visit-by-mail” and build a relationship by exchanging personalized letters with someone in prison over a long period of time together.
Through this program your church will reconnect people in prison with their children. Volunteers record parents in prison or jail reading an age-appropriate book to their child. The recording, along with the book, is then sent to the child, who now has a tangible connection to their parent.
Show those in prison they are not forgotten by sending cards or simple letters all year long. There’s lots of toolkits and options for your church to download and get involved right away.
OCPM offers parish-based prison ministries a curriculum, Early Church History: Receiving the Ancient Faith Behind Bars, to be shared in a local jail or prison with people of all faith backgrounds. The curriculum has been created for the prison audience and will cover material most people in prison have never heard before.
Download our print-ready lesson for your Sunday School classroom or children’s ministry program to learn more about prison ministry and participate in an activity to design a postcard to send to people in prison near you.
Would your church prayerfully consider joining our community of monthly donors? Adding prison ministry as a line item in your parish budget fulfills Christ’s command to visit Him in prison, both locally and nationally.
Coming Home empowers Orthodox churches to welcome and support individuals transitioning from incarceration into society.
Many people find or grow in the Orthodox faith while in prison and, once released, look for an Orthodox parish to join. Unfortunately, many churches are ill-equipped to assist formerly incarcerated people as they reintegrate into society. Coming Home strengthens the capacity of churches to engage with this vulnerable population, and in return help to reduce recidivism rates, promote rehabilitation, and foster a sense of community and belonging for the formerly incarcerated and those welcoming them into their parish life.