Sometimes it is easy for us to ignore the past, but I will always be indebted to Ron Goodman who tirelessly recruited me to work with him in prison ministry and take the oversight upon his planned retirement at the end of 2012. I will have to say I was quite reluctant and told him “no” on several occasions before I finally agreed to his request. It was Ron’s fervent desire to see that the ministry continue long past his retirement and time here on this earth. Prison ministry was Ron’s lifetime passion. While preaching in Texas in the 1970s, Ron began working with Clyde Thompson, a man who was ..read more

Just recently, I was interviewed for the podcast, Faith Thru the Fire, describing the mission of TPOM in helping our justice-involved clients navigate the fires of life. Joining me was John Carter, a recent graduate of TPOM, who shared the powerful story of his 42 years behind bars and the experience of obtaining freedom and reconnecting with his community. One of the amazing stories that John shared in the interview was the overwhelming love he received from the church where he is now a member, the Northside Church of Christ in Nashville.   John described his first Sunday and the anxiet ..read more

One of the great blessings of TPOM is to see the lives that are transformed on a daily basis. Our program transforms the lives of men and women who come in with hopes and dreams of a life much better than one being addicted to drugs and living on the streets or enduring days that seem to pass so slowly in a dreary and a small prison cell. A cell for two people that is around 80 square feet takes the concept of a tiny home to a new level.  Being in prison is a very dark place with little hope and often limited opportunities for learning new ways to have a better life. Prisons today are al ..read more

  One of the great blessings of TPOM is to see the lives that are transformed on a daily basis. Men and women come through our program with hopes and dreams of a life much better than one being addicted to drugs and living on the streets or the days that seem to pass so slowly in a dreary and a small prison cell. A cell for two people that is around 80 square feet, takes the concept of a tiny home to a new level.  Being in prison is a very dark place with little hope and often limited opportunities for learning new ways to have a better life.   Prisons today are also filled wit ..read more

In the state of Tennessee, the solution to crime from our elected officials seems to always be the same. Let’s pass legislation to lock more people up, for longer periods of time, eliminate parole for numerous offenses, reduce programming in the prisons, and keep everyone on lockdown most of the time since there is inadequate staff to manage the correctional facilities. Instead of reviewing the research on the factors contributing to crime, and seeking evidence-based programs for rehabilitation, we just continue to pursue politically expedient legislation designed to convince the public that ..read more

As 2022 quickly comes to a close and the dawning of 2023 is upon us, many will be making resolutions. The practice of making resolutions actually dates back to at least the ancient Babylonians who reaffirmed their loyalty to the king and pledged to the gods to repay their debts and return borrowed objects. The Romans, under the leadership of Julius Caesar, modified the calendar to start the beginning of the year on January 1.  January is derived from the god Janus, who is pictured on their coins as having two faces, one looking back and one looking forward. The Romans would sacrifice to ..read more

I’m sitting at the women’s prison in Nashville, waiting for new resident for our transition house to be released. I know the routine here: let the officer attendant know that I’m here, pull into the back parking lot, and wait. And wait. The other day I was here waiting for 2 ½ hours in near 100 degree weather before being told that the woman I was supposed to pick up would not be released that day due to a snafu. Today the prison called and said she was ready to go, so here I am to get her again, and even though my arrival was delayed by about 45 minutes due to an accident on the road, when I ..read more

It was an unusually warm Sunday afternoon in February.  In the midst of winter, a warm front helped the temperature reach a perfect 70 degrees. I was sitting in my car, having arrived early as I waited for my 1:00 p.m. worship service at the local prison. As I waited, I noticed a young boy who appeared to be 7 or 8 years old, playing with a basketball in the parking lot.  Standing beside him was a little girl, approximately age 2.  No doubt this was brother and sister, waiting with their mom for their scheduled time to go visit with an incarcerated man, who was likely known as ..read more

Contentment   The apostle Paul said: “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for if have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:10). When you look at our world today, an unhealthy attitude toward money has caused us many challenges. Some of those who have pursued wealth at all costs, have cut corners and in some cases engaged in illegal behavior for one’s personal benefit. Yet, even for those who have not found themselves in prison because of theft or robbery, can still find themselves living with the wrong attit ..read more

A ministry that focuses on helping the incarcerated find a way back to a productive life in our community does well to remember three stories that Jesus told. Jesus spent time with the social outcasts, the misfits, the people who had messed up in life. The good, respectable people grumbled about that. How could Jesus lead those people (and us) to use their time and resources to help the outcasts rebuild their lives?  Jesus could have demanded that the respectable people check their attitude. But few of us like being told what to think, do we? How about telling stories? Jesus often used s ..read more