ADDITIONAL LINKS
The
Church At Prison
Serving the Incarcerated of Vermont
On the World Wide Web since 1999
"To be
a light to open blind eyes. To bring out prisoners from the
prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house." Isaiah 42:7
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Serving the Incarcerated of Vermont On the World Wide Web since 1999
"To be
a light to open blind eyes. To bring out prisoners from the
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ADDITIONAL LINKS
Free online bible & study tools.
The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. An excellent site with the answers to just about any question you may have about Christianity.
Another excellent site with more answers to questions you may have about Christianity. It also has movie reviews, a section for children, a guide to video games, a book store and so much more!
Site Last Updated On: 8/27/07 |
April 2007 To: Ministry Friends
Here we are in another year, 2007. Seems like it was just a little while ago that it was 1957, in Rutland VT. I was 12 and living on Grove Street across from the Jr. High School. All the kids in the neighborhood were talking about the World Series (baseball) and the Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford. At the time he lived in Fair Haven VT and his wife was spotted shopping in Rutland. Mickey Mantle said "I don't care what the situation was, how high the stakes were - the bases could be loaded and the pennant riding on every pitch, it never bothered Whitey Ford. He pitched his game. Cool. Crafty. Nerves of steel." Now 50 years later the world has changed a lot. But God Almighty has not changed. He is not a man that he should lie. He is immutable and changes not. He is steady, The Rock of my Foundation, the Alpha and Omega. I can always count on him to be there, my refuge and my strong hope to hold on to the promise I have in Him. He is not upgraded, updated, worn out, obsolete, retired or used up. The same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Prison Ministry Conference May 4 & 5, 2007 The 2007 Prison Ministry Conference for VT will be held in Rutland VT at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility and Roadside Assembly of God on Town Line Road. Speakers and Workshop Leaders include VT DOC Commissioner Robert Hofmann, Amy Holloway – VT DOC Victim Services, Dave Bovat – Superintendent Marble Valley, Brian Bilodeau – Superintendent NWSCF, Mark Hemenway – Director New England Prison Ministries, Al LaMorey – Director New Hampshire Prison Ministries, Pastor Rob Rainville – Roadside Chapel, Sherri Englert VT Dept of Public Safety, Pastor Rick Menard – New Beginnings Christian Church, and others. Workshop subjects will include Understanding victimization, Prison Fellowship resources, Sex Offender Registry history and how it works, Accountability Groups, Working with substance abusers, Mentoring, and Dismas House.
The Release As Pastor Fred and I prayed for Leo he began to weep. He was scared to be released into a society that hated him and would consider him to be a high risk sex offender. His picture and information would be on the internet. The media would seek to sensationalize his release and inflame the public opinion against him and for civil confinement whether it applied to him or not. Working with DOC we were able to develop an out of state relocation plan for Leo. As the date for release approached his anxiety level increased. The last night before release he buried his head in Pastor Fred’s shoulder and cried. He hated prison, but also hated leaving close friends behind. Prison is an environment you hate, but you also love parts of it such as...(expand) It is a curse that God turns into blessing for some. It is bad but good, evil but holy, of the Devil but invaded by God. It is needed and serves VT well. Better than most states! It is life with extremes. On the morning of release he walks out of the booking door towards my car. A caseworker is walking down the sidewalk on his way in to work and gives him a big smile, hug and pat on the back. As we drive away and the distance from the prison increase I can see him relaxing and disconnecting from 10 years of incarceration. As waves of emotion pass through him his eyes fill with tears frequently.
His Prisoner’s Rights advocate drops by for a short visit to say goodbye and encourage him in his new life. Later that evening we bring his sister for a visit and to have dinner with him. Hugs, tears, and promises to stay in touch! Our agent in the other state calls to say hello and to give him final instructions on getting from the airport to his room. As they talk his anxiety is diminishing with the assurance that there is at least one person in the new location who will be glad to see him and will receive him as a brother. The next morning brings goodbyes to our cat Mitty, the German Shepard Alex, our home and VT. There is a family reunion and dinner waiting in another state as he visits another sister, brother and his mother. For four hours he is back with his family as a free man. Lots of fun, tears, and many emotions. Then the trip continues through some more states and finally a hotel room for the night. In the morning we say goodbye as he boards his plane for the final leg of the trip to his destination and new life. For the next week we get several calls updating us on his quest for a new life. Then there is the sex offender registration in the new state, a job fair where he applies for at least one job. For the next few days it is job hunting. Finally he is hired by a restaurant which is very common for ex-convicts. Look around the next time you eat out and you may see our clients cooking, washing dishes, even waiting on tables. Without The Church At Prison working with VT DOC and the VT State Police, Leo would be released into VT with community notification leading to another media circus that would drive him out of wherever he tried to live and away from any chance of employment. Homeless, jobless, at odds with society increases the risk of new crimes and more victims. BUT this time God showed favor and provided a new life for His child!
Spring is Here and so is the Upper Room With a new husband who is a prison minister comes a new way of life for the former Joanne “Jo” Falise. Before December 30, 2006 she was single with no family living in VT and although her Real Estate Business, and Duties as a Deaconess in her church and President of her condo association kept her extremely busy, her home was empty and lonely. “I had recently experienced the death of my Mom, my best friend who went home to be with the Lord after a long battle with cancer and then both of my golden retrievers, my close companions for 15 years, passed. It was tough coming home to an empty house. But I poured myself into Real Estate and clung to Phil 4:11 ...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content… Then I met Pastor Pete and you know the story… of our meeting at Marion Fay’s funeral, thank you Marion, your work goes on … and our three wedding ceremonies. Well, while we were dating God gave Pastor Pete the scripture from the Song of Solomon 2:10-13. A portion of that says:”… for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come…” and I can truly say after four months of marriage, that the Lord answered the deepest cry of my heart and filled my life to overflowing with the blessing of serving Him by my husband’s side in the Church At Prison and beginning to learn the depth and intense needs of this prison ministry that I have grown to love.
This Easter our home was filled with family, the smell of baked Ham, candied sweets, turnips, asparagus, mashed potatoes, corn bread and the coos of 3 week old twin grandsons Nicholas and Noah, the newest of 13 grandchildren I can now call my own. As I write this I am choked with tears of joy for how the Lord has answered my simple prayer in secret with him ...that if it be His will, to bring me a husband in full time ministry to Him... God knew what He was doing as he prepared me for this specific ministry through many varied and horrendously difficult life experiences, but through which he was giving me skills to be a more effective help mate to Pastor Pete in this ministry. The Church At Northwest and all the men there as well as the volunteers have become my home as well and I know that is where I belong and want to be. I know that God has called me into this place and with my husband and best friend Pastor Pete. I am deeply humbled and grateful that I have been given the privilege to be of service in some small way to the Church At Prison. Please prayerfully consider your support of this ministry. With your help we will continue in this mission field and the Kingdom of God will continue advancing one soul at a time. Pastor Pete & Jo Fiske
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PRISON MINISTRY IN VT 2007 PRIVATE CONFERENCE SCHEDUE (Subject to change)
Friday May 4th – Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility, Rutland VT
1:00 pm - Check in, Fellowship, refreshments 2:00 pm - SPEAKERS: l Murray Merlin – Master of Ceremonies, Church At Prison l Dave Bovat, Superintendent, Marble Valley l Robert Hofmann, VT DOC Commissioner l John Cassarino, Volunteer Coordinator, Marble Valley
======= Complimentary supper provided by NERCF =======
6:00pm MUSIC: Pastor Rick Menard 6:30pm SPEAKERS: l Al Lamorey, Director New Hampshire Prison Ministries l Brian Bilodeau, Superintendent NWSCF l Pastor Rick Menard, New Beginnings Christian Church
SATURDAY May 5th – Roadside Chapel Assembly of God, Rutland VT
8:00am Registration, Fellowship, Ministry displays, coffee, juice, donuts 9:00am - SPEAKER: l Pastor Rob Rainville, Roadside Assembly of God 9:30 am –-WORKSHOPS l Victimization - Amy Holloway, Director Victim Services VT DOC l Working with Substance Abusers - Bernadette O’Neil, The Church At Prison l Dismas House – Will Hunter / Prison Fellowship – John Nunnikhoven
12:00 pm, ==== Lunch provided by Roadside Chapel =====
1:00 pm – SPEAKER: l Mark Hemenway 2:00 pm - WORKSHOPS: l Sex Offender Registry – Sherri Englert, Dept of Public Safety l Mentoring - Mark Hemenway, Director New England Prison Ministries l Accountability Groups – Brian Coolidge & Tate Brannan, New Life Christian Fellwoship
4:00pm - CLOSING SPEAKER
PRISON MINISTRY IN VT 13th Annual PRIVATE Conference, Rutland VT
Friday May 4th – Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility, 167 State St. 1:00pm check-in. Program begins 2:00pm. Pre-registration required by April 27th Dinner provided by Marble Valley
Saturday May 5th – Roadside Chapel Assembly of God, 1680 Town Line Rd.8:00am registration, continental breakfast, fellowship. Program begins 9:00am Lunch provided by Roadside Chapel
SPEAKERS (Subject to change) l Dave Bovat, Superintendent, Marble Valley l Robert Hofmann, VT DOC Commissioner, Waterbury VT l Brian Bilodeau, Superintendent, NWSCF l John Cassarino, Volunteer Coordinator, Marble Valley l Pastor Rick Menard, New Beginnings, St. Johnsbury VT l Murray Merlin, The Church At Prison, Mount Holly VT l Pastor Pete & Jo Fiske, The Church At Prison, St. Albans VT l Al Lamorey, Director New Hampshire Prison Ministries l Pastor Rob Rainville, Roadside Chapel, Rutland VT l Mark Hemenway, Director New England Prison Ministries
WORKSHOPS (Subject to change) l Victimization - Amy Holloway, Director VT DOC Victim Services l Working with Substance Abusers - Bernadette O’Neil, The Church At Prison l Dismas House – Will Hunter l Sex Offender registry – Sherri Englert, VT Department of Public Safety l Accountability Groups – Brian Coolidge & Tate Brannan, New Life Christian Fellowship l Prison Fellowship Resources – John Nunnikhoven, Prison Fellowship VT l Mentoring – Mark Hemenway, Director New England Prison Ministries
Ministry – There will be time available for personal ministry to those people in need.
REGISTRATION Cost: $25 for one day, $35 for both days, meals included. Scholarships available for any one in need. Call 802-524-2669 or E-Mail pastor.pete@verizon.net Pre-registration required for attending conference at Marble Valley. Ex-inmates on supervision must be pre-approved by PO and Marble Valley.
Fill out registration and mail to The Church At Prison, PO Box 1128, St. Albans VT 05478 or E-Mail to pastor.pete@verizon.net. If needed, telephone registration accepted (802-524-2669). Checks accepted by mail or on Saturday at Roadside Chapel, but not at Marble Valley.
Directions: Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility – From Route 7 (Main Street) take West Street (west-downhill) to Merchants Row, turn right, next left is State Street. Go ½ mile. Prison is on the right. Roadside Chapel – 1.6 miles on Town Line Road from intersection with Route 4 East (Woodstock Ave).
Conference Registration Form(To E-mail: Complete Form, save and insert as attachment to return email – OR – Edit, select all and copy and paste into body of email. Complete either before or after pasting.)
Name:
Address:
Date of birth:
Telephone:
E Mail:
Please put X next to appropriate category):
Dept of Corrections Volunteer?Dept of Corrections Staff?DOC Facility/Field location:
Ex-inmate?Are you on:Furlough?Probation?Parole?
Ex-inmates on supervision will be able to attend the events at MVRCF if they are approved volunteers or approved in advance by the MVRCF management staff and their PO.
__Please expect me/us for supper Friday.__Please do not expect me/us for supper FridayCost = $25 for one day, $35 for two days, meals included. Scholarships available for any one in need. Call 802-524-2669 or E-Mail pastor.pete@verizon.net Pre-registration required for Friday (MVRCF) by April 27 (E-Mail, Regular Mail, Telephone) so MVRCF can get a count for supper and complete security checks if required.
MVRCF may require your SS number for a security check. If so you will be called to provide it. Be sure to provide a telephone number to contact you.
Checks accepted by mail or on Saturday at Roadside Chapel, but not at Marble Valley.Make checks payable to: The Church at Prison.Saturday attendees can register at the door.
Mail to: The Church at Prison, PO Box 1128, St. Albans VT 05478.E-Mail: pastor.pete@verizon.net Telephone: 802-524-2669
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At our home he settles into his room and unpacks his two boxes containing his
possessions. Later while watching a movie on the TV he suddenly gets up, goes to
his room, and shuts the door. Back at the prison it’s headcount time. Each day
all inmates would lock in to their rooms until headcount was secured. “WOOPS!
I’m not in prison anymore!!!” He returns to watch the movie with a little smile
of embarrassment.
God has
also blessed me with a large wonderful new family actually here in VT and then
more in other states to add to my own. I even have two new four legged furry
friends, Alex and Mitty to fill my home and the extra bedroom upstairs in our
condo is no longer just a place to store things. It has now become