Adams
Christian
Prison
Ministries
I was in prison, and you came to visit me. (NIV)
Matthew 25:36
Connected to the Vine
"I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him,
bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing." John 15:5
In times of loneliness, frustration, or hardship, it is normal to feel like a branch that has snapped off - struggling to survive on its own, withering under the weight of circumstances. No matter if you are inside or outside the prison walls, it is easy to feel cut off. We can feel separated from family, community, and the life we once knew.
Jesus gives us a radically different picture of our lives in this verse. He identifies Himself as the "true vine"—our unbreakable, eternal life source. And He calls us the branches. Think about what that truly means. A branch does not work to produce fruit; its ONLY job is to stay firmly attached to the vine. The vine does all the heavy lifting. The vine supplies the life-giving nutrients, and the strength.
When we try to navigate our daily struggles, our anger, or our guilt in our own willpower, we quickly run dry. Jesus says, "apart from me you can do nothing." That isn't a threat; it is an invitation to stop relying on our own failing strength and let Him take control.
What does it look like to abide in Him? It means staying plugged in. It means spending time in His Word, bringing our anxieties to Him in prayer, and choosing to treat those around us with the love He first showed us. When was the last time we opened the Word for ourselves? When is the last time we prayed about our situation before calling our friends? To abide means to dwell or to stay in a continuous intimate relationship with God. We can’t just meet him on Sunday morning. We have to commune with Him daily Monday through Saturday too.
When we make the daily choice to stay connected to Jesus, something beautiful happens. We begin to bear "much fruit"—fruit like peace in the middle of chaos, patience when we want to lash out, and a new sense of purpose.
Our situations might not change overnight, but the One who lives inside us will change how we handle it.
No matter what we have done or have not done, we are not disqualified from God's mercy. We are still branches. Our Savior is reaching out His arms, offering to hold us securely. Choose today to stay firmly rooted in Him.
In His Love, Chaplain Rachel DuPhily
This Father’s Day, we celebrate the men who shape our lives with wisdom, patience, and unwavering support. We honor biological fathers, adoptive dads, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, coaches and mentors who have been any part of this amazing journey of life.
INTEGRATION OF NEW VOLUNTEERS
Congratulations and Thank you to our
new and approved volunteers.
Please lift them in prayer as they begin to partner with the current volunteers to
continue ministering to those who are incarcerated. We are truly grateful for all
of our volunteers. Thank you for your
service to the staff, our inmates and
most importantly to our Lord Jesus Christ.
ACACC is hiring for Correctional Officers. If you or you know someone who is looking employment, have them visit the Adams County website at www.adamscountypa.gov. Go to their hiring page and select the advertisement for Correctional Officers for details and application.
Articles from the Web
As U.S. holds world record for imprisonment, churches increase prison ministries
From BaptistNews.com
This article describes some obstacles to prison ministry and why it is so necessary
What does the Bible say about prison ministry?
From Prisonfellowship.org
"If Jesus were on earth today, would we find Him in prisons?"
Christians Should Care for Prisoners
From Relevent Magazine
Read about the myths that may keep us from wanting to reach out to inmates
Get Connected
Who We Are
We are a non-profit Christian Ministry that serves inmates in the Adams County area of Pennsylvania. Our team is made up of both paid staff and volunteers with a heart for sharing Christ with those who are incarcerated...
What We Do
We purpose to share Christ with our brothers and sisters in the Adams County Adult Correctional Complex in many ways, such as offering worship services, mentoring and discipleship, and distributing Bibles...
How You Can Too!
Check out our past and upcoming events to see the different ways you can get involved in Adams Christian Prison Ministries. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on our new announcements!
