October 7, 2020 RPJM News
Thank you for your prayers and financial support for the month of September. I am fully engaged in ministering through the mail with men and women who are incarcerated. Your financial support is critical with the cost of ink and stamps.
Youth facilities are slowly opening up to church services while some of the adult facilities are allowing some face to face visits here in San Diego. Please continue to pray to God to raise up incarcerated Christian leaders that can carry on the work of the Lord inside correctional institutions.
BTW - Prime Day is back starting October 13 and will run through October 14. This is a great opportunity for Re-Entry Prison and Jail Ministry to increase AmazonSmile donations during this epic two days of deals and promotions.
You can make a difference while you shop Amazon Prime Day deals on October 13 & 14. Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/95-4605508 or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to Re-Entry Prison and Jail Ministry.
Please spread the word.
Thank you.
Chaplain Art Lyons, D.Min.
September 2020 RPJM News
Happy September 2020 everyone!
I am hearing of a little movement of freedom beginning to happen inside correctional institutions. In San Diego, some of the juvenile facilities are talking about opening up. There is a little more movement in the county jail system to let mentors have face to face visits.
What am I doing? I have been spending my time in answering phone calls and email from family members wanting help with their loved ones incarcerated. This will range from resources for re-entry to just giving hope for troubled hearts.
I also am interacting with inmates from across the country with correspondence. I have at this point several inmates taking my “Our Lives in Recovery” (OLIR) bible study correspondence course. Each lesson takes me 1-2 hours to correct and send the next course. With each response from me, I answer questions that were asked and try to share some encouragements from the Bible. The OLIR course usually is completed in about two months. I am hoping to develop a study on the Gospel of John with an emphasis on “Recovery”. It will be a longer study, probably taking 6 to 12 months to complete. If you think of me, please pray that I keep motivated to finish this. I already have the study done, I just need to work on the related questions.
As we continue to hear good news on the progress of defeating Covid’s grip on society by next year, please continue to pray for those incarcerated that they would escape the grip that Satan and his cohorts have on their lives. By the power and love of Jesus Christ, this will be achieved.
Until next time – Keep looking up!
Chaplain Art Lyons, D.Min.
RPJM News July 22nd, 2020
Correctional facilities are still closed for services. This means that inmates have not had a church service or bible study for several months. Pray that those who are locked up stay strong in their faith.
I have experienced inside different correctional facilities that inmates who have strong faith in Christ can greatly influence those around them. In one facility, we had several hundred inmates following Christ because of two men of difference races were united together and were bold leaders. The reason I mentioned this as we on the outside have been affected by problem of acts of prejudice between different races, it is inside correctional facilities a huge issue. This is because only hanging out with your “homies” or your race, is still an unspoken rule for those who are incarcerated. The place where this rule breaks down is usually in a church service. God truly does break down the wall of separation in people as written in Ephesians in the Bible;
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:14–18 (NKJV)
Christ makes all the difference to bringing peace in any society, especially the society inside correctional institutions.
As mentioned above, please pray for those incarcerated will stay strong in their faith and walk boldly in the truths of Jesus Christ.
Chaplain Art Lyons
RPJM News June 8, 2020
Hi Friends in Ministry,
Covid-19 is still isolating those who minister in prisons and jails from inmates. Though there are some rumors that correctional institutions may re-open soon for services, I suspect that the re-opening strategy for minsters to be able to do religious services will be slower than for the rest of us in our regular communities. Yet, while I wait, I am keeping busy with mentoring inmates through the mail.
Currently I am corresponding with about 10 inmates. Half of these are going through my “Our Live’s in Recovery” Bible Study correspondent course. Each course takes me about 2 hours to correct and respond and send out the next course.
I am also responding to calls and email from those who have a loved one incarcerated for help with re-entry information. The last two weeks, I have been helping a mother who lives in North Carolina find housing for her son to be released in San Diego today. He will have to register as a sex offender so it has been difficult to find housing. A friend wrote a book about sexual offenders called “The Modern Day Leper” about how difficult it is to find support in any way for this type of ex-offender. You may want to read this book.
Thankfully working with the San Diego County of re-entry community, I was able to find some solid resources for them.
Thank you for helping me to minister to “the least of these” by your prayers and financial support over the last 40 years. Yep, it’s been 40 years since the Lord called me into this particular type of ministry. Amazing!
As mentioned before, there are several ways you can support RPJM.
1. Pray for me and the ministry.
2. Support RPJM by sending donations by check to: RPJM, P.O. Box 620, Chula Vista, CA 91912. Please put in the memo: For Chaplain Art.
3. Donate by PayPal above.
4. By purchasing items on Amazon. This means if you log into my Smile Amazon you can choose Re-Entry Prison and Jail Ministry as your favorite non-profit and Amazon gives 0.5% of your purchase back to Re-Entry Prison and Jail Ministry. This does not cost you anything. You will still have all your Amazon or Amazon Prime benefits.
Once again thank you for being a part of this ministry. If you have any questions for me please email me at Chap@reentry.org or visit the Re-Entry Resource Center at www.reentry.org.
Please keep in mind that most of our Re-Entry Resources are “San Diego County, California Specific”.
Blessings,
Chaplain Art Lyons, D.Min.
May 5, 2020
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your faithful support to Re-Entry Prison and Jail Ministry. Each month I am encouraged by your support. We all know that our lives have been impacted by the corona virus and the limitations put upon us. You probably have heard by now that correctional institutions have been affected a long with the rest of society. The inmates have not had any official church services for about two months now. Chaplains who are not payed staff, have not been allowed in to care for the spiritual needs of the inmates. Please pray that the Spirit of God will minister to those who are incarcerated one to another.
I was just reading this morning in 1st Samuel how God’s Spirit that was given to David, (one day to be king) was used to bring peace into the life of King Saul who was now being tormented by an evil spirit. That paints a picture on how the influence of chaplains and other religious workers who are believers in Christ, are used by God to calm a correctional institution which are places where demons run wild if not kept in check by the power of God. Your prayers are important.
For me, I am always staying busy with ministering to those who are ex-offenders and by corresponding with those who are currently incarcerated. I am also praying that God will open up a new door for me to minister inside to inmates. Just before the corona virus started, I believed that my current chaplain’s position at George Baily Detention Facility was not the best fit for me. Staying home and doing the social distancing thing, has given us all time to think about our lives differently. I believe I will always be involved with ministering to the incarcerated, mentally ill and homeless in some capacity, just don’t know right now how that will all work out and where. Please keep me in prayers concerning this. I am sure the Lord will direct me in the right direction. Thank you.
I will be in touch with you and please be in touch with me.
Blessings!
Art Lyons
Chaplain/Pastor D.Min.
January 23, 2020
This week I have been contacting team leaders for our 40 services a week at George Baily Detention Facility to update their contact information. Big task. It amazes me how much work it is to get some "leaders" to return phone calls or email. Pressing onward. . . . . . . . .
January 23, 2020
Today at the jail was interesting. I am scheduled to give two back to back services for two different mods for inmates in protective custody. I waited for a half hour for inmates for the first service, there were no takers. I usually get 3 to five inmates each service. So I waited for the deputies to call inmates for the second service. Once the men started arriving they just kept coming until there was no space left in the classroom. We took a good look at John Chapter 14. What a blessing things turned out to be. Our Amazing God!
January 15, 2020
In the middle of January, things are zooming along. Mondays, at the Jail, Tuesday teaching at study in the evening, Thursday back at the jail, Saturday morning out door preaching to the homeless and feeding. Sunday Church. I thought I retired 3 years ago. Go fight win, God!