‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌






Dear John,


What a gift it was to gather with church leaders and volunteers at Restore 2025, a Prison Fellowship conference for those with a heart for restoration. I’m so grateful to Rock City Church in Columbus, Ohio, who graciously hosted us for two incredible days of fellowship and inspiration.


I love how my colleague Karen put it: “Sometimes we need to get away from the noise of the world to clearly hear the voice of God. Restore creates a space for that.”


Restore brought together church partners from across the country, not only to share from Prison Fellowship’s perspective and expertise, but also to build a stronger connection with our ministry and with one another. Attendees from many different denominations and backgrounds took part in powerful times of worship, heard from dynamic speakers, and joined breakout sessions offering practical advice on a variety of topics—like how to serve families of the incarcerated, how to equip your prison ministry team, and how to be a voice for second chances.


I walked away feeling deeply inspired by the testimonies of those on the front lines of ministry. My prayer is that this event will bear fruit for many months ahead. Prison Fellowship wants to see the Church behind bars and the Church outside working hand in hand—and ultimately experiencing true unity as the Body of Christ!


I think of testimonies like Matt’s. Matt is a full-time staff member at Westwood Community Church in Minnesota. He’s also a Prison Fellowship Academy graduate—so he knows what it means to encounter Jesus inside prison. He lived it during his incarceration. Now, he seeks to serve and to help others do the same.
In Matthew 25, Jesus says to go to the least of these, and I think people in prison are the least of these in our society. Ministering to them, bringing hope in a dark place, that’s what we’re called to do as followers of Jesus. … The Restore Conference is about getting in the room with like-minded folks, people who are interested in prison ministry, people who have been doing prison ministry, to learn from them [and] to hear the ideas and inspirations that others have. —Matt


Whether or not you joined us this year in Columbus, please mark your calendars for next year!
[link removed]
Restore 2026 is already set for Sept. 15–16 in Washington, D.C.


We love inspiring local churches and other partners to seek justice, love mercy, and restore hope like never before! I pray that the Church in America experiences new revival as we inspire local churches to grow alongside our incarcerated brothers and sisters.


Your prayers and
[link removed]
support make new futures possible, one transformed life at a time. If you have any prayer needs, please
[link removed]
let us know. We would love to be praying for you.


Thank you for being a part of this redemptive work!
HEATHER RICE-MINUS
President and CEO


P.S. To continue receiving these ministry updates in your inbox, please add prison_fellowship
mailto:[email protected]
@email.prisonfellowship.org to your address book or safe list. Learn how
[link removed]
here .






[link removed]
Give a Gift

Prison Fellowship P.O. Box 1550, Merrifield, VA, 22116-1550 US


(c) 2025
[link removed]
Unsubscribe

[link removed]
Update Profile
[link removed]
Manage Subscriptions