Category Archives for "News"

The Intensity of Evil

News

The rays of the sun are now at their most intense, and the warmth and light we wished for last winter almost make us wish for cooler weather! And just as the weather cycles through seasons of heat and cold, so it seems do the problems of our world.

We are in a time of war, when global powers are cautiously facing off in proxy conflicts that raise frightening parallels with the horrific world wars of the last century. At the opposite end of the scale, mentally sick individuals are unleashing years of pent-up rage by murdering innocents in schools and places of business.

It feels like evil is intensifying in a horrible sort of heat wave, as culture wars rage over such things as gender identities and roles and the definition of human life itself. Conflict and rancor characterize far too many relationships, to mention only a few of our current problems.

What does our Christian message bring to such a situation?

Salvation

Prisons are the gathering place of many of the world’s evils. When we work with inmates, we interact with both victims and perpetrators of some of humanity’s worst behaviors. Nowhere more than here is Jesus and his message needed.

Loaves & Fishes Issue #47 will focus on God’s answer to evil: salvation in Jesus Christ. God has provided a remedy for the evils around us, but especially for the evil that is inside each of us. That remedy is found in the atoning work of Jesus.

There is nothing to do for the struggle we all face with evil other than to embrace the new life in Jesus. We are hardly strong enough to conquer our own demons, let alone bring peace and healing to the world’s problems. But God is able to bring about redemption both on an individual and a grand scale, and indeed He has already done so. We only need to surrender ourselves to the Savior to become a participant in His great eternal kingdom.

Issue #47 Status

Our next magazine issue is currently in graphic design, and we expect it to be print-ready in a matter of weeks. Our current bank account balance is $11,000, and as usual, we project an estimated printing cost of $20,000 and shipping cost of $10,000 in order to get this issue out to our readers.

As always, we are humbled and grateful as we process the daily donations from willing hearts who care for the spiritually needy in prison. What we are doing is impossible without your contributions.

What does Loaves & Fishes mean to the prison inmates who receive them? I will let a few of them tell you in their own words.

I recently came across one of your Loaves and Fishes booklets and I want to say it really was a blessing. I was very happy after I read one of the poems. It really lifted me up! I would like to receive this booklet and any other material you guys have to offer to prisoners like myself. I really appreciate your time and consideration.

Carlos Ortiz
Coffield Unit, Tennessee Colony, TX

Thank you so much for your publication. I really enjoy it and I’ve learned so much from it. I look forward to “The Faith Worth Dying For” Bible study.

Rick Stephens
Kern Valley State Prison, Delano, CA

I truly enjoy this magazine. Thank you so much for sharing it with me at this point in my life. I’m getting all kinds of messages from them. God bless you all.

Tina M Goodspeed
Lane Murray Unit, Gatesville, TX

I love to read Loaves and Fishes. I have been a Christian since September 10, 2001 and enjoy the testimonies and poems of other prisoners. May God continue to bless you all. Thank you.

ArnulFo Silva, Sr
Avon Park Correctional Institution, Avon Park, FL

My name is Lara Cohran. I am incarcerated here at Whitworth Womens Facility in Hartwell, GA. It is a minimum security prison. Previously I was in the Glynn County Detention Center in Brunswick. That is where another inmate shared your magazine with me and I really enjoyed it. I wrote while in the county jail but was shipped off to prison before I got a chance to receive the first issue.

I would really appreciate it if you would start sending me the Loaves and Fishes. I enjoy it so much and will share it with others. I know they will appreciate it as much as I did when my friend shared it with me.

Lara Cohran
Whitworth Womens Facility, Hartwell, GA

Hello my name is Adam, and I am writing today because I found a copy of Loaves and Fishes under the stairs in my housing unit. After reading it I realized how much that I relate to everyone in it and would like to have a subscription for myself. Also was wondering if there are other services you help out with for people in my situation? Thank you for your time. Have a great day, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Adam Benjamin
Henry Hill Correctional Center, Galesburg, IL

Again, I want to personally thank all of you who are active participants in our ministry, whether by donating money, effort, or time. God bless you.

—Mike Fisher, operations manager

June 2022 Update: Issue #46 Shipped!

News

Summer is Here!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17a).

One of these good and perfect gifts from God is the season of summer. Not only is it a pleasant and beautiful time; it’s also a fruitful time of growth. We can endure the cold winters better knowing that summer will come. And here it is at last! Here in the Northeast, June weather is just as good as it gets. We look forward to the unfolding of beauty and fruitfulness in our lives and in our ministry, just as we see it occurring in the world around us. Praise God for His faithfulness.

Issue #46 Shipped

The bulk subscriptions of Loaves & Fishes issue #46 shipped on June 3. Single copies are going out this week. We are running about 4-6 weeks behind schedule due to a few weeks of waiting for funds to cover the cost of postage.

We prepared this mailing with a large group of over 40 volunteers working 3–4 hours. Thanks to everyone who has supported this printing and shipping project, which cost around $30,000.

As mentioned in our last newsletter, issue #46 is centered on the theme Jesus Christ. There is no message more central to Christianity and to our mission of making disciples. Jesus personally holds the answer to all our problems.

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Issue #47 in Process

We are completing the content for issue #47, which will have the theme Salvation. It will be ready for editing soon. We look forward to shipping it later this year.

Messages From Our Distributors

The backbone of our magazine distribution is the hundreds of prison chaplains and ministries who receive Loaves & Fishes in bulk and dispense them in prisons. Here is some of the feedback we receive from these dedicated men and women who minister to prisoners on a daily basis.

The inmates ask for this publication by name.
—Chaplain, Santa Fe, NM

Our Tehama County Jail inmates appreciate your work. They like the magazine.
—Chaplain, Red Bluff, CA

Men use it to pass difficult and lonely hours of incarceration.
—Chaplain, Columbia, SC

The inmates love receiving the booklets, and I believe some are now opening up to Christ and His teachings.
—Prison Outreach, San Bernardino, CA

The inmates look forward to each issue and share what they are studying with others.
—Chaplain, Mitchellville, IA

Many inmates have expressed how relevant the articles are, and the format and structure of the material is well put together.
—Chaplain, Victoria, VA

Our inmates ask for it regularly. We run out of every issue.
—Chaplain, Milledgeville, GA

I use the stories in your books to teach at times.
—Chaplain, Winchester, KY

It builds personal relationships between chaplain and inmates. The color format is well received by all but the most resistant.
—Chaplain, Anchorage, AK

Once again, I wish to thank all of our kind supporters for making it possible for us to spread the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom of God in the prisons of our nation.

Every dollar donated to our ministry typically provides for the publishing and distribution of 2–3 issues of our magazine. Even the smallest amount we receive is a blessing to someone!
—Mike Fisher, operations manager

April 2022 Update: Issue #46 Printing Now

News

We are happy to report that Loaves & Fishes issue #46 is currently being printed. We expect it to arrive in our warehouse within a week or two.

The theme of this issue is Jesus Christ. In the article “Behold, Your King!” Jordan Mast paints an inspiring portrait of Jesus’ life and mission. In a time of geopolitical turmoil, we think about national leaders more than usual. It is a good time to remember that Jesus is King. Jordan writes:

“There is no denying that Jesus is King. While some may argue that His kingdom is not for this time and this earth, we can see His banner over us, even now. No, it is not an order where we appoint world leaders to go and conquer under the sign of the cross. We can never justify violence in the name of Christ. The Kingdom of God is a community that receives its instructions from the Holy Spirit.”

To accompany our focus on Jesus, our science article for this issue is titled “Where Jesus Walked.” Andrew Zimmerman grounds the coming of Jesus in history, using archeological findings to help us understand the world in which Jesus chose to live and serve. Jesus, the Son of God, walked our streets, entered our buildings, and spoke to us.

What does this mean for prison inmates? Here are just a few things that this means for readers of our magazine: Our readers have a God to serve who lived among mankind. They have a role model, a teacher, and a redeemer in Jesus Christ. They can be forgiven of their sins because of His death and resurrection, live a transformed life by the power of His Spirit, and anticipate an eternal home in His presence when they die.

Your Support Makes the Difference

The cost for printing 89,000 copies of issue #46 is $20,000. At this time, we have funds to pay for the printing because of the generous donations we have received in the past several months. We expect postage costs to be approximately $9,000, so our goal is to raise that amount by the end of April. If the Lord provides the funds, we will be on schedule to meet our current goal of shipping three issues of Loaves & Fishes in 2022.

It is humbling to process the donations that come in to Lighthouse Publishing. Many of you are strangers to us, but rest assured, we feel a deep kinship with you in this ministry. It is your giving that makes our work possible.

Our goals are to serve God by fulfilling the commission given to us by Jesus, to serve prison inmates by giving them life-giving teaching based in God’s word, to serve prison ministries and staff by giving them free materials to aid their work, and to serve donors by putting their funds to work in a meaningful cause.

If you would, pray for God to open doors to expand the reach of Loaves & Fishes in prisons. The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for some of our distributors to get the magazines out, and we hope to see this change so that our message can reach as many as possible behind bars. Pray for new distributors to find our material and take advantage of the magazine.

Thanks for what you do, and God bless you.

From our Readers

“Thank you for this magazine I receive free of charge. I really enjoy the stories and poems. Many are a big source of encouragement.” -Marita L. Hutchinson, Lowell Correctional Institution Annex, Ocala, FL * * * “I had to tell you how much your magazine has helped me with my journey to God and His Kingdom for eternity. As you can see by my return address, I am in prison here at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden NY. “Being in prison I don’t have much money, but I wanted to send you this $5.00 to help out. Keep up the good work of the Lord. Please keep me on your mailing list. Thank you and God bless you all. -Joseph A. Piserchia, Wende Correctional Facility, Alden, NY * * * “Hello! I hope this finds you and your family experiencing all of the Lord’s blessings. My reason for writing to you is I recently received my new subscription to Loaves and Fishes, which contained issues 31 and 32. This is so awesome. I love your publication. It has such great articles as well as testimonies and letters of encouragement from men and women across the country who are experiencing similar situations that I myself am going through. “So I wanted to say thank you so very much. I also filled out the application for your Bible study courses of which I have already completed lessons one and two. Again, awesome!” -Tommy Sigler, Pinellas Conty Jail, Clearwater, FL

Issue #45 Update & 2021 Reports

News

Issue #45 Shipped

Our human bodies are made up of many complex systems that we rarely think about. Without requiring conscious effort or thought, our heart pumps and the synapses of our nervous system fire away every moment of our lives. sometimes, however, something goes wrong that draws our attention to these vital processes. Similarly, logistics is a part of normal life that doesn’t draw much attention until it doesn’t work as it should!

We were delighted to see the shipment of issue #45 bulk subscriptions finally leave our warehouse on January 21. Due to delays in production and shipping availability, this issue was about a month late. We have since reached an arrangement with our local post office to deliver the bulk mail shipments directly to our regional USPS mail processing facility via a truck to which we have access.

This will eliminate the need for working with a third party on scheduling large shipments. Until now, we have depended on mail contractors to pick up the shipments at our warehouse. This change should mean that we can get our bulk subscriptions shipped a little more quickly going forward. Although this means we have to arrange a truck ourselves, we are glad to eliminate some of the shipping complications. Single copy subscriptions were mailed out earlier in the week. We deliver this presorted mailing directly to our local post office in mail trays.

We are grateful for the systems that help us deliver Loaves & Fishes magazine to our readers and distributors. We live in a fallen world, and our own bodies demonstrate this. But God is good to us, and we are grateful for the gift of life and the opportunity to provide another issue of the magazine to thousands of prison inmates.

Issue #46

Our next issue is nearing completion of the content creation stage. The theme will be Jesus Christ, and will focus on His life and example, teachings, and His roles as King and Intercessor. We would deeply appreciate your prayers and support for this project.

The cost of printing and shipping Loaves & Fishes issue #45 was around $27,250, or about 31¢ per copy with around 87,500 magazines shipped. Each issue represents challenges of effort and fundraising, and we thank all of you who generously remember us and the prisoners we serve.

Items Shipped in 2021

2021 Financial Report