Fellowship for Lonely Prisoners

Loaves & Fishes

Have you ever tried to imagine how it would feel to be locked into your house for a whole year, forced to stay in your bedroom for hours at a time?

Worse yet, imagine being torn from everything familiar and buried alive behind block walls and razor wire, with no hope of escape for 5, 10, even 50 years.

I can’t imagine the helplessness of that feeling. But over two million of our neighbors faced that reality when they woke up this morning in jails and prisons across the U.S.

Step into their shoes for a moment. You long for home. You try to remember what it was like to be free, to go to work in the morning and return to your family at night. You dream of holding your child and embracing your wife. The years ahead look endless.

That’s life in prison, and the people living it face the same loneliness, discouragement, and condemnation you or I would.

The good news is that Jesus died for their sins and He rose again from the dead, so that these 2 million prisoners could be set free in their hearts and experience the life, hope, and freedom that only He can give!

We realize the majority of these people are locked up because of a law they have broken. But we also care about their pain and need for meaningful relationships.

Many of them who are seeking after God are young in the faith and need discipleship and encouragement to overcome the temptation to sin around and within them.

And perhaps the biggest encouragement to them is the example of others who are living in victory, joy, and peace behind the prison walls!

That’s why we give prisoners an outlet in every issue of the Loaves & Fishes magazine. “Free on the Inside” is our section dedicated to prisoner writings. Poems, testimonies, and short writings from prisoners are common in “Free on the Inside.”

Poems and testimonies from Christians in prison are a special blessing to other inmates because the writers can identify with them in a way that I can’t. Prisoners devour these blessings from fellow-inmates and it gives them a sense of fellowship through the Spirit of God.

We hope to soon have enough funds to print another issue of Loaves & Fishes. You can help us  spread the message of hope and friendship in Jesus Christ with a gift of even $1/day.

Click here to learn how you can give.

Let’s work together to point the prisoners to the life-changing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Until the night comes,
Lavern Gingerich

“Your magazine, Loaves & Fishes, is awesome. It truly is a blessing. When I was reading the different poetry, stories, and testimonies from the different inmates, I was truly fellowshipping.”

Sarah Markovitz, York Correctional Institution, Niantic, CT

Plans and Progress

News

Our purpose for publishing the “Loaves & Fishes Report” is to provide a place where we can report to our partners the things which the Lord has done with us  (Acts 15:4) as well as plans for future projects. We desire to be transparent and accountable to those who support the work in gifts and in prayer.

Staff Updates

Robert and Verba are doing a fine job with the requests in the mailroom. They share the burden of the ministry and have decided to stay here indefinitely. Robert has taken on a part-time job to support his family. They are not living off the donations you send, but are freely giving the time they spend here. We are deeply grateful for their support.

My wife and I also enjoy volunteering here and carry a burden for the prisoners in our country. I normally try to be at Lighthouse two weeks every month. I often sense a need for more wisdom and strength in the work, but the Lord gives us grace and fulfillment as we serve Him here.

Anthony Hertzler from Oklahoma is still working for us part-time by the hour. His editorial and writing skills are truly an answer to prayer.

Exciting Publications

We are preparing a printed version of our ministry presentation similar to what we share in churches. This full-color booklet will introduce potential partners to Lighthouse Publishing. It explains the vision on which Lighthouse is founded, the needs and open door in prison, how Loaves & Fishes is helping to meet that need, and how others can partner with us.

Next is 3 Marks of an Effective Missionary, which draws examples from the life of Christ, encouraging readers to live for the cause of God’s Kingdom, work before the night comes, and enjoy the nourishment that God gives His workers.

Both these publications will be distributed free of charge. They will also form the basis of info packs designed to introduce the work of Lighthouse and recruit new partners to help us reach our goal of making Loaves & Fishes a quarterly magazine.

These tools will be freely available to existing supporters for distribution among their friends, families, and church groups.

It will likely take at least several thousand dollars to print and distribute this literature. Please pray for the wisdom we need to be faithful stewards in all these projects.

For Christ,
Lavern Gingerich

Recent Prisoner Feedback

“Could I please have a subscription to Loaves & Fishes? The few copies sent to the chapel disappear quickly.”
Gary Field

“I am writing to subscribe to your ministry in literature. It’s very uplifting to me. And I’m sure others feel the same.
“Blessings are spread throughout the country for what you do. And if no one else has said it, allow me to be the first to say Thanks!”
Reginald Malone • LLC • Lincoln, IL

“I enjoyed reading Loaves & Fishes so much I am glad you have made it possible for us as prisoners to receive it. It’s wonderful.”
Tina Bryant • Federal Medical Center Satellite Camp•Lexington, KY

“I just need to know someone still cares…”

News

This is the heart cry of many inmates from prisons all across America. Some are victims of unfortunate circumstances. Many are in prison because of wrong choices leading to social crime. All of them are hungry souls crying out in desperation for a glimmer of hope in a dark world of rejection. Many have lost all contact with their families and friends. And the devil does his utmost to discourage them completely.

But praise God! Many inmates have turned to the Lord, finding a lasting hope and eternal refuge in Him! Through prison chaplains, church group efforts, and ministries such as Loaves & Fishes, the word of God is reaching the darkest corners of thousands of prisons all across America.

Still, hundreds are crying out for individual correspondence and discipleship. There is a tremendous opportunity to minister to souls and make an eternal difference by taking the time out of our busy schedules to write a prisoner and share the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus with them.

Perhaps it isn’t possible for you to personally visit prisoners. But writing is a splendid opportunity to do as Jesus taught in Matthew 25:36.

If you are interested, please email your request to me at mail@lighthousepublishing.org. (Or call or write us.) We will be glad to provide you with contact information and letters that prisoners wrote to us along with a list of guidelines for corresponding with inmates.

May God be glorified as you represent Him!

Robert Miller
Mailroom

“The Loaves & Fishes are such a blessing to the inmates….

I left 50 at the Rudd Unit in Brownfield, TX. Most of them were taken quickly by the 80+ offenders that attended the services.”
Don Castleberry
Freedom in Jesus Prison Ministries • Lubbock, TX

How $1/day Supports $125,000
Loaves & Fishes Project

If 350 people would decide to give up $1/day for the cause of Loaves & Fishes, that would equal $125,000 every year. Based on the costs of the latest issue, this would cover the hard costs of one issue every quarter—our goal!

What Readers Think About Loaves & Fishes

News

“Thank you for your generosity in providing the Loaves & Fishes publication to our institution. It is an excellent source of spiritual food for our inmates.”

Charles D. Kleiser, Chaplain Supervisor • Apalachee Correctional Institution

“Loaves & Fishes helped me to feel close to the Lord even when my hope was fading.”
Linda Vetterly, Aliquippa, PA

“The 450 Loaves & Fishes that we received on January 20th, 2009 are truly a blessing to the men here. Thank you for your faithfulness even in these difficult times. It is because of ministries such as yours that we are able to minister to almost 2,000 men here at Jackson Correctional Institution. Please continue to remember us in your prayers.

“Thank you again for your help on behalf of the men at Jackson Correctional Institution. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless you and your ministry.”
Ron Evans, Senior Chaplain, JCI, Malone, FL

“Thank you so much for your wonderful magazine. I always enjoy the stories and beautiful poems. And it helps my understanding and walk with Christ. Thank you.”
Nancy Wright, VSPW, Chowchilla, CA

“Many of the men are seeking to grow in the Lord. Your publication is a blessing to them. Again, thank you.”
William Ohl, Institutional Chaplaincy, SCI Mercer, Mercer, PA

“The women like inspirational reading and love to read the reflections in your magazine that draw us all closer to God. It means so much to the women when they realize others remember them.”
Mary Ann Collins, Chaplain, Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Bedford Hills, NY

“I’m learning a lot with yall’s help…. I’m a recovering addict and this book is giving me so much inspiration to want to know more about God.”
Sebastiana Avalos, Lubbock County Jail, Lubbock, TX

“I really enjoy reading your magazine, the testimonies especially touch me, keeps me always looking up—not down.”
Joe Bowers, Tenn Colony, TX

“I got a copy of your book Loaves & Fishes from my cell mate in the box at Liberty C. I. Your book opened doors in my life that I might not have ever known existed…. Since then the blessings haven’t stopped. Thank you.”
R. W. Putty, Jr.