Church-Plant Planned for Michigan Prison

Several Christian Reformed Church congregations in West Michigan are working with Christian Reformed Home Missions to plant a new church – and possibly two congregations – in Michigan correctional facilities later this year.

Modeled on a prison ministry in South Dakota, one congregation will likely be based at either the Deerfield Correctional Facility or Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility, both in Ionia, Michigan.

But the Home Missions Great Lakes Ministry Team, Classis Grand Rapids East, and Classis Thornapple Valley – all of whom are partnering on the project – are looking at the possibility of starting worshipping communities in both prisons.

The team hopes to eventually get 12 partner churches to participate in worship services inside prison walls. Another goal is the creation of one or more trained mentoring teams to develop relationships with prisoners. These teams would continue to mentor a person for up to a year after he or she is released.

Grand Rapids-based Church of the Servant has been identified as the calling church for the prison ministry, and LaGrave Avenue CRC, also in Grand Rapids, is committed to providing financial assistance and possibly some members to help lead worship services.

The new ministry will be similar to Cornerstone Prison Church, the Home Missions-funded prison congregation that meets in the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Worthing, South Dakota.