‘Holy communion … is an open door. We could
participate. We felt human again and truly loved.’
eager to do, and sharing helped me to grow,” he said. “[When you are incarcerated], any time you can go out to church or a meeting, it’s a joyous occasion. It’s a relief to get out of the dorm. In the dorm, it’s no way to live.” Each dorm houses 48 men in a
single open room.
Baptized on Easter Easter 2013 was diff erent. Lund invited forward any who wanted to be baptized. Kevin Kanouse, synod bishop,
was also present. “Very soon one man stood, then another and another … 12 men came forward to be baptized,” Kanouse said. “Indeed, it was powerful, [but] not just for this baptismal moment. We invited anyone who wanted to reaffi rm their baptisms and confess their faith ... and about 90 of the 120 men pres- ent came to have their foreheads marked with the sign of the cross and a word of remembrance and forgiveness. It leſt me in tears.” As a leader of Damascus Road,
Lund visits congregations to talk about the ministry and raise funds. Lutheran support comes in many
forms. Members of two churches have off ered to have inmates contact them for a job aſt er their release. Trinity Lutheran in Sherman, Texas, is among the congregations that give a giſt toward Bibles. And Mes- siah and Calvary Lutheran Church, North Richland Hills, Texas, together assembled 1,000 giſt bags for inmates at Christmas.
Author bio: Hafften is a freelance writer in Weatherford, Texas.
Invest in what matters Other partners include the ELCA’s
churchwide organization, the synod’s Mission Endowment Fund and Prison Congregations of America (
www.prisoncongregations.org). Such support off ers hope. Greg,
an inmate, wrote to Lund: “Your class has given me the hope of mak- ing it on the outside. T e Lord has given me another chance in life ....
I know the Lord has a purpose for me, and I’m ready for the oppor- tunity to show the world what the Lord has done in my life.” Lund and Davis have a vision for
the future too. “I’d like to go with a couple other guys into juvenile detention centers to off er a recovery Bible study,” Davis said. “Kids get addicted too.”
Praxis Mutual Funds and Thrivent Financial
Make a significant impact on the world when you integrate your faith and values with investments from Praxis Mutual Funds, now available through your Thrivent Financial Representative.
Praxis Mutual Funds
praxismutualfunds.com
Thrivent Financial
thrivent.com
You should consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund’s prospectus or summary prospectus contains this and other information. Call (800) 977-2947 or visit
praxismutualfunds.com for a prospectus or summary prospectus, which you should read carefully before you invest. Praxis Mutual Funds are advised by Everence Capital Management and distributed through FINRA member BHIL Distributors Inc. Investment products offered are not FDIC insured, may lose value, and have no bank guarantee.
Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Thrivent Investment Manage- ment Inc., 625 Fourth Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415, a FINRA and SIPC member and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Thrivent Financial representatives are registered representa- tives of Thrivent Investment Management Inc. For additional important information, visit
Thrivent.com/disclosures. Everence and Thrivent Financial, and their subsidiaries, are not affiliated companies.
June 2015 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52