East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church

ALL IN COMMUNITY

"Do not forget those who are in prison. Remember them as if you were in prison with them.
Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them." - Hebrews 13:3

Clery and laity are invited to make a difference in our mission fields in the East Ohio Conference through participation in the ministry of All In Community, a modern-day, Biblical response to the impact and aftermath of mass incarceration. All In Community is for all who are involved in one way or another with the criminal justice system.

With 1 in 3 Americans living with a criminal record and 50% of American families touching the justice system through an immediate family members, there is much repair and restorative work to be done.

Our Vision
A world of justice, love, and peace filled with people healed from crime and incarcerations and growing in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Our Mission
To train, resource, and connect churches to embrace our members and neighbors impacted by crime and incarceration.

Our Purpose
To engage individuals, churches, criminal justice professionals, and community leaders at the local level to restore hope and support healing in lives involved in the criminal justice system.

If you would like to be added to the All In Community email news list, contact Jami Nathan by e-mail.

The Christmas Miracle
Miracles happen. We, as Christians, claim this every day in our Bible studies, in our worship services, and in our encounters with fellow Christians. But, do we recognize when a miracle happens right before our eyes? Reaching out to support, care for, and build relationships with those experiencing challenging times can bring about some of the most beautiful miracles you can ever behold.

Last year, All In Community assisted Four Seven Ministries with the Christmas Miracle events at our state correctional facilities. Volunteers were recruited to help families celebrate the Christmas season with their incarcerated loved ones inside the walls of eight Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) institutions during the month of December. From gift wrapping to game playing to serving meals, the volunteers helped families create beautiful memories together. All In Community has always said that families serve time with their incarcerated loved ones. The volunteers last year witnessed miracles all around as time stopped and families could be together, love on each other, and celebrate the holiday together. One of the members of the All In Community Leadership Team is a woman who experienced firsthand the beauty of the Christmas Miracle, here is her testimony:

My name is Amanda Schiffer. I was incarcerated in Ohio’s Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for 4 years. Three of those years I was housed at NERC (Northeast Reintegration Center) in Cleveland. I wanted to share today about my personal experience with the Christmas Miracle program. I was graciously able to attend two years in a row: 2023 and 2024. When you’re incarcerated you lose your entire sense of identity, including being a mother. We were able to get visits with our children throughout the year, but they were in a very controlled setting. With the Christmas Miracle, we were able to be a mother to our child or our children for a day. The program allowed for us to personally hand pick gifts for each child. We were able to personally wrap our gift ourselves. For this day, we got to hug and hold our children. I got to hug my mother. We were served a great meal. Out of my entire incarceration, the Christmas Miracle stands out as the best two days. Our institution had so many women who qualified to participate that the event was broken up into two sessions for two days. In those two days I would watch countless women come back to the dorm in tears. Happy tears because they got to be a mom. They got to give their children gifts that would be cherished forever. My daughter Maesyn, who loves to sing, received a microphone both years she came. She loved her gifts so much, she still plays with them to this day. She remembers that it was a gift from mommy and loves it that much more. On top of the time I had with my daughter, I was able to spend quality time with my parents, who cared for her while I was gone. Not only do we miss our children, but we also miss our parents terribly too. The Christmas Miracle provided us with professional family photos, a dinner, gifts, a gingerbread house to construct together, cookies, hot cocoa, and so much more. I am so grateful for this program, as are countless women, men, and their children across the state. I thank God, that at this time in my life, I have the opportunity and pleasure to participate in the program from the other side.

The Christmas Miracle will again be in all ODRC facilities this year. All In Community will be leading the events at nine of them. They need you to make these events miraculous once again. Volunteers are needed for the day of the event inside the institution but there are other volunteer opportunities to prepare for the actual events. There will be two information sessions to describe the events planned for this year as well as the volunteer opportunities available. Register below to attend either the August 31 session or the September 28 session on Zoom. If you have any questions, e-mail Jami Nathan, AIC coordinator.

Registration and Details

Frankly Speaking with Four Friends | First Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Online
This will be an opportunity to engage with restored neighbors in conversations that will enlighten people about their lived experiences to reduce the stigma around incarceration. More details on the flyer below.

Flyer

30 Days of Prayer with All In Community
The Four Friends Speakers Bureau has been continually active and engaging this year. Many different opportunities for them to share about their lived experience have been made available in many ways. They have shared stories during worship services, and they have led worship services. They have given testimony at the Ohio State Legislature on behalf of proposed bills. They have presented information sessions online to criminal justice professionals. They have engaged with grassroots efforts to eliminate collateral consequences for those formerly incarcerated with felony convictions. And, they have gathered to share stories amongst themselves. What a privilege it has been to learn so much from these amazing individuals! The depth of their love of God keeps growing and growing every day, transforming others in the process as well.

Earlier this year, one of the Four Friends speakers spoke during a worship service and then greeted people as they left. Some of the parishioners stopped by the All In Community display table that was set up to learn more. One parishioner was dismayed because she was not able to participate or support the ministries that were highlighted. The Four Friends speaker said that one thing she could do for us was to pray. Pray for All In Community. Pray for the returning neighbors that were supported through our ongoing efforts. Pray for those who were currently incarcerated. The parishioner replied happily that she could do that, and she certainly would!

From one simple encounter, a new ministry through All In Community has begun. Thanks to the Rev. Rae Lynn Schleif and Barbara Coleman, volunteer coordinator and ally for the Four Friends Speakers Bureau, the 30 Days of Prayer is a beautiful perpetual calendar that prays for those impacted by crime, incarceration, reentry, and restoration. Each day of the month holds a different prayer focus, with several additional ideas when there are 31 days.

You can start on whatever day you receive the calendar. Then on the following month, you can start over with Day 1 and continue praying each day. As new prayer requests come to All In Community, they will be shared through email for you to include in your prayer time.

We want to invite everyone to participate in this valuable ministry!

Jesus said that if we have the faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. [Matthew 17:20] Together, through prayer, we can start to move the mountains of stigma and shame away and build healthy relationships. We can listen for the small voices amongst us to make a difference in our communities ... one prayer at a time. Use the link below to get started.

Join 30 Days of Prayer.

All In Community in the East Ohio Conference

The East Ohio Conference is engaged in meeting the reentry needs in three counties, Huron, Belmont, and Harrison, through the ODRC Reentry Coalition Expansion Grant initiative. See the map of Ohio counties without a reentry coalition.
HOPE Letters ministry is coming to Northeast Reintegration Center. HOPE Letters is an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC)-approved faith-based reentry mentoring-by-correspondence program. HOPE Letters writers offer encouragement, guidance, and restorative relationships with men and women incarcerated in Ohio’s prisons. At the same time, HOPE Letters groups become welcoming communities for the men and women they are corresponding with upon their return to the community.
Four Friends Speakers are sharing the Good News of restoration and redemption. Four Friends Speakers Bureau is a group of restored neighbors (people who were incarcerated) who come and talk about their restoration journey. We are meeting the goal of four East Ohio Conference churches hosting speakers this year.
All In Community is a new mission advance of the East Ohio Conference.

You Can Make a Difference by Getting Involved

When a person becomes justice-involved, we believe their loved ones are called to ministry by circumstance. When a person answers God’s nudge to do justice, we believe that person is called by conviction. We welcome and create space for people who are called to this ministry by conviction and/or by circumstances. Through All In Community, you can become a witness for God’s ability to transform lived experiences into life-giving ministry.

Contact an All In Community Coordinator for compassionate support and practical guidance navigating your criminal justice experience, or that of a loved one.
Get a group of four or more co-laborers, friends, or family to participate in HOPE Letters.
Host a Four Friends Speaker for worship, a group, or a mission initiative.
Host a reentry simulation in your community to learn more about the real lived experience of families and individuals who are justice-involved and to meet other community partners serving this population.
Connect with your local reentry coalition to discover ways in which you can serve justice-involved persons.
Partner with New London UMC and Urban Mission Ministries in their reentry coalition-building efforts.
Attend Ministry Mondays opportunities to learn about specific All In Community ministry pathways both connectionally and within local congregations that radiate out into the community-at-large. Topics include HOPE Letters, Restorative Practices and Listening Circles, The First 72, and Good Samaritan Ministry. Meetings are not held in May, November, and December.
Give to All In Community as EOC Advance Special #9984.