Nebraska Synod ELCA

Freed for LIFE is an annual gathering of people supporting change in incarcerated people so they can escape the incarceration cycle, change that comes from being loved by God through the Body of Christ and growing into the Body of Christ.

Freed for LIFE raises volunteers and money for two programs (Followers of Christ Prison Ministry and the FEAST Ministry at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church) that foster this change, by being the hands and feet and voice and heart of Jesus, meeting people where they are as Jesus does, and by showing them Jesus walking with us and overcoming our brokenness.  This frees us from the need to do things the World’s way, to instead live Jesus’ way, becoming the hands and feet and voice and heart of Jesus in our own community and environment.  This gives life in a broken world meaning and purpose.

Followers of Christ leads worship as part of a rotation of Protestant ministries for 3 populations at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, as well as Bible Studies and small groups.  Followers of Christ is also a connecting point to other programs such as the FEAST Ministry highlighted here, that help inmates maintain the unity and support of the Body of Christ during incarceration and through transitions out of it, to stay out.

The FEAST (Friends Eating, Singing, Studying and Sharing Together) Ministry at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church provides a welcoming community of Christ’s Body for men and women at the Community Corrections Center Lincoln (CCCL). On Sundays, they join the congregation in worship, fellowship over a meal, and participate in classes. Positive social experiences give them a place of safety and acceptance and prepare them for return to their home communities. As partners in the ministry of the church, the men and women get to give back by doing various work projects, still finding purpose in using their gifts as the Body of Christ for their community.

Freed for LIFE 2021 is November 7, from 5-8 pm at Sheridan Lutheran Church.  Please plan to come, to visit display tables of related ministries, to share a meal, and to hear a program about these ministries.  The program will also be online.