By Chaplain Smith
I spoke with a 15-year-old boy at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center. He was in the medical ward due to his injuries. This young man had been involved in an attempted robbery. His gun went off, shooting, but not killing, his victim—a man who had started to fight the youth. As we talked, this boy welcomed prayer and salvation…

Recently, Bill Holko completed the first 10-week module of Character Development with 10 men in Cellblock 8A at Lorain Correctional. Per Bill, this particular group of guys was especially engaging, conversational and mutually respectful. Here are some comments from a few of the guys in the class: “I just completed Module One of the curriculum, and it was very helpful and educational. The course was refreshing and full of practical application for everyday life. Additionally, the program facilitator (Bill) was extremely professional and very inspirational. He continually extracted examples from his personal life experience to help reinforce the message being highlighted in the curriculum…

One hundred men participated in the first round of “Authentic Manhood: A Man and His Design” at Stark Regional Community Correction Center, with twenty-seven completing the class in its entirety. The graduation ceremony served as an awesome time of reflection upon the past 2 months of meeting and learning together. The course began with a cursory overview of what a godly man looks like and ended with a deep dive into four different faces of manhood, considering the seasons of life. This multi-volume video series provides a vision for men, rooted in Jesus’ 33 years on earth. Facilitated by Richard Swiger (no relationship to Executive Director Mike Swiger!), the class inspires lives of truth, passion and purpose with resources offering clear, practical, and refreshing biblical insights…