Pastor Shares Love & Respect in Church and Prison

Whether you are in a church small group or your marriage is affected by imprisonment, your marriage can change for the better! We appreciate how this pastor discovered that applying the Love and Respect principles toward inmates was just as impactful as applying them in church. Let’s hear from Pastor Jerry!

Dr. Eggerichs,

I first learned of your work watching Focus on the Family a number of years ago. I was pastoring a small church at the time. Your subject matter peaked my interest and materials were ordered to use in an evening class at the church.

Relationships restored

Using the series as an evening small group study impacted the church in ways never expected. One of our ministers confessed to an adulterous affair; husbands and wives in the congregation began to address their unloving behaviors.

The Bible, along with Love and Respect material, was instrumental in helping these families restore loving relationships. Not one family relationship ended in separation or divorce.

Many issues to resolve after prison

Well, much has changed since that fateful time. The Lord provided the opportunity to enter into a different ministry focus. Once again I find that Love and Respect material aides me in addressing the needs of a new clientele. The State of Texas employed me as an EM/SISP Parole Officer (Electronically Monitored Super Intensive Supervision Program).

These men and women, as you can imagine, have many issues to resolve in preparation for being discharged from Parole.

Families impacted

Naturally, one of the major issues is having a good relationship with one’s spouse and family.  Utilizing again the Bible and Love and Respect material has impacted families...Some of the men have come to realize there are things more efficacious in making their spouse happy and the women came to an understanding that disrespectful words are what were setting off their husbands.

Officers meet offenders’ needs

The Parole Office provided another venue to educate the female officer on just how to talk to the male offender without causing him to become combative.  The male officer is becoming more understanding of the female offender needs.

Thank you for your hard work in providing the materials so richly needed.

Jerry  

A deeper message

Pastor Jerry understands the deeper message of Love and Respect.

He discovered that the principles apply not only to husbands and wives but to the broader spectrum of male-female communication, even within the challenging relationship between parole officers and parolees.

A male officer speaking harshly to a female parolee will do more harm than good. And a female officer using a disrespectful tone toward a male offender will not motivate him for the better.

You can’t expect positive results using negative means.

Thank you Pastor Jerry!  We appreciate you helping us share this message wherever your ministry takes you.

Relationships can change

You can apply love and respect in your workplace, school, and family. God created us not wrong - just different. As people learn to understand this difference and seek to treat each other as God reveals to us in His Word,  even the most challenging relationship can change.

Emerson