Sep 26, 2022

Kansas event for prison ministry is Tuesday

Posted Sep 26, 2022 3:18 PM

NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two Gospel Echoes Prison Ministry traveling teams are coming together Tuesday night at Journey@Yoder for a Kansas fundraising banquet.

"The Harvest Team, my wife and I direct," said Glendon Bender with the ministry. "We started with the ministry back in 1980. We've been to many, many prisons across the country. Our children traveled with us earlier on. They are off doing other ministry. The other team is Mercy Road team. Mercy Road Team is led by Jon and Karleen Sommers. They've been with the ministry 11 years this time around. Some of them have been around since they were children with other teams. They will be there. They have two children and another gentleman that's going to be with them and so there's going to be music."

There will also be time to tell of the life change that the ministry has seen in the men and women they reach in prison.

"We have a lot of testimonies that we're going to be sharing from prisoners who are still inside and then a number of prisoners who are out and doing well. It's kind of a full package. You get a real window of what's going on inside there and what God is doing."

The primary focus of Gospel Echoes Team Prison Ministry Association, Inc. is to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with prison inmates. Gospel Echoes provides Bible Study Correspondence Courses, a Grading Network, and Christian literature to encourage growth and discipleship, and Ministry Teams to share Gospel presentations through preaching and music. Bender told Hutch Post that one of the grading network centers is here in Kansas.

"When the inmates complete the courses, they send them in, they are graded and sent back," Bender said. "It's a great ministry that happens through correspondence. Over the last couple of years, with limited access to the prisons, the correspondence ministry has really been a fantastic opportunity."

The Kansas Banquet is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Journey@Yoder at 3605 E. Longview Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. and a freewill offering will be received for the ministry. For complimentary tickets, you can call Dale and Miriam Lehman at (620) 694-9823, Norman and Rhoda Yutzy at (620) 728-9917 or Dorothy Miller at (620) 960-0269.