During our first few weeks on the Walls unit, we met Angel, who at the time was a very young Christian and had yet to fully commit his life to the will of God. Angel had a rough and violent background, growing up in a gang lifestyle and was a repeat offender. After talking with Angel and sharing our testimonies with Him, we saw . . .
“Look, none of us are from perfect families. Of my three sons, my youngest is most like I used to be. He got in some trouble and was sent to the Ferguson Unit. Ferguson is and always has been a gladiator farm. When his mother told me he was there, I prayed for my boy. The next letter I received said my boy met this Field Minister named Kewana, . . .
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
The Field Ministers continue to remain strong during the Covid Crisis. Several Field Ministers and the women among the Hobby 9 are able to show a different side of their service—cleaning, sweeping, picking up trash, and even volunteering to do so on medical wings.
Several Field Ministers and students in the Texas Field Ministers Program have tested positive for Covid-19 across the state. We pray for their speedy recovery and for the continued protection of all of the Field Minsters and for the Hobby 9, as well as, everyone in TDCJ.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for visiting us.
The God of the Bible is the God who calls. He has done this continually throughout history, beginning in Genesis chapter 1. There, he calls light into the world. In Genesis 3, he calls to Adam, “Where are you?” Then on, straight through to the book of Revelation, God repeatedly calls the entire human race to himself; and in the process he also calls down fire, soothing rain, pestilence, locusts, rainbows—and he continues to call people. Our God calls people—in groups and individually—to himself. And when God sees an individual respond to his call and has truly turned in His direction, God gives that person a life-giving gift: God keeps one of his many promises, and he reveals himself to that person. And when that personal revelation takes place, the person undergoes a fundamental change that lasts for all eternity.
God calls Ezekiel to a valley of dead people, and shows him in Chapter 36 that dead bones can live.
It’s quite simple on the face of it. It’s a story children understand. The Bible describes this supernatural gift to an individual as “the gift of faith.” One historic evening in Jerusalem, Jesus tells a senior pastor it’s the spiritual equivalent of being born again. Later on, in Ephesians chapter 2, the Apostle Paul explains it to church members:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing; it is the gift of God,”
Ephesians 2:8, ESV
Once the gift has been given by God, it now becomes a question of the call. The calling of God is a huge event in the life of a Christian, and it was a huge event in ours. God calls every Christian to live lives of service and ministry to others, and to produce fruit. The bottom line for every Christian is what Christ said in Matthew 7:16.
“You will recognize them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:16, ESV
The work of the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry is a calling on the lives of our staff, faculty, students, donors, Key Partners, prayer partners, Board of Directors, and the Texas Field Ministers.
Christ tells us, as he told his disciples in Matthew chapter 7, “You will know them by their fruits.” We pray earnestly that your own fruit is plentiful, as you respond to the calling God makes on your life.
Over the last 12 years, we have seen the fruit of our labors, brought out as only the spirit of Jesus Christ could do it. It is our prayer that the fruit of our labors has been multiplied many times over, through the lives of people the Texas Field Ministers have touched. We do see evidence of that, and for it we give all thanks to the kindness of our God. We are grateful to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for allowing us to come alongside them and join together to meet their rehabilitation goals, while we continue to offer spiritual growth and life-changing impact to many men and women inside Texas prisons.
Our calling is a privilege, as we work with The Texas Department of Criminal Justice and our Key Partners to educate and equip Texas Field Ministers.
We would love to hear from you.
Welcome to the Heart of Texas Foundation College of Ministry,
What drives us in this calling? It is to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the darkest of places. For us, those places are where men in solitary confinement live out their days, and often years, alone. Totally alone. They are not allowed to go to church, to attend bible study, to take classes, go to the library, the recreation yard, the cafeteria. They are locked up inside the lockup.
