IFI Year 2

172

Back to the “IFI Chronicles”

 

We moved to Newton and I started at IFI in August of 2000.

 

By August of 2001 we had two new counselors, a new secretary, and a new Aftercare Manager.  Much of class 1 and 2 had completed the program and had moved on. We had a new warden, new treatment director, and a new unit manager.  Amy, the boys and I had renovated and moved into “The Bergstrom” house in Newton.  With all the changes in our lives, we had even more changes.

 

The IFI staff was unified. We had a group of DOC staff that we were working collaboratively.  We had worked on volunteers and supporting churches.  After 12-months of turmoil, we were poised for some type of growth.

 

Sam and I were committed to confront head-on the road-blocks constructed by our predecessors, and we were making headway.

 

We spent a lot of time praying as a staff and as a community.  We scheduled early morning prayer times where we cried out to the Lord as a staff and as a community.

 

In the midst of this time and even throughout the rest of our time in Newton God spoke clearly to me in many areas.

 

Here is one of those breakthrough “words.”

 

God said (so to speak) I’m not interested in your little prison ministry.  I’m, not interested in your little “Unit E” or your little Prison Fellowship.  I’m interested in My Kingdom and My Name.  I give you everyone whose foot touches this prison property. And I give you their extended families.  Every inmate. Every guard. Every service worker. Every visitor. Every administrative person. Everyone. You have claims on EVERYONE. Not just those 242 guys in the unit.  I want to change the world.

 

It was a message I spoke of often to the staff and community.  It broadened our vision and purpose.  We had a time of great growth over the next three years.  It was a rich time.

 

chris