Church seeks bus transportation for people in halfway houses

The Spokane Christian Fellowship seeks buses to help it expand its ministry to people living in halfway houses as they adjust from leaving jail and entering society.

The pastor, Mark Hamilton, said that there is interest by men in the Brownstone Transitional House and women at the Eleanor Chase Transitional House to attend worship and other events at the church, which is at Grace and Maple.

The ministry began when one resident from the halfway house came one Sunday.  He brought some others, but they found they had to leave early to catch the city bus to return.

Mark said the church is committed to this ministry because many of the 150 members are former criminals or addicts.

“People in the halfway houses need to transition into society,” he said.  “They need to come to church to do that.  Jailhouse religion is not realistic. Freedom can be a problem, because many do not know how to be free.  We can supply reference points to help people be free.

“Most of the people in my congregation can  provide reference points because they have come out of drugs, alcoholism, broken homes, unwed parenting and seek to make it for their children and for God,” he said.  “You can’t make it if no one cares.

Mark said some members who served time in jail straightened their lives out, went to college and now work in professions.  He estimates that 30 to 40 might come from the transitional houses if they have transportation. 

More than the message, which may go in one ear and out the other, he believes the community and relationships can make a difference.

Before he came to Spokane 22 years ago, he had an encounter with the law and a prosecuting attorney’s decision to let him go began his turnaround.  That day he met and talked with a minister in a nearby restaurant. 

Skeptical, he prayed that if God wanted him, someone would invite him to church.  Someone in a Foursquare church did.  So he began attending church regularly and studying the Bible.

When he came to Spokane, Mark started the non-denominational church in the Spokane Valley.  It was in a building in Hillyard several years before moving to 1505 W. Grace six years ago.

In the 1990s, he also served four years as chaplain with the Spokane Police Department, where he was responsible for telling family when a relative was killed, assisting victims of accidents and providing compassionate care.

For information, call 443-6361 or email mark.56@comcast.net/

 

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