The YPM Connector

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

Dear Subscriber First Name,

The Washington Post Story Continues to Bring in Donations

Last month we reported that The Washington Post published a story on October 12 entitled “He Spent 50 Years Fighting to Leave Prison. Now He Helps Others Get Out” about our Meeting at the Door (MATD) program. The article shared how director Freddie Nole and other volunteers have helped scores of people when they are released from prison and need a ride home or to another location.  

The story generated interest from readers around the world and resulted in individuals and organizations donating $14,765 to date to our prison ministry efforts.

With $3,700 from Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable and The San Francisco Foundation, and $2,095 designated to YPM but intended for MATD, we have a new total for the MATD Fund of almost $15,000. 

Along with the gifts come comments like these:

• “I was deeply touched by reading Freddie's story in the Washington Post. I will be making a donation to support your work.” - David K.

• “I am not religious but read the Washington Post article and was moved to donate to the cause. Thank you for helping those in need.” - Karen K.

• “I own an Arts Building. We could try a fundraiser for your work.” - Tim H.

• “This is really good work you are doing. Please contact me so I can learn more about your program and how I can start helping.” - Amy P.

NOTE: The article is FREE to read. Enter your email address, and a link will be sent with a secure sign in without a password.

NEWS BRIEFS

Yokefellow Volunteer Barred from Serving in Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions

As a ministry of Jesus Christ, we Yokefellows are obligated and free to share the Gospel and biblical truth with inmates in our Yokefellowship groups. But recently one of our Yokefellows took an inmate aside and criticized him for a particular life choice he was making. The inmate complained to a chaplain and the Department of Corrections has barred this volunteer.

To protect our vital ministry, we must be faithful and wise. We must follow the rules of the institutions in which we serve. If you have doubts about what you are permitted to do, please talk it through with an experienced YPM leader and check with chaplains and appropriate staff at the prison.

Raymond Receives a Meeting at the Door (MATD) Blessing

Raymond was released from Mahanoy SCI on November 2, but there was no bed for him where he was to be placed until November 6. The prison could not delay his release. He would need to fend for himself, with no access to clothing, a phone or transportation. Lisa and Mark P. picked him up and Freddie and Sue Nole found a temporary placement for Raymond at Self-Help Philly. 

Raymond was grateful to everyone who helped but really lit up when he received a new phone and learned how to set it up. He called his mother, told her he was out and shared his ordeal. In a very excited voice she said,... “You lucked out!”  Yokefellows know Raymond’s blessing was due to a power much greater than luck.

2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

CHECK OUT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE PHOTOS

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Pictured above: John Rush (second from right), YPM Executive Director from 2001-2011, and his family. John was recognized at the conference for his years of service.

From our Executive Director, Sean Atkinson

Why We Eat With Sinners

Over the years I have been blessed to lead the Saturday service at SCI Fayette. When I think back to the first few times that I spoke, I would go to a few of the men inside who had been with us from the start and ask, “Hey, how did I do today?” or “What did you think of the message?” After the first few weeks, John looked in my eyes and said quite sternly, ”Man, this ain’t about you! Stop making it about you and do what God has you here for!” In ministry we can make it about ourselves or our feelings. 

Recently a Yokefellow volunteer did just that. He pulled aside a transgender man who was coming to a Yokefellow group and voiced his disapproval of this individual's lifestyle and let him know why he was wrong. Now understand, we as a ministry or as individuals, in no way accept the lifestyle, but we each have men and women in our groups who have committed murder and done unspeakable things. Why are we elevating any particular sin? We are not in ministry to go person by person and voice our disapproval while sitting in our black robes and swinging our gavels determining someone's level of guilt according to “me.”

My thoughts go back to what inmate John said, “Man it ain’t about you!” We are representing the Yokefellowship Prison Ministry when we go into any facility, and more importantly, we are representing Jesus! We may all wonder why God would allow some of the things that we see going on today. Things that tarnish His name. Carrying that thought further, why would He tolerate Christians who are full of hatred and bitterness towards people? Or allow the prideful and arrogant people to go on misrepresenting Him? And then in a moment of honesty, I have to ask “What about me?” In what ways have I distorted the image of Jesus? And we each need to ask why God tolerates what we do and be very thankful that He does.

Matthew 9:9-13 says, As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples,”Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

So we follow the example of Jesus when we encounter people who are living in their sin; we love them not because we are in agreement with their sin but because we want the opportunity to show them the truth.

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Thank you for your continued support! 

Sean Atkinson, Executive Director 

Dave Lewis, Chair of the Board