The YPM Connector

September 4, 2025

Dear Subscriber First Name,

Register Now for the 2025 YPM Annual Conference

🔗 CLICK HERE to Register

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📅 Date: September 26–27, 2025
📍 Location: Lancaster, PA
💡 Theme: Back to Basics: Back to The Bible

Join us for the 2025 YPM Annual Conference at Bright Side Baptist Church, 515 Hershey Ave., Lancaster. Whether you’re a new or seasoned volunteer, this is your opportunity to:

• Strengthen your foundation in prison ministry

• Receive “Basic Training” using our newly-revised volunteer handbook

• Learn from our guest speakers and experienced Yokefellows and staff

• Connect with others passionate about making a difference

📄 Details & Links

• 🕒 Conference Schedule
  

• 🎤 Speaker Bios & Topics

💵 Registration Info

• Cost: The cost for the 2-day conference and 2 meals is only $65. (Last year: $105 — almost a 40% reduction!) See the conference options that fit your need.

• Register by: September 9 to avoid the $15 late fee.

• Refund policy: 50% refund if canceled after today.

🔗 Register here: ypmpa.org/registration.

You can pay by credit card or check.

🏨 Lodging Info

Attendees will book their own hotel accommodations.
A list of nearby hotels is available at the bottom of the registration page on the website.

Let’s Get Back to the Bible.

Back to Basics. Together.
Don’t miss this chance to be equipped and inspired for the ministry year ahead.

Our host location for the conference, Bright Side Baptist Church

Area Councils Prepare for YPM Annual Conference Membership Meeting

Please remember that each YPM board member is a voting delegate and that each Area Council is eligible to send two (2) voting delegates to the annual conference. The Area Council Chair or Council Director will submit the names and contact information of voting delegates and alternate to YPM Secretary Mary Clouser maryclouser@aol.com at least two weeks prior to the membership meeting. This year’s deadline is Saturday, September 13.

YPM Worships with Longtime Ministry Partner Bethany Church

On August 17 Keith Rodrigues' compelling story from the YPM book “Get Free and Stay Free: Stories of Inmates Who Found Freedom Inside and Out” was the core of the sermon during two services at our partner church, Bethany Church, in Allentown. Wayne Benjamin, a former member of Bethany, served as the executive director of YPM from 1994 - 2001 when John Rush became the executive director. YPM board chair David Lewis spoke and interviewed Keith who is featured in Chapter 2 of the book.

Lehigh Area Council Director Mike Hagen, Lehigh YPM volunteer Scott France and former YPM Executive Director John Rush answered questions about YPM between and after services attended by 360 people. Bethany has been a generous and faithful supporter of YPM for 30 years and presented YPM with a $500 gift for the ministry.

Bringing a YPM testimony to a local church during worship is an effective way to touch hearts and discover people who may be feeling the call to share in our ministry. If you know a pastor and church who might be interested in sharing Sunday worship with YPM, please contact Executive Director Sean Atkinson at ypmsean@gmail.com or Dave Lewis at davidmlewis8118@gmail.com.

Four Ways To Support YPM

As we approach our 2025 Annual Conference, we would like to remind Yokefellows and others who believe in our mission of ways to support YPM.  

1. Scholarship assistance for returning citizens. Help us support returning citizens by awarding them with full or partial scholarship assistance to attend the Annual Conference.

2. Books for Inmates. Help us distribute copies of Get Free and Stay Free books to inmates and returning citizens ($7/book).

3. Meeting at the Door is a program in which volunteers meet newly-released returned citizens who don't have family members or friends to pick them up. YPM provides a meal, assists them with getting personal items and transports them to the facility/home where they will be staying.

4. Support our Annual Conference. Consider making a gift to help offset expenses that may not be covered by registration revenue.

   TO DONATE TO YPM:

   Go to ypmpa.org/donate and select the specific fund you would like to support. Thank you!

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Thank you for your continued support! 

Sean Atkinson, Executive Director 

Dave Lewis, Chair of the Board