CRIMINAL JUSTICE CHAPLAINCY   

207 Fulton Street East

Grand Rapids MI  49503

     

CJC Vision:  Biblical restorative justice requires reconciliation to victims and perpetrators of crime, through the love and compassion  of Christ.  CJC was founded by Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in 1980 to serve ex-offenders and families.

 

CJC Mission:   That people whose lives are affected by crime may experience justice, mercy and healing.  The Staff, Board, and Advisory Committee express heartfelt thanks to all conecerened for their support.  We are grateful to the Lord and his church for continued blessings for the last 30 years.  Thank you.  

 

Various services of Pastoral Care, Spiritual Counseling and Mentoring were provided to 1,230 persons in 2010.  Of thos served, 525 were women and children and 705 men.  Eight staff along with 121 volunteers assisted.  The majority were refered by the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative (MPRI) program and Parole/Probation.  People are given, as needed:  hygiene kit, clothing vouchers, socks & underwear, birth certificates, State IDs, among other services.

 

In the group support programs, such as Take Charge, (life-skills education), 298 women and children were taught, e.g. "Spiritual Care," Healthy Relationships," "Budgeting," etc. in three 12 week segments.  All sessions are held at Calvin CRC.  volunteers come from COS, Calvary, Brookside and Covenant CRCs.  At every session volunteers provide transportation, snacks and nursery care.  On average, 40 people are present at each session, hence, 1,445 were in attendance.  One woman, age 52, wrote:  "I came to Take Charge a broken woman.  I found my life was incomplete because I never learned how to be a Christian woman.  In Take Charge, I found refuge."

 

The Christmas Store, held at Calvin CRC in December, served 40 women who had accumulated and earned, on average, 150 volunteer hours.  Gifts went to 170 children.  The following were donor churches for gifts:  Calvin, Cascade Fellowship, Covenant, First, First Cutlerville, Fellowship, Millbrook, Westview, Ridgewood and Woodlawn CRCs.  Thank you.

 

In the Horticultural Therapy Program on the grounds of Pine Rest, 94 women and children from the Freedom House were served in 49 weekly sessions.  Eleven volunteers from various CRCs, such as Covenant and East Paris, gave 420 hours, weekly.  The program had 428 in attendance.  One client wrote, "I can be very creative, and like a plant, not  be able to grow when bonded to addiction.  The Lord brings his blessing in Hort. Therapy.  Thank you." 

 

In the Mentor Program, 40 mentor matches were maintained in 2010.  The following churches provided Mentors:  Brookside, Calvin, COS, Cottonwood, Calvary, Evergreen Ministries, Immanuel, Jamestown, Georgetown, Oakwood, Seymour, Westend, Westview and Woodlawn CRCs.  Some are long-term mentors, e.g.  one at 5 years.  Total volunteer hours in mentoring were 1,264.  One person being mentored said:  "This relationship is the key to my success."

 

CJC provided information or assistance on 162 occasions to agencies, churches and families about the criminal justice system or in troubled circumstances.  Providence CRC provides hygiene kits.  One church wrote:  "The services of CJC have greatly relieved our anxieties in how to assist the returning person and family."

 

Sixteen seminars were held in collaboration with other agencies and churches regarding aftercare and reentry:  e.g.  Michigan DOC (Chaplaincy Advisory Council), PF, MPRI, Celebration Fellowship, Healing Communities, CBI, RERC, and RC Diocese (Jail/Prison Ministry).  Partnerships with others are paramount in working with returning citizens.  Mentoring, Housing and Employment are the most needed aspects to integrate into the community.  The church is the healing community.  A more detailed program report is available, as well as Financial Statements, call (616) 454-4925.  Please consider becoming a mentor.  Go to:  www.cjcministry.org.  CJC is grateful for many sources of support.  Thank you.

 

      We are also truly grateful for the 8 staff; and 12 Board & Committee members who are wonderfully committed and dedicated to support CJC.  May the Lord be pleased by the work of our hands.

 

Board of Directors:  Anna Greidanus, Chair; Herb Brinks, Secretary/Treasurer; Judge George Buth; Richard Hillary II; Larry Hobbie, Myles Kuperus and Jim Vander Schaaf.  Board Advisory Committee:  Steve Morren, Chair; Brian Hofstra; Scott Johnston; Dave Morren; Andrew Ganzevoort and James Vander Schaaf. 

       

                                                           Rev. James Vander Schaaf, Director.    

 

The CJC is tax-exempt under the 501 (c) 3 section of the Internal Revenue Code.  Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Thank you for your support.  For more information contact:

 

Tel:  (616) 454-4925   Fax: (616) 454-8835    Email: cjcministry@sbcglobal.net    Web site: cjcministry.org