REPORT FROM LANCASTER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

Mike Cooner

4 January 2009

To my brethren with the elders at the Trenton church of Christ.

We have just completed our third month with the work at the Lancaster work camp and out last service for the year 2008. So far I have recorded seventy-eight inmates who have attended at least one worship service since we started the work in October. There were twenty inmates present the first two Sundays of the month, twenty four the third Sunday, and fifteen the last Sunday of December. I am very encouraged seeing how many of these young men seem to have an interest in spiritual things. I continue to seek your prayers that I will prepare and present lessons that will enable these young men to understand and obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I completed a series of lessons about what Christians do when we come together for worship, with the last lesson about our music in the worship service. Mike Herzog preached the last Sunday of the month about how we know if we are saved, or how the Christian can know he is saved. Because there seems to be a high turnover of inmates at the worship service with a large number of new inmates attending each month, I plan, Lord willing, to focus most of my lessons on first principles with a portion of each lesson discussing God’s plan of salvation.

We have often told the inmates to study the Bible for themselves, and not just take our word for it. It seems that this may have got one of the inmates in a little trouble with another group who comes into the camp for a religious service. It appears they did not appreciate the inmate questioning what they were teaching. I found this out when one of the correctional officers ask me if this inmate was causing me any problems by asking questions, etc., and I assured her that he was not, and that we encouraged the inmates to ask questions. I am very encouraged to see that this inmate has such a desire for the truth that he is willing to question what is being taught.

Until next time thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement.

Yours in Christ,

Mike Cooner