Kingsway Prison Outreach Opens Harrisonburg Church
February 02, 2022
‘RESTORING LIVES’
Kingsway Prison Outreach Opens Harrisonburg Church
Kingsway volunteer Vicki Barb of Grottoes reads from the Bible passages about how much God loves humans, even when they sin, at the first service of Kingsway's new church, House of Restoration in Dukes Plaza in Harrisonburg, on Sunday.
It was a sermon she’d given before, Rev. Vicki Barb of Grottoes admitted as she went to the front of the small Harrisonburg congregation Sunday.
Barb spoke of the similarities between sheep and humans in the Bible — the way sheep stray from their shepherd is how humans stray from Jesus.
Yet, Jesus, like a good shepherd, seeks out every sheep, even when only one out of 100 is lost.
Barb gave this sermon at the new church established by Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach on South Main Street in Harrisonburg, and former inmates said the teachings hit home about how even when one makes a mistake, there is room for forgiveness and a chance to turn one’s life around.
“It’s a very important message for redemption,” said Kevin Eagle, a former inmate, of Staunton. “It reminds us all that we’re loved and being looked for, being sought out, not written off.”
When religious volunteers, such as from Kingsway, visited prison, just their presence meant the world to Eagle.
“To be face to face with that person and know that they care enough to show up regularly, not just once, so you build that relationship,” he said.
Another former inmate at Kingsway’s first church service Sunday was J.D., of Harrisonburg, who declined to give his last name. He is now a volunteer with Kingsway and said it is a “full circle” thing for him to be helping inmates with a group that helped him when he was an inmate.
“There is a big stigma once somebody is incarcerated,” he said.
He said the church is a welcoming environment for those who were once incarcerated.
“I feel like when you come to a place like this, you’re going to be reached and you’re not alone and there’s help out there,” J.D. said.
Louise Jennings, a founder of Kingsway, said the church is a “dream come true.”
“This is a total new venture for us,” Jennings said. “We’ve done church in prison for almost 40 years, but we’ve never done a church on the outside.”
She said many people Kingsway helped have asked for such a thing.
“We have so many people coming out of prison that have accepted the Lord inside of prison, but have never been a part of a church and every once in a while, I get a letter ‘I want to attend your church when I get out,’” Jennings said. “Now, I can write back and say, ‘Yes, we have a church.’”
The church is located in the former church of a Ukrainian congregation that was right next to Kingsway’s location in Dukes Plaza along South Main Street.
The sign in the strip mall reads, “House of Restoration.”
“Well, restoring lives is what Kingsway does, so we will probably never change the name of the church,” Jennings said.
For some of the people Kingsway connects with in prison, religion was not part of their life growing up, but for others, it was, she said.
“A lot of them have come [back to Christianity] as a result of falling away and getting in trouble and then deciding that Jesus was the right answer,” Jennings said.
She said teaching about how much Jesus loves humans, even with their flaws, is a simple but effective way to reach those who may have lost their way in life.
“I think what they hear is that Jesus loves them regardless of what they’ve done,” Jennings said.
She said she knows how effective those teachings are, as she was once a drug addict and alcoholic before finding God again and then working with her late husband Shelton to begin Kingsway.
God finds a way into people’s hearts, just like Jennings’ and so many more, Barb said.
“He doesn’t care what you’ve done or where you’ve been,” she said. “He’s going to look for you when you are lost.”
Kingsway Prison Outreach Opens Harrisonburg Church
Kingsway volunteer Vicki Barb of Grottoes reads from the Bible passages about how much God loves humans, even when they sin, at the first service of Kingsway's new church, House of Restoration in Dukes Plaza in Harrisonburg, on Sunday.
It was a sermon she’d given before, Rev. Vicki Barb of Grottoes admitted as she went to the front of the small Harrisonburg congregation Sunday.
Barb spoke of the similarities between sheep and humans in the Bible — the way sheep stray from their shepherd is how humans stray from Jesus.
Yet, Jesus, like a good shepherd, seeks out every sheep, even when only one out of 100 is lost.
Barb gave this sermon at the new church established by Kingsway Prison and Family Outreach on South Main Street in Harrisonburg, and former inmates said the teachings hit home about how even when one makes a mistake, there is room for forgiveness and a chance to turn one’s life around.
“It’s a very important message for redemption,” said Kevin Eagle, a former inmate, of Staunton. “It reminds us all that we’re loved and being looked for, being sought out, not written off.”
When religious volunteers, such as from Kingsway, visited prison, just their presence meant the world to Eagle.
“To be face to face with that person and know that they care enough to show up regularly, not just once, so you build that relationship,” he said.
Another former inmate at Kingsway’s first church service Sunday was J.D., of Harrisonburg, who declined to give his last name. He is now a volunteer with Kingsway and said it is a “full circle” thing for him to be helping inmates with a group that helped him when he was an inmate.
“There is a big stigma once somebody is incarcerated,” he said.
He said the church is a welcoming environment for those who were once incarcerated.
“I feel like when you come to a place like this, you’re going to be reached and you’re not alone and there’s help out there,” J.D. said.
Louise Jennings, a founder of Kingsway, said the church is a “dream come true.”
“This is a total new venture for us,” Jennings said. “We’ve done church in prison for almost 40 years, but we’ve never done a church on the outside.”
She said many people Kingsway helped have asked for such a thing.
“We have so many people coming out of prison that have accepted the Lord inside of prison, but have never been a part of a church and every once in a while, I get a letter ‘I want to attend your church when I get out,’” Jennings said. “Now, I can write back and say, ‘Yes, we have a church.’”
The church is located in the former church of a Ukrainian congregation that was right next to Kingsway’s location in Dukes Plaza along South Main Street.
The sign in the strip mall reads, “House of Restoration.”
“Well, restoring lives is what Kingsway does, so we will probably never change the name of the church,” Jennings said.
For some of the people Kingsway connects with in prison, religion was not part of their life growing up, but for others, it was, she said.
“A lot of them have come [back to Christianity] as a result of falling away and getting in trouble and then deciding that Jesus was the right answer,” Jennings said.
She said teaching about how much Jesus loves humans, even with their flaws, is a simple but effective way to reach those who may have lost their way in life.
“I think what they hear is that Jesus loves them regardless of what they’ve done,” Jennings said.
She said she knows how effective those teachings are, as she was once a drug addict and alcoholic before finding God again and then working with her late husband Shelton to begin Kingsway.
God finds a way into people’s hearts, just like Jennings’ and so many more, Barb said.
“He doesn’t care what you’ve done or where you’ve been,” she said. “He’s going to look for you when you are lost.”
