Handing out backpacks containing basic necessities to ex-offenders is a great way to help them physically as they adjust to life outside of jail. But three Milwaukee-area WELS congregations and organizations are using this opportunity to help them spiritually as well.

In the Basic Backpack and New Life Supportive Care Network, ex-offenders from the County Correctional Facility-South, a co-ed Milwaukee County jail that releases 24,000 inmates a year, pick up backpacks filled with items such as food vouchers, bus tickets, and phone cards from distribution sites, most of which are churches. Three of these sites are housed in WELS congregations and organizations—Risen Savior, St. Marcus, and Northside Ministries.

But the ex-offenders don't just receive a backpack; they also can receive a hot meal, support, and the gospel.

At Risen Savior, coordinator Ron Whittaker calls the program New Life Ministries because he wants to emphasize new life in Christ. "I don't talk about prison because I want them to forget that," he says. "That's part of their past. This is about being a new man of God."

Four to five ex-offenders regularly attend his Bible study and support group on Monday night. Several are attending church and taking adult instructions classes.

Whittaker also serves as a mentor to many of these men. "I'm a brother that they didn't have, and sometimes I have to be a father," he says.

At St. Marcus, between 6 and 13 ex-offenders and family members attend God & Grub on Thursday night where Mart and Barb Rosewicz serve home-cooked meals, lead a Bible study, and offer time for fellowship.

The Rosewiczes also work to integrate the ex-offenders back into society, including helping them get clothing, housing, and jobs.

Mart, a lay evangelist who works part time doing Bible studies and counseling at the County Correctional Facility-South, first met one of the attendees when he handed her program information when she was released from the facility 16 weeks ago. She has been in church and at Bible study every week since and just completed adult confirmation classes. "It thrills me that I can call her my sister in Christ," says Mart.

He continues, "This ministry continues to strengthen my faith each and every day. The past year has given me many opportunities to witness the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer. I have been blessed to be a part of the lives of these brothers and sisters in Christ as they have realized that they too are safely in God's grip."

Funded by grant money, this program was developed to reduce the number of ex-offenders returning to the County Correctional Facility-South. Since WELS Prison Ministry and Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministries (WLIM) are working together to minister to inmates at that facility, WELS is able to participate in the program.