Impact Ministry Summer Update
Santa Barbara County Jail
Faith In Action Class
The course ran 6 weeks in April-May, and for a “dry run/first run” we heard from the students that the class went well given the technical difficulties and challenges of inaugurating this Zoom class in the jail!
15 students received 7 days’ “milestone credits” for time-off-sentence for completing Impact’s “Faith In Action” class via Zoom!
Prayer Gathering in the plaza outside the Main Entrance of SB Co Jail
August 6, 1:30-2:00 PM — Check out Impact Ministry’s FB with the latest post from the Sheriff’s Department with photo and caption of the prayer gathering! If you are not on Impact’s FB you can link to it from the website: www.impactministrysocal.org. I’m pretty sure we ‘friended’ you all, but if this is a lie, please do get on our FB by requesting friend status! The gathering, as we texted to you right after the event, had a ‘gentleness’ to it that we can only describe as the Holy Spirit coming more as a zephyr and less as a gust or gale. The staff who joined outside in the plaza were all commanders and lieutenants, along with sheriff Brown, who closed out the prayer gathering strong support of the jail chaplaincy, faith-based outreach to the men and women in custody, and a ‘call’ for even greater spiritual interventions/study/instruction.
Chaplain Dan Gaither — the full-time chaplain on staff at the jail — welcomed everyone and eloquently thanked and acknowledged custody staff for their dedication, commitment, and service during this difficult time of the pandemic, and prayed for all the men and women housed in the jail especially for ongoing protection. The Catholic chaplain, Michael Ladisa, prayed — Alice read Psalm 116, and Eddie closed out the prayers with an uplifting thanks to the staff for ‘believing in the men and women in their care’ and supporting the chaplains and the work of God in serving Him inside the jail. Sheriff Brown closed out the gathering with thanks of his own for the chaplaincy at the jail and for the dedication to the spiritual guidance, support, and instruction of those in custody but also of the custody staff members who he said had benefitted a great deal by the chaplains’ presence inside the jail. Sheriff Brown said he would like to see more spiritual instruction inside the jail once we are allowed to return after the pandemic. Eddie and Alice returned to the jail on August 12 to ‘prayer walk’ the main areas outside the jail and all of us on the core Impact Ministry team (Jason and Robin Walker, Eddie and Alice Perez) believe for a radical change the atmosphere and climate in and around the jail such that we will begin to hear from folks we prayed over and we will have staff asking how they can be involved and joining us in prayer.
Pastor Eddie joined with Sheriff's Department, along with Chaplain Dan Gaither and Michael Ladisa, to lead a prayer gathering outside the Santa Barbara County Jail.
3rd Annual Christmas Gift Event — Impact board member Rafael Luna has taken the leadership role for this entire event (3rd Annual) and he will manage the fundraising and volunteer coordination for all aspects! Thanks to Rafael. Look for his fundraising ‘call for donations’ this early autumn on social media.
Preparing the Christmas gifts in December 2019. Your generous donations make this possible each year.
Hope Refuge
Impact Ministry has been invited to come alongside the young girls in residence who have been rescued from sex trafficking to provide faith-building workshops and team-based activities. Our board member, Robin Walker, owner of Core Fitness, Inc. is a part of our team, also leads the girls in a core workout as part of “Impact Time” on Sunday afternoons.
Hope Refuge Inc. is a nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara County, California established in 2013 in response to the growing awareness of the crisis in America involving children and young adults who are being trafficked in the commercial sex industry.
New Program Information
Santa Barbara County Jail Chaplain Certification Program
Impact Ministry hopes to offer a 12-week, Level 1 Chaplain Certification Training course beginning Summer 202, depending on how our county progresses through COVID. We are currently teaching a 6-week prerequisite class, “Faith In Action,” with a group of male students in the jail. Impact’s goal is to offer all three levels of the Chaplain Certification Training Program in 2021-2022.
Pastoral Team with Hope Refuge
Pastor Eddie and Alice Perez, Pastor Jason Walker, and Chaplain Robin Walker make up Impact’s pastoral team, coming alongside the residents and staff at Hope Refuge on Sundays for prayer, reading groups, interactive journaling, spiritual exploration and scripture study, movement fitness and core strengthening classes, and spiritual support.
Annual Christmas Celebration at Santa Barbara County Jail
In 2018, lead SB County Jail Chaplain Dan Gaither and Pastor Eddie Perez baptized the first 12 women. This “founders group” purposed to gift every woman in the jail with a Christmas “Commissary Bag.” Impact Ministry raised the needed funds from generous donors and now supports an Annual Christmas Celebration—2020 will mark the first year Impact Ministry will raise funds to gift every woman and man in the Jail.
For More Information
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Eddie and Alice Perez with Jason and Robin Walker at Hope Refuge.
Pastor Eddie teaching Impact Faith In Action class inside the jail via Zoom during COVID-19 Lockdown.