Annual Report2019

Multiple teamsMultiple teams ......One ministryOne ministry ......One messageOne message

Mission Statement

Vision Statement

Core Values

To present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to prisoners through athletics, and to mentor them towards spiritual maturity and a successful transition into family/community.

Our vision is to be a national and international ministry dedicated to making a lasting change in thelives of individuals, their families, and communities through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

? To honor God both individually and corporately? To minister with passion and Biblical conviction? To prudently and effectively carry out our mission? To serve with love, compassion, humility, and integrity ? To pray and evangelize with urgency? To cultivate Spirit-led leadership? To honor our volunteers, prayer partners and financial supporters as valued stakeholders in our ministry

? To trust God to fulfill our ministry’s potential? To convey God’s hope and celebrate what He is doing in the lives of individuals? To maintain a God-focused perspective? To come alongside the local church body? To be responsible stewards of God’s resources? To faithfully meet Departments of Corrections and other external commitments

Letter from the Director

2019 saw a dramatic change in our ministry...a shift we saw coming but notthis quickly. This time last year we had twelve teams ministering season-ally, and we had conducted eight crusades in the previous year. Today wehave nine teams ministering on a regular seasons’ schedule and we havetwelve crusades already planned for 2020 - almost exactly the oppositestructure in just a couple years!

Change is often described as inevitable, uncomfortable, frustrating, andeven miserable. Yet the word that comes to me is...challenging. There is achallenge in change.

In the past 12 months, our PA Basketball team, CO soccer team, and VAsoftball team have all discontinued their relationship with Saints PrisonMinistry. All the separations were amicable, and we wish each of those teams well as they ministerunder their own banner. Without proper context, the potential exists for these separations to beviewed negatively. Yet within the context of a changing ministry model, these teams have simply cho-sen a different path to reach inmates with the Gospel. No right, no wrong, just different.

At the same time, churches are leaping at the church-crusade partnership model we’ve created. In2020, we will conduct six crusades sponsored by the ministry directly, the other six are partnershipsbetween SPM and local churches in various states. In Jeff’s letter (next page), he references theneed for finding younger talent as our teams get older. But that has proven to be much harder than itsounds. Another topic for another day, but we’ve seen a change in church culture as much as prisonculture. These churches partnering with the ministry have proven to be at least one answer to thisdilemma because they come with an instant roster!

There are many challenges in change, but the biggest challenge is also the most critical. Are we fol-lowing God’s leading in these changes, or are we changing because we think it is a good idea?

I’m on record as saying that I don’t want to lead this ministry; I want people to look at The SaintsPrison Ministry and clearly see that God is leading this ministry, I’m just the instrument He is using tofacilitate His plan. To that end, I’m convinced that God has orchestrated these changes we’ve experi-enced this year, and He is choreographing our steps as we move into a “new normal”.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

The challenge in change? None at all, when God is the architect!

Serving Him gladly,Frank Zeidler, Jr.Executive Director

Letter from the President

As the world rapidly changes, we are so thankful that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). I am also thankful that His Word remains the source of salvation. There is not only comfort in these things, there is stability and a strong foundation. We believe that God’s Word will stand (Isaiah 40:8).

The Saints Prison Ministry still believes in the preaching of salvation to men and women in prisons. The desire of all the missionary athletes is to lead the multitudes to Christ through the unique ministry of athletics in pris-ons.

In 2019, our missionary athletes visited 131 facilities across the country.While inside playing during an event, 12,757 Gospels were given out to inmates. Sowing the seed to the multitudes. During those visits, 1,143 inmates indicated that they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior for the first time. Yet, we don’t know how many others made the same decision after they left. We don’t know whose hands those Gospels fell into. We are on fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission.

We would be naïve to admit that there aren’t some changes. As the prison environment changes, we sometimes must adapt. As players get older, we need new, younger players. In 2019, The Saints Prison Ministry conducted more crusades than in the past. A crusade is a team visiting an area for a short period of time (week, long weekend, couple of days) and visiting a concentrated amount of pris-ons in that area. These crusades are similar to a short-term missions trip. This model has proven to be an affective way to include more churches and players. Having teams in the areas where prisons are closing to The Saints Prison Ministry has pushed more crusades like the disciples being “sent out.” In addition, in keeping with consistency, we have adapted a solid model that demonstrates to the prisons a solid reputation throughout the country.

Looking forward, we look at prisons to visit where we haven’t been before or in a while. We are al-ways seeking His guidance and direction of what He has for us. We want to be prepared for the open doors when they open. We don’t know what God has in front of us. But He has always provided everything that we need to follow. Multiple teams…one ministry…one message has been the theme this year. We have been faithfully trying to glorify Him in everything that the ministry does.

In Christ,Jeffrey B. MarthinsPresident, Board of Trustees

1987 THROUGH 2019

4 4,588 games played

4 464 institutions visited in 33 states and Canada

4 Approximately 444,727 inmate spectators

4 More than 401,157 Gospels distributed

4 34,333 professions of faith

OCT. 1, 2018 THROUGH SEPT. 30, 2019

4 26,931 inmates in our database

4 1,143 professions of faith

4 12,757 Gospel’s of John distributed

4 86 graduates from SPM Bible Correspondence School

Ministry Highlights

2019 Crusade LocationsWestern PA

New York (three regions) Florida Indiana Colorado

New EnglandSouth Carolina

REVENUE SOURCES

Individuals $437,160

Churches $63,605Companies/ $39,160Foundations

Events/Other $25,921

TOTAL $565,846

EXPENSES

Administrative $65,656

Travel $42,293

Fundraising $18,829

Personnel $227,959

Direct Services $121,927

TOTAL $526,664

I just want to take time to formally thank you for coming into our institution to play our varsity softballteam. We thought we put together a solid squad, but the team you brought still has our inmates talk-ing. They were invested in the games and I was happy there was a big crowd on hand to watch. Themessage you are spreading has also resonated with the inmates. We thoroughly enjoyed having youcoming into our facility, and we look forward to you coming back next year.

The Activities department here at SCI-Waymart would recommend you to any facility that is looking tobring a team in to help bridge the gap from the prison fences to the outside world.

Troy WalshActivities Manager IISCI Waymart

Financials

Letter of Recommendation

Contact

HeadquartersThe Saints Prison Ministry, Inc.

PO Box 681 ? Moorestown, NJ 08057 P: 609.845.3197 ? F: 609.845.3246

Southeast Regional OfficePO Box 1636 ? Woodstock, GA 30188

P: 770.286.2812

www.saintsprisonministry.org

Board of DirectorsJeffrey Marthins, President Robert Fogel, Vice President Robert Bartosz, Treasurer David Crozier, Secretary

John AckleyRobert BrownDavid CoglianoMark DiBenedettoHank MummaFrank Zeidler

Professional StaffFrank Zeidler, Jr., Executive Director

Jimmy Cochran, Director of Team Operations Jay Thatcher, Director of Ministry Relations Rebekah Bailey, Communications Manager

Karen Brown, Personnel ManagerLeigh Ann Bustard, Office ManagerTom Gibson, Illinois Coordinator

Tom Hayden, Virginia Coordinator

Rev. Dale Glading, Director Emeritus