There comes a time when the chaplain’s ministry experiences intense pres-sure by engaging in crisis counseling during, and after, traumatic events. It is a time spent helping people work through life’s difficulties with the hopes of returning them to some form of normalcy.

Just recently, our chaplains spent several days comforting sheriff’s jail deputies and police officers who recently experienced the loss of two law enforcement agents. Similar to all other deaths, this was a penetrating time of mourning. A good chaplain encourages the mourning process because he/she understands that God created three types of tears which are secreted from different loca-tions surrounding the eye. There are tears for lubrication/protection purposes. There are tears for sadness, and tears for happiness. It is the tears that are associated with sadness that is saturated with 21% more protein than all the others. This is an indication that stress-causing chemicals are being carried away from the body. Our bodies are not well-equipped to handle long-term stress whether psychological or physical. Therefore, physicians have determined that having a good cry and then feeling better does have a physiological basis.

Equally important as correctional chaplains is the need to promote God’s grace across the board. Our job includes seeking redemp-tive qualities in those often responsible for the disturbing events that occur in our communities. Our ethical obligations are identi-cal to that of public servants who must maintain professionalism towards offenders who sometimes escape the hands of expected swift justice.

There was a religious terrorist named Saul who was described as “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). He was not content on persecuting people in and around his hometown, and so he heads for another city until he gets arrested by Jesus on the way there. This same man became the “Apostle Paul” and went on to write most of what we now call the New Testament. In it he wrote: “Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles…with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Cor. 1:3-4). This is a perfect example of a criminal that had to be arrested, but not without a corrective purpose. From the chaplain’s perspective, Biblical justice emphasizes a criminal’s repentance without ruling out the chastisement process. I’ll end with a quote from one of my favorite preachers, Saint Francis, who wrote: “Being the servant of all, I am bound to serve all and to administer the balm-bearing words of my lord.”

Fall 2014 www.goodnewsjail.org

130 Plymouth Avenue South

Rochester, NY 14614

(585) 753-4032

DID YOU KNOW?

Good News Jail & Prison Ministry has chaplains serving in the US and abroad. Your gifts help to reach inmates and staff with the Gospel and to disciple them for Jesus Christ. Please peruse our web site to learn about our national and international ministries.

ECFA is an accreditation agency dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to Seven Stand-ards of Responsible Stewardship™, which focus on board governance, financial transparency, integrity in fundraising, and proper use of charity resources.

The Ministry of Comfort and Reconciliation

By Chaplain Tommy Davis

Congratulations Chaplain Brian on the

birth of your daughter!!! Sasha Duclos was

born on September 6, 2014. Here she is

being held by her sister Joelle!!!

Thank you Northridge Church for donating six cases (156 books) of Bible comic books to the inmates at the three jails that we serve. This resource will help our inmates better understand the main themes of Scripture in hopes to absorb its truths. Courtney Dyer, who coordinated the work through HighPoint, a ministry of Northridge Church, stated: "The kids, families, and volun-teers at HighPoint are thrilled to be able to provide the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry with the timeless truths of the Bible in a creative and accessi-ble format. We pray that this gift will impact many lives for the Kingdom!"

(left to right): Karen Mapes, Melissa VanHeukelum, Courtney

Dyer, Chaplain Tommy Davis

TOMMY DAVIS

Tommy.davis@goodnewsjail.org

Senior Chaplain Tommy Davis was arrest-ed in 1989 at the age of 16 after arriving in Rochester from North Carolina just a year earlier. He was led to faith in Christ by a jail chaplain.

Tommy went on to earn his BA in Theolo-gy from Apex School of Theology in Durham, NC and a master's degree in ministry from Tennessee Temple Universi-ty. He is currently pursuing his doctorate.

Prior to joining Good News Jail & Prison Ministry as a full time chaplain in 2010, Chaplain Davis served for five years as a crisis chaplain and team supervisor at homicide scenes, operating in conjunction with law enforcement agencies that included the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

From 2006 to 2011, Tommy served as a NY division chief chaplain with Chaplain Fellowship Ministries International, over-seeing clergy throughout NYS. He also served as an assistant pastor in Rochester, NY , a supervisor at a local Christian college, and a supervisor for a local Beef Company.

In 2012, Tommy, along with a sheriff’s deputy and a police chaplain, founded the Flower City Chaplain Corps Inc. a Christian not-for-profit that ministers to residents in high crime areas, and facilitates a fugitive safe surrender program whereas wanted offenders voluntarily turn themselves in to authorities in the presence of a chaplain. Davis is a member of the New York State Governor’s Finger Lakes Regional Youth Justice Team, a committee through the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, that evaluates and influences criminal justice policy relative to youth.

Tommy and his wife, Raymona, were married in August of 2001. They currently live in Rochester with their three children and attend First Bible Baptist Church in Hilton, NY.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2014:

Prayer breakfast (November 8th) First Bible Baptist Church at 8 am in Hilton

BRIAN DUCLOS Brian.duclos@goodnewsjail.org

Brian Duclos was born and raised in Rochester, New York. He came to know the Lord as a teenager entering his fresh-man year of high school. After his discharge from the Air Force, he attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and received his Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry and Bible.

He moved to Los Angeles, California in 1996 and worked in the entertainment industry. The Lord put prison ministry on his heart and he began volunteering in the Los Angeles County Correctional System in 2012. Since that time, the Lord directed Brian to Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, through his friend and former chaplain, Paul Burress.

Twenty-five years after leaving and vow-ing to never return, Brian took a position as chaplain for the Monroe County Jail. It just goes to show that God does in fact have a tremendous sense of humor.

None of this would be possible without the support of his beautiful wife Janett. They have been blessed with 3 wonderful children: Joelle, Isaac and Sasha.

Our total funds raised from our annual golf event fundraiser was

$9,060.00. Our projected budgeted income goal was $12,000. Even

though we fell short $2940.00, we still thank God for the generous gifts

entrusted to us as we approach 40 years of jail ministry in Monroe and

Wayne Counties.

Ways YOU CAN HELP! Donate through UNITED WAY by designating #1138

Be a financial partner – Monthly, Quarterly, One Time.

Pray for Chaplains/inmates – Get on our Prayer List

Grade Bible Lessons – Meet once a week at the Grading Center

Become a volunteer – Preach, Teach, Evangelize, Disciple inmates

Join the Chaplaincy Support Team – Monthly meeting to help the local ministry

Join a special event committee (Annual Banquet, Prayer Breakfast, Golf Event)

Donate - Bibles, religious magazines/literature, and soft-cover books

Chaplains are available for :

Lectures, Presentations, Pulpit Supply, Ministry Updates

Snapshots from our Regional Training Conference in Richmond, VA.

Interested In A Jail Tour?

The chaplain’s office conducts a jail tour every third

Tuesday of each month from 7pm to 8pm at the Mon-

roe County Jail. To sign up please, contact us for

specifics at 585-753-4032. Thanks! Mark for providing us with free pizza!!!!