Gary Dehart
Contact: Church Office (775) 782-7486
The High Sierra Fellowship Jail Ministry
The main goal of the High Sierra Fellowship Jail Ministry is to make disciples of Jesus among people who are incarcerated in the Douglas County Jail and beyond. This is accomplished through the following sub-goals:
The goals of this ministry are based on the conviction that the Word of God is the means by which God calls, draws, and converts sinners to Himself (Romans 1:16, 10:17, 1 Peter 1:23) and by which He transforms and grows believers into maturity in Christ (Psalm 1, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:23, 5:25-27, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 2:2). Therefore, the High Sierra Fellowship Jail Ministry is focused on the clear presentation of the Word of God.
The primary means of this presentation is through weekly Bible studies conducted at the Douglas County Jail. Additional discipleship takes place through letter correspondence, books, and follow-up after release. As the weekly Bible studies provide an opportunity for God’s Word to be heard, some listeners respond through letters. More volunteers are needed to provide mentorship and a listening ear. For some inmates, the HSF jail team is their only family.
Furthermore, it is crucial to equip these hungry inmates with further opportunities and assistance in reading God’s Word. While in jail or prison, inmates have the time and opportunity to not only read for themselves, but also share what they read and learn with other lost souls in the jail and prison system. Some of these cellmates have written to us, seeking guidance and hope. Books provide an incredible opportunity to sow God’s Word generously among fertile soil.
Ultimately, whatever the reason for incarceration, criminal lifestyle choices reveal a rebellious heart living life independent of God. Jail time interrupts that rebellion. God has given many people over to their desires in order to bring them to the end of themselves. Many of these inmates have never heard or understood the message of the Bible. Therefore, our hope is that by exposing inmates to God’s Word during a time of vulnerability and desperation and by coming alongside these people who likely don’t know what love looks like, God’s Word will shine on, convict, save, and transform these people living in darkness.
How it Works
The HSF Jail Team Bible Studies start at 1:00 PM every Saturday at the Douglas County Jail. Typically, one group of men and a second group of women attend, each for at least an hour. In addition to Saturday studies, the HSF Jail Team shares Friday services with four other churches from the Carson Valley, holding studies at 1:45 PM every fifth Friday.
Typically we try to have two volunteers going in together, one of which should always be a man to ensure that female volunteers are not alone in any of the male groups.
Books
The more books we are able to send hungry inmates, the more opportunity these individuals will have to grow in the Lord personally and spread His Word to their cell mates and families.
Writers
As more inmates respond to God in faith, we will need more church members to disciple these new believers through letters. Some of these inmates have no family and no help. If we do not share God’s Word with them and show them Christ’s love, who will? All letters are sent to the church to protect the privacy of those writing.
Volunteers on the Inside
Because we seek to build relationships with the inmates, it is important to limit the size of the regular HSF Jail Team roster. However, we are always open to more volunteers to at least be available and on call for backup support. Down the road, backup volunteers may replace current volunteers. Douglas County Jail training is not frequent, so it is important for any volunteers interested to first apply through the church and then, once the process is complete, to apply through the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office as soon as possible. When training is available, we will let everyone know.
Volunteers must pass background checks and should generally not be a new believer. Please contact the church office for more information for more information.
Discipling on the Outside
As inmates are released, we want to welcome them into the church family. Many of these inmates need to leave their familes and community to break free from their past addictions. After a life of rebellion against God, many have no idea what it looks like to be a Christian man, woman, father, mother, husband, wife, worker, or church member. We want to come alongside these men and women and pour into their lives, reading God’s Word with them and showing them how to walk by the Spirit. Many of the inmates have damaged their brains through drug use and will face great challenges in leaving behind the false gods of drugs and alcohol. Let’s not leave these weak disciples alone.
Possibilities
Small group Bible study leaders, rides to church, resources to assist families of incarcerated individuals, food and clothing for released inmates, storage space for donations, and many more possible needs exist in order to adequately help inmates seeking to leave the darkness and follow Christ. A halfway house connected to the fellowship would provide an intensive care unit to help inmates and addicts leave behind sinful lifestyles in order to follow Jesus. This would require many more resources and individuals devoted to the ministry.
One-Way Recovery Group
For those inmates who have been released and seek to leave behind lives of addiction, the High Sierra Fellowship One-Step Recovery Group provides a weekly, close-knit, confidential recovery meeting for men and women, centered on God’s Word. For more information regarding this group, please visit the One Way Recovery ministry page.
Books on Addiction
The following books are helpful in helping both addicts and those who help them to think Biblically and break free from addictions, or the slavery of idolatry. All books ordered for inmates must be paperback and ordered new through and shipped from Amazon.
Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave
by Edward T. Welch
Crossroads: A Step-By-Step Guide Away from Addiction: Facilitator’s Guide
by Edward Welch
Crossroads: A Step-By-Step Guide Away from Addiction: Study Guide
by Edward Welch
Relapse: Biblical Prevention Strategies
by Mark E. Shaw
How People Change
by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp
Bible Studies
It is of the utmost importance to help inmates (and everyone else) study, know, love, and live according to God’s Word. The following Bible studies and books can help equip men and women towards this end. The following resources are inductive and expository in nature, seeking to expose God’s Word, allowing the readers to learn for themselves and better understand what God’s Word says. All books ordered for inmates must be paperback and ordered new through and shipped from Amazon.
Good Book Guides
by The Good Book Company
“These flexible Bible studies can be used by small groups or for individual study. Each session not only seeks to uncover the meaning of the passage, and see how it fits into the big picture of the Bible, but also leads people to apply what they have learned to their lives. The leader's guide at the back of each book makes them easy to use.” God’s Word for You expository Bible study guides are also available and complement each of the studies.
LifeChange Bible Study Series
by The Navigators
More in-depth than Good Book Guides, LifeChange Bible studies provide an opportunity to dive deep into a book of the Bible. These studies can be used for individuals or small groups.
Living Word Bible Studies
by Kathleen Nielson
These in-depth inductive studies are perfect for women seeking to study a particular book of the Bible and know the Lord more.
The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story
by D.A. Carson
This book provides an introduction to God and His Word by leading readers through the entire storyline of the Bible. By seeing the big picture, we can understand who God is, what went wrong, and what He has done to fix our problem.
What is the Gospel?
by Greg Gilbert
This book comes in hardcover and is not available in paperback for use within jails or prisons. However, the book provides clarity on the Good News of Jesus, which is of first importance.
Bible Study Resources
Inductive Bible study and expository means of teaching the Bible are necessary in order to ensure that our audience encounters God through His Word. Rather than push our own agendas, we want to tell people the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, making sure not to say more or less than what God’s Word is actually saying. When we open God’s Word, we need to understand the meaning of a passage as it was intended by the author to the original audience, understand why it is there and how it fits into the overall storyline of the Bible, and then understand how that passage applies in our context. The following resources provide training in properly understanding and communicating God’s Word.
The Charles Simeon Trust
A Chicago-based organization that provides in-person and online courses to promote expository preaching, the Charles Simeon Trust seeks “to promote the growth of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world by training up the next generation of Biblical expositors.”
Dig Deeper
by Nigel Beynon and Andrew Sach
Expository Preaching
by David Helm
Recovery Programs
Technically, the word “recovery” is not the goal of the HSF Jail Ministry. To “recover” means to return to a normal state. But the Bible says that our natural state is death and rebellion against God. We do not want to help people back to how they were before they messed up their lives, but rather lead them to Christ who can give them a new life, a new heart, and put His Spirit within them (John 3, Ezekiel 36). The answer is not recovery, but new birth.
However, the term “recovery program” is generally understood to mean a program to help people in leaving behind addictions, and so we do use the term. But not all recovery programs are alike. Secular programs and counselling rely on an underlying belief that addictions are a disease and the addict is a victim. This is not helpful, since the root cause of addictions lies in a sinful, rebellious heart towards God. By avoiding responsibility, we blame outside sources, and God becomes a self-help, higher power to assist us in living our own lives. But when we come to the end of ourselves and see the depravity of our own sinful hearts, we can finally receive what Jesus offers by His sacrifice in our place: forgiveness and cleansing of sins, reconciliation with God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
We are on the lookout for more Christian, Gospel-centered recovery programs. If you are aware of any programs, please let us know.
