Purpose:

·       Christian volunteers enter prisons weekly to facilitate small discussion groups. Topical and Biblical studies, along with prayer, are to compliment felt needs surfacing in the session.

·       Emphasis is on respectful listening and caring relationship building, compared to “conducting a service” or preaching and teaching per se.

·       The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers hope for the future. It calls for repentance, offers forgiveness, renewal and reconciliation.

·       Re-entry issues are of great priority. By discussing topics about lifestyle and skills we can reduce the tendency of a return to prison.

History:

Dr. Elton Trueblood launched Yokefellows in the 1940’s. In 1955, after this author, professor, theologian spoke to a group of Federal Prison Chaplains, a program immediately began inside Lewisburg (PA) Penitentiary. Since then many prisons in PA and some other states use this unique encounter group method in hopes of changing lives.

Structure:

The movement has some organization to provide networking, some consistency training, and a governing Board with committees. The Board meets twice a year, with the Executive members also meeting between these two. An Executive Director is hired part time. “Area Councils” cover given regions. There are also prisons at the federal, state and county levels who have Yokefellow groups but are not yet organized into a chartered council. A few groups are beyond the PA state line in West Virginia.   

Area Councils:

1.     Berks County

2.     Carbon County Yokefellow New Life Prison Ministry

3.     Clearfield County

4.     Delaware Valley (Philadelphia)

5.     Franklin County

6.     Harrisburg Area

7.     Juniata Valley

8.     Lackawanna County

9.     Lehigh Valley Yokefellowship Prison Ministry

10. Schuylkill County

11. S.U.N. (Snyder, Union, Northumberland Counties)

12. Upper Susquehanna Valley (Williamsport) Yokefellow Prison Ministry

      Upper Ohio River Valley Area Council

13. York County

Other Institutional Yoke Groups:

Beaver County Prison

Coal Township SCI

Dallas SCI

Greene SCI

Greensburg SCI

Huntingdon SCI

Indiana County Jail

Lancaster County Prison

Laurel Highlands SCI

Montgomery County

Moundsville SCI W.Va.(State & County)

Pine Grove SCI

Rockview SCI

Smithfield SCI

Wheeling, WV (women & Juv.)

 

2005 Annual Yokefellowship Conference

Plan to come and celebrate 50 years of Yokefellow Prison Ministry !

Speakers expected include:

The Country Cupboard

Lewisburg, PA

Friday, October 28^th, 6:30 PM Banquet

Saturday, October 29^th, in the AM

RSVP by September 30, 2005
Cancellations by October 15, 2005
Advanced tickets for the Friday night, October 22nd, event are $42
or $90 to also include the Saturday program.
(Call for other rate options.)

For registration forms for yourself or others
call 610-777-2222
email: info@yokefellowship.org