Welcoming Disciplemakers Home

This introductory video explains The Empowerment Network’s vision to equip local churches to welcome and integrate mature disciplemakers returning from incarceration so they can transition successfully and serve fruitfully in the Body of Christ.

This video contrasts the traditional “therapeutic” re-entry model with The Empowerment Network’s “identity approach,” calling churches to welcome returning citizens as transformed ambassadors for Christ, integrating them into Christian community and meaningful ministry.

This video explains how understanding cultural differences, especially between dominant culture and inner-city culture, is essential for churches to effectively welcome and empower disciplemakers affected by incarceration without expecting them to change who they are to belong.

This video helps churches understand both the hopes and fears of their congregations and the formerly incarcerated by explaining how prison culture shapes behavior and creates major challenges for successful reentry into civilian church life.

This video continues explaining prison culture by highlighting how extreme control, constant danger, strict social codes, and deprivation in prison shape behavior, relationships, communication, and decision-making in ways that make reentry into free society challenging.

This video explains how differences between prison and free-world culture shape former prisoners’ behavior after release—affecting their comfort in crowds, relationships, expectations, and decision-making—and highlights how churches can support their difficult transition to avoid isolation or relapse.

This video explains how church communities can support people transitioning from prison by understanding prison-shaped behaviors and “criminogenic factors,” avoiding enabling patterns, and helping returning citizens gradually replace survival-based habits with healthy, Christ-centered relationships and responsibilities.

This video contrasts program-based approaches to prisoner re-entry with a relational, systemic approach, arguing that lasting transformation comes through community, relationships, and empowerment rather than structured social-service programs.

This video outlines key principles for helping returning citizens successfully transition to life after incarceration, emphasizing responsibility and empowerment within the church community.

A concluding video suggests three essential steps for churches to develop a re-entry ministry—building a discipleship and leadership pathway, choosing initial levels of participation, and fully orienting the congregation to welcome formerly incarcerated individuals into church life and service.