A funeral may not be where we expect to make ministry contacts, but it was at the homegoing of dear Jean Harris – wife of my mission-minded mail carrier for many years, Steve Harris, who led the funeral of his bride … that I met Randy Gruber.
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Certainly it was a “Devine appointment!”
Randy, with very limited biblical background, taught in the St. Louis area public schools for several years. But in a process he describes in this brief radio conversation, he was led into a Bible teaching correspondence ministry which, in time, impacted thousands of those in jails and prisons in Missouri and Illinois.
The website www.ecssetfree.com provides a larger picture of the most significant ministry. More about Director Randy Gruber is found at http://ecssetfree.com/randy-gruber-bio/. The “ESC” letters before the “set free” name in the website is an abbreviation for Emmaus Correspondence School.
Note this especially exciting aspect of the Set Free Ministries. A great portion of the ministry, under Randy Gruber’s leadership, is conducted by prisoners who have been … and continue to be … disciples of Jesus who are currently in prison! The concept is based upon the scripture of multiplication expressed in II Timothy 2:2:
“The things which you have heard from me in the presences of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (NASB)
Note the progression of sharing truth as described in the scripture: (1) Paul, (2) Timothy, (3) faithful men, (4) othrs also. Many of those incarcerated are in this flow of advancing the Gospel in this manner! Doxology!
To contact Set Free Ministries and receive a sampling of their Bible studies, visit their website at www.ecssetfree.com.
Another touching part of Set Free Ministries is a partnership with the great ministry to children, Child Evangelism Fellowship (www.cefonline.org), the largest evangelistic ministry to children in the world, located one hour west of St. Louis in Warrenton, Mo . Included in the “Set Free” literature to those incarcerated is the offer from CEF of free bible correspondence lessons to the children of those in prisons. Thousands of those incarcerated have taken advantage of the offer, and Child Evangelism Fellowship has benefited many thousands of children!
Bonus: Another stirring prison ministry story … titled … “Dr. Henry Blackaby (“Experiencing God”); re his visits to joyful Angola Prisoners’ on death row!” … can be accessed by clicking on … http://haroldhendrick.com/content/view/442/5/.
Another good story of God’s working in prison: to read about and hear … “Pastor Phil Brownlee in STL County jail listened hours a day to Bible teaching on Bott Radio Network. … click on … http://haroldhendrick.com/content/view/586/5/.