Jesus House: Offering support, shelter to former prisoners

Jesus House, an aftercare ministry of Jesus Inside Prison Ministry and the Indianapolis Pastors’ Gathering, gives men released from prison a place to live until they can find a job. This is a place of restoration and preparation for ex-offenders, who have turned to Christ.

According to Jesus House statistics, about 80 percent of all men who enter prison are released within four years after serving time for nonviolent offenses.

“We continue to be a prison aftercare program in which men come directly from prison to live for free until they have a job. The job is not the answer, the ‘renewing of their minds’ is. It’s a new way of living in their Christian faith,” says Dr. Dave Schlueter, who is involved with the ministry.

Schlueter tells the story of Eric, who stated three or four months in Jesus House, and then went on to college. Last winter, as an intern, Eric preached at the First Presbyterian Church of Palm Beach. “We have many successes and few failures,” he says.

In 2016, Jesus House received a $1,250 matching-fund grant to support the ministry in a zoning challenge.

“Jesus House was truly blessed by the Foundation with a grant that helped us pay off our building and improve our financial position,” says Schlueter.

Jesus Inside Prison Ministry (JIPM) was founded by Pastor William Bumphus, who has dedicated his life to turning people from crime to Christ and providing effective aftercare when they’re released from prison. In addition, the Lord has placed a burden in the heart of Bumphus to help prisoners make successful transitions from prison life to productive lives in the general society. As a result, Jesus House came into existence and began accepting recently released prisoners during 1998.