Volunteer
Opportunities
The God of Hope Ministries is operated almost entirely by volunteers. We operate faith-based dorm programs in both men's and women's prisons, so we need both men and women volunteers. We have some volunteer opportunities that involve going into the prisons weekly and other opportunities that you can do from home. So whatever your gift or interest, we can undoubtedly find a place for you.Both men and women are needed immediately for:
- life coaches
- assistant teachers
- devotional leaders
- special events coordinator for guest speakers, concerts, sporting events, etc.
- alumni association coordinator
- newsletter co-editor, reporter
Volunteer positions within the prison:
- Teachers - teach the full dorm of students
(56 in the men's dorm, 50 in the women's dorm). Each
teacher teaches only one class per week. We have 15
class periods each week, at 7am, 9am, and 1pm each weekday,
so we need 15 teachers to fully staff a dorm. Our schedule changes weekly.
- Small-group facilitators - lead a group of
5 students following a large-group presentation. At
present, we use small-group facilitators only in the men's
dorm for the 7am Tuesday "Quest for Authentic Manhood"
class. Following a video presentation, we break into
11 groups of 5 students each, so we need 11 small-group
facilitators. The facilitators establish a safe,
confidential environment in which all students feel
comfortable to open up and honestly discuss the application
of the Christian principles they're learning.
- Discipleship group leaders - lead
Christ-centered accountability groups that meet weekly for
one to two hours. The discipleship group leader has
the flexibility to either pick a curriculum or leave the
discussion more free form. The leader coordinates with
his group on when to hold these meetings, though they should
be held in the early evening, after 5pm and before 9pm for
the men or 8pm for the women.
- Life coaches - come alongside a selected student to
provide spiritual encouragement, friendship, counsel,
and accountability. The coach meets weekly for one to two
hours with their student. We would love to have a coach for
every student in our dorms, but that means 56 coaches in the
men's dorm and 50 coaches in the women's dorm. We always
have openings for coaches.
- Apprentices or substitutes - assist a
regular volunteer, learning from the more experienced
volunteer until they're ready to move into a regular
volunteer position themselves. This is a good starting
point for people making their initial venture into prison
ministry or for those who cannot make a long-term weekly
commitment.
If you'd like to visit the prison a few times to see if you feel prison ministry is a fit for you, we'd suggest you visit as a "special volunteer." If you do decide this is where God is calling you, please go ahead and complete the application to become an "approved volunteer."
Volunteer opportunities outside prison:
We have an increasing number of volunteer opportunities that don't involve going into prison at all—many that could be done from home. Such positions would include:
- office assistance
- volunteer recruiting (following up with people who've expressed interest)
- aftercare assistance (keeping in touch with graduates via letter, email, or phone)
- graphic design
- newsletter writing
- special event planning
- fund raising