League City, Texas
What started out as a single-inmate correspondence in July 2010 blossomed to become a 20-member ministry only four years later. Letters have become a gateway through which spiritual counselor and first time author Juanita Dennis works to fulfill the grace and benevolence of god. With nothing but sheer determination to establish active communication with her correspondents, Dennis gradually harrows in positive results to her purpose, the evidence of which can be found in the rich collection of inmate letters and stories she has kept and compiled in a new book.
"Prison Ministry by Mail" (published by Xlibris), Dennis's debut nonfiction, is the same name the Holy Spirit gave to her ministry, according to the author. In this deeply heartrending collection of letters, poignant messages and wistful stories, inmates bare their hearts to seek forgiveness from a merciful god. Through each sincere string of words, vulnerabilities are revealed to show the intimate crevasses of man's soul. It shows genuine appeal for direction, the humility wrought from introspection and the heart-wrenching values that remind humanity why second chances are made.
March of 2014, the "Prison Ministry by Mail" was officially established, despite its much earlier foundation. In a wider community of sharing, Dennis is hopeful to reach out to more souls who need guidance, especially those beyond the walls that so palpably concretize the idea of sin. "Prisoners," Dennis says, "are people created by god who made a detour in life and some are attempting to get back on track just like you and me." In this respect, she aims to use letters to bring hope to the hopeless.
"It is an Evangelism tool that has no visitation limits and can be used by churches and other organizations in reaching out to prisoners," she shares. The book also aims to raise financial and physical assistance in order to perpetuate and cultivate the growing ministry.
"Prison Ministry by Mail"
By Juanita Dennis
Softcover | 6x9in | 114 pages | ISBN 9781499061390
E-Book | 114 pages | ISBN 9781499061406
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Juanita Dennis is a Texas based author from Louisiana. She graduated from Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a degree in Mathematics in 1972. She accepted Jesus Christ in the summer of 1962, responded to God's call to the ministry in 1998 and was ordained by man as an itinerant elder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in 2004. In the same year, she founded New Creation in Jesus Christ (NCnJC) Ministries. Dennis is a retired divorcee with two adult sons and lives in League City, Texas. She is an active member of Restoring Hope International Fellowship Church. "Prison Ministry by Mail" is her first book.
Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news.
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