Prisoners In Christ

2nd Annual West Michigan Restorative Justice Conference

September 27, 2018 / 0 comments

The 2nd Annual West Michigan Restorative Justice Conference will be held at Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan on Sat, October 13, 2018 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT Free tickets and more information about the event available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-west-michigan-restorative-justice-conference-tickets-49087350587?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Camp Tall Turf and Prisoners in Christ

July 17, 2018 / 0 comments

Prisoners in Christ partnered with Prison Fellowship Angel Tree to make it possible for two mothers with 3 children each to go to Camp Tall Turf for the weekend of July 6-8. These are families who have a father who is incarcerated. One mother wrote, “We had a great time. The staff was very friendly…

Read more →

Visiting Troy Rienstra in Lansing

May 15, 2018 / 0 comments

After participating in the May 14 Poor People’s Campaign non-violent resistance march, Pastor Sam Moffett, Carol Rienstra, Andrew Mead and Lori Wiersma visited Troy Rienstra and Laura Sager at the CAPPS office in Lansing.

Stiggy’s Training and Renew (STaR)

May 15, 2018 / 0 comments

Troy Rienstra’s friend, Jody, is a trainer for Stiggy’s Training and Renew (STaR) 12-week dog training program at Thumb Correctional Facility. This program rescues and trains shelter dogs to be psychiatric service dogs for military veterans living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Jody is inviting friends and family to help with the purchase…

Read more →

May 2018 News

May 4, 2018 / 0 comments

We were grateful for the opportunity to engage with 70 attendees at the “Speaking of Restorative Justice: What Shall We Do?” forum held on Sunday, April 29, from 2-4 p.m. Thank you to the presenters and participants: Arend Vander Pols, Chair of Prisoners in Christ; Jan Gockerman, Vice-President, Restorative Justice Coalition of W. MI; Carol Rienstra,…

Read more →

Speaking of Restorative Justice, What Shall We Do? April 29 2pm COS

April 5, 2018 / 0 comments

All are welcome at a public meeting, “Speaking of Restorative Justice, What Shall We Do?” with Kent County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Becker, Citizens Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending (CAPPS) Policy Director John Cooper, and State Representative (D-75) David LaGrand on Sunday, April 29, 2 p.m. at Church of the Servant (COS), 3835 Burton St., SE Grand Rapids, MI…

Read more →

Upcoming Events

December 30, 2017 / 0 comments

Church of the Servant’s Prisoners in Christ (PinC) team invites you to coffee and conversation on Monday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. at Church of the Servant before attending the Calvin College January Series presentation by Shane Claiborne of “The Simple Way.” Heather Beaudoin, a national organizer with Equal Justice USA, will join us to discuss Shane’s book Executing Grace and Michigan’s “death penalty.” Please…

Read more →

Violence, Accountability, and Restoration A conversation with Danielle Sered

September 22, 2017 / 0 comments

Danielle Sered is a crime survivor, Rhodes Scholar, author, and criminal justice innovator. She is the creator of Common Justice, a restorative justice diversion program, in collaboration with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. 9:00 – 10:30 AM, Thursday, October 12 Mackinac Room, 5th Floor, Cora Anderson House Office Building, Lansing 124 North Capitol Avenue PARKING IN NEARBY…

Read more →

Conference Organizer Wins Prestigious Award!

August 15, 2017 / 0 comments

Eric, one of the members of the Life Change Book Club sponsored by Prisoners In Christ received the 2017 Bert Thompson Award for Faith-Based Program from the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice. The award was given for his work organizing the Saint Benedict Institute Hope for Restoration conference last March. Please take some time…

Read more →

Troy Rienstra Joins CAPPS Team

July 20, 2017 / 0 comments

We are pleased to announce that Troy Rienstra has joined the CAPPS (Citizens Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending) Team! Troy comes with extensive experience in restorative justice and workforce development. He most recently helped organize a crime survivor training in Grand Rapids, facilitated by the Alliance for Safety and Justice. Partnering with crime survivors to…

Read more →