The solution that Release Ministries, with God's help, is seeking to offer includes the following:

Alternatives that make sense:  Each week over 200 youth attend Bible studies and have the opportunity to examine a spiritual solution to their life problems - drugs/alcohol, violence/abuse, sex, and peer pressure, to name a few.

Relationships that are real:  Every youth needs an adult to connect with, one who is committed to their well being and growth.  Our mentoring program meets that need.

A future with hope:  As the youth realizes their true value, hope for the future is restored.

A family that is sound and supportive:  Our Family Ministry will reach out to the family members as we reach out to the youth.

A home that is healthy and safe:  Our Specialized Foster Care Homes will provide an environment where youth released from the juvenile justice system can live and participate in a healthy famlily and learn to live independently.  This will help a youth become a follower of Jesus and learn the life-skills needed to become contributing citizens.

Programs that help:  Release Ministries has 5 Core programs: Institutional Bible Studies, Mentoring, Family Support, and Specialized Foster Care Homes, Prayer Partner Ministry.

Institutional Group Bible Studies:  Since 1994, Release Ministries, has been reaching juvenile offenders in an effort to supplement the emotional and physical care they receive in institutions with a spiritual examination of life’s problems and difficulties.  Each week, our Chaplain and 40 volunteers visit 7 institutions and meet with over 200 youth ages 10 to 18.  We discuss topics ranging from the dangers of drugs and alcohol to leading an honest productive life, emphasizing that the youth look at their lives, see the need for change, and begin that change while they are incarcerated.  These issues are presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and emphasize their need to rely on Jesus for healing and for life-change.  Our individual annual contacts exceed 4,000.

Mentoring:  Our mentoring program matches an incarcerated youth with a responsible Christian adult.  They meet on a weekly basis, beginning while the youth is incarcerated and continuing after their release.  The mentor and the mentee meet together for 1-3 hours each week for the purpose of developing trust and friendship that over time will provide the youth with the tools needed to overcome their negative characteristics.

Family Support Program:  The Family Support Ministry provides a means for the family to make positive changes inside that structure at the same time the youth is being mentored.  The Family Support course addresses forgiveness, reconciliation, and parenting as a ministry.

Specialized Foster Care Homes:  Each year millions of dollars are spent relocating youth in need of group homes, foster homes or other institutional care from Douglas County to out of state facilities due to the lack of appropriate facilities in Metro Omaha.

Release Ministries has a vision for reaching some of these youth through Specialized Foster Care Homes.  This program combines the modeling of a healthy Christian family and offers the opportunity to learn life skills and practice independent living.

The homes are for both boys and girls ages 16 to 19 from the Juvenile Justice System and deemed appropriate for specialized foster care.  Each home would host a maximum of eight youth (usually 5 or 6 will be the limit) at one time.

Prayer Partners:  The primary element in the ministry is our prayer program.  Each week we gather prayer requests from the youth, the institutional staff, volunteers, and Release Ministries Staff and distribute them to our prayer partners through out the city, region, and nation.  We believe that this prayer ministry is the mainstay and the backbone of the entire ministry.  Without it we would be lost.

If you are interested in finding out more about being a volunteer with one of our programs please call or email us.  We would love to tell you more about what the Lord Jesus is doing and what it would mean to be involved with Release Ministries.