“Take our hands, work through them. Take our lips, speak through them. Take our minds, think through them. Take our hearts, set them on fire.”

Asheville Jail Ministry

Jail Ministry – Rise Above

The ABCCM Jail Ministry serves the Buncombe County Detention Center (BCDC) where detainees need hope and direction in order to re-enter the community responsibly. The volunteers are the heart of the Jail Ministry and they strive to provide that hope and direction through compassion, listening, and spiritual guidance. They lead small groups to encourage and motivate the inmates in meeting and rising above the challenges facing them. Volunteer-led Bible studies help the men and women discover hope and a new direction for their lives.

Volunteers also fill the library cart with Christian paperbacks and other reading materials which are distributed to the detainees. Additional male and female volunteers are needed. Do you have a heart for assisting people find new direction for their lives?

Serve

Serving with the Jail Ministry is different than serving in other areas of ABCCM. You must complete a background check, attend the Buncombe County Detention Center volunteer orientation, attend ABCCM orientation, and you must be at least 21 years old. To serve in one of the areas listed below, contact Chaplain Vanessa James.

  • Monthly Bible Study Leaders
  • Group Discussion Leaders
  • Library Assistants
  • Chaplains
  • Bibles – Large and Gigantic print paperback (also study Bibles)
  • Women’s Bibles – paperback
  • Spanish Bibles & devotionals – paperback, but we desperately need Spanish Christian Novels too!!
  • Devotionals- less than 3 months old, paperback. Most are satisfied with daily bread and In Touch, but occasionally inmates will ask for something else.
  • Bible Studies
  • Christian Novels for men and women
  • Paperback (no hardbacks) books for book bins; please be sure they are suitable reading material for the inmates.
  • Reading Glasses – non prescription

Contact

Mailing Address
Attn: Chaplain Don Johnson/Chaplain Vanessa James
20 Twentieth Street
Asheville, NC 28806
jail@abccm.org

Key Staff
Chaplain Vanessa James
vanessa.james@buncombecounty.org

Chaplain Don Johnson
don.johnson@abccm.org

WHAT ARE YOU CALLED TO DO?

Volunteer Opportunities

Needs including: Bible study leaders, Library assistants

Safe & Warm Emergency Hotline 828-398-6011

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