Do you like golf? Do you like taking the gospel to people in hard places? If you answered yes to either of those questions, this post is for you. Read on!
Every so often we like to use this blog as a place to update you on some of the ministries and missionaries that we support as a church. One of those missionaries is Joe Varaksa. Joe is a long-time member at Grace and the Chaplain at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. As part of that ministry, Joe is granted astounding access to inmates and correctional officers in moments of need. On top of that, he leads teams of volunteers to provide discipleship classes and Bible studies for men and women throughout the jail.
If you’ve ever talked with Joe, you probably already know all of that. What you might not know is that the Chaplain is not funded by the jail. Joe serves with Good News Jail and Prison Ministries, which is fully funded by donations. That means it’s up to the church to keep Joe behind bars!
That’s where the golf comes in. On September 16th, Good News is holding a golf tournament to raise money for Joe’s ministry here in our community. You can find more information and register here. If you’re able to attend, I hope you’ll consider it. Every bit of support makes a difference.
God is doing truly amazing things at ACRJ. People are coming to faith. Wandering Christians are returning to their Shepherd’s fold. New brothers and sisters are being baptized into the family of God. If that sparks your curiosity, ask Joe about it one Sunday morning. I guarantee he’ll have a story to tell you!