Game Two

The Carolina Saints made a return trip to Columbia, SC, -- this time to play and minister at the Manning Correctional Center.

This was the first trip "inside" for these Saints as the opening game was actually played outside the prison. The team had a to go through a full security check and several players had to make trips back to the car to remove any "contraband" from their bags.

Once inside, we played a pair of five inning games in sweltering heat. Unfortunately, The Saints lost both games of the double header, 6-3 and 13-8. Between games the team had the opportunity to share with about 30 inmates. Steve Ponath shared his testimony and Jim Korth gave the gospel presentation. The results: Three men indicated they had taken the step of receiving Christ as Savior! Seven more shared their desire to recommit their lives to Christ. Two shared that they were not ready to make a decision, but wanted more information.

A few of the inmates mentioned that they are already receiving mail from the Saints and they were happy to see us and to know we would have the opportunity to get into the facility to share with them more consistently.

The staff at Manning was very gracious, encouraging the players and thanking them for their service. We look forward to getting back there... next time we'll bring along some of our bigger bats!

On another note: Four different churches were represented by The Saints on Saturday. We look forward to this opening doors to share more about our ministry with people around Charlotte.

What's in a Name?

Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” The great bard was expressing the idea that what matters is what something is, not what something is called. However, we also know that what a person is called can have a great impact on how that person views himself.

When Jacob’s wife, Rachel, was giving birth to their second born son, complications arose. It became evident that her life was ebbing away, even as the newborn was taking his first breath. As a result, she proposed to call the child by the name “Ben-Oni,” which means “son of my sorrow.” His father, however, chose to give him a different name, Benjamin, meaning “son of my right hand” or “son of my strength.”

Think of the difference this made in this young man’s life. Whenever his name was called, instead of being reminded that his birth brought the sorrow of his mother’s passing, he was reminded that his father considered him his “right hand man.”

As we take the good news of Christ to the prison population, we are letting these men and women know that they don’t have to live under the name of “convict” or “offender” or “criminal.” Once adopted into God’s family they can bear the name “child of God.” They don’t have to live down to the names they may have been called in the past, but they can live up to the new name they have in Christ! This can change the way a prisoner views himself. Come to think of it—this can change the way we look at ourselves, too.