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What is “Forgotten Sinners”?
The Lord reached into my life and shook me to the core. My way of living was drinking, drugs and a wild life. I had been a successful manager of
several “Topless Clubs” in Houston, living the high life. It was then that Jesus came into my life and brought me off my high pedestal, He brought me low. I found peace and forgiveness in a new way of life, in Jesus. I was full of excitement and wanted to share the joy and love I discovered; it was great to be free in Jesus. I had a passion to share my faith with people, especially with those who were hardhearted and lost just like I was. I studied the Bible for 4 years at the South Houston Bible Institute so I could learn as much as I could about Christ and so I could properly teach others.
I felt that the lowest people on earth were people in prison. They were the lowest of the lost, those that society had shut away in jails and prison, and
that is who I wanted to share my passion for the Lord with, the worst of the worst.
I began going into prisons around 2007 with a weekly Bible study for prisoners who were willing to sit with me. The numbers grew after they realized I was serious about my convictions in the Lord and that I really cared for these people. I didn’t want a single one of them to go to hell. I was soon able to form a tight bond with hardened criminals. I had no doubt that I loved these men, no matter how dark their past had been. It is amazing that all men however high or low they might be still desperately need the Lord. My ministry grew until I was successfully teaching in three prisons . . . then,
Something happened that alarmed me.
I saw that prisoners who had studied with me, men who had broken down and cried for their souls, and celebrated with me that they were being released, these same men I saw returning to prison. How could anyone who had learned the truth about the Gospel ever go back to that low life of sin and crime? How could this happen? My heart was broken. These guys had a real life changing experience with Jesus, it wasn’t phony, it was real, but here they are again. The very men I knew had changed for good, back in prison. This really shook me up.
I felt God was telling me DO NOT LIMIT YOUR MINISTRY, take it with you everywhere, even outside prison. Why give up on a man when he is released. They still need you. . . I will come back to that later.
I was a “Topless Club” manager for many years, before I came to Christ. I realized that most dancers come from abusive backgrounds and they never learned about faith, trust, joy or love. I’m talking about real love, that unconditional love that can only come from Jesus when you humble yourself before God and ask Him to take control of all areas of your life. Then it will overflow from you to other people.
I am saying all this because I wanted to go into a women’s prison also to show them the real love I had found in Jesus, a love that has no strings
attached. So I started going once a week to Plane State Jail in Dayton, TX. These women had the same kind of background that the dancers did and
we really connected. They have a habit of picking the wrong men, men that used them, abused them. They were amazed to learn that Jesus could love them after what they had done. There were a lot of rebellious women there making dramatic changes. When they came face to face with Christ they realized they had been created by a perfect God and in His likeness. Though they were in the bowels of sin, they didn’t need to stay that way. One of my favorite examples was a very rebellious lesbian-Mormon woman who made some drastic changes when she gave her life to Christ.
While I was teaching in 3 prisons every week I wondered what to call my ministry. God told me why not let the prisoners decide on the name? So, that week I gathered all the names that the prisoners had suggested and one particular name stood out, “Forgotten Sinners.” That name sparked my curiosity, so I asked the men if they thought God would forget them, or that I would forget them. They said, “We know that God won’t forget us, but society and even churches do forget. They seem to want to forget that we are here.” Well, the name “Forgotten Sinners” was voted on and won by a landslide.
Now back to when these men (and women) get released. The things that sent them to prison in the first place are still there hitting them square in the face. The average person makes about 150 decisions a day and when they get locked up they make about 5 decisions a day. So you can imagine after a long time being put away, they get out and they don’t slowly go back to 150, they instantly go to 150 decisions a day which is overwhelming and you end up making a lot of wrong decisions, they need us before they do this. But now they are released with no job, no home and no money and no friends. It is easy to slip back into a life of crime. And think about the horrors facing the wives and children of these “criminals” when the prisoners are released. The family did nothing wrong, but who would want to associate with them? Some people, including Christians will say “Let’s forget about them, maybe they will go away.”
This concern has led us to provide a place of fellowship, study and a meal for these “forgotten ones” and for their families, on Friday nights
at 1704 Weber St. Impact church there has graciously turned their facilities over to us for a meal and worship which begins at 6:30 pm. each Friday.
My plans are to have a Forgotten Sinners in every part of Houston, so we can easier help people, because most of these people don’t have cars.
If you would like to share a helping hand with these “Forgotten Sinners,” a contribution, a prayer, or a visit to services, it is needed and would be greatly appreciated.
We can gripe and complain about crime or
‘STOP CRIME ONE LIFE AT A TIME’
Forgotten Sinners
2122 East Sam Houston Pkwy S #1315
Pasadena Texas 77503
Phone 832-421-4802
We are a 501C3 Ministry
Rod Walsh, Minister
The Lord reached into my life and shook me to the core. My way of living was drinking, drugs and a wild life. I had been a successful manager of
several “Topless Clubs” in Houston, living the high life. It was then that Jesus came into my life and brought me off my high pedestal, He brought me low. I found peace and forgiveness in a new way of life, in Jesus. I was full of excitement and wanted to share the joy and love I discovered; it was great to be free in Jesus. I had a passion to share my faith with people, especially with those who were hardhearted and lost just like I was. I studied the Bible for 4 years at the South Houston Bible Institute so I could learn as much as I could about Christ and so I could properly teach others.
I felt that the lowest people on earth were people in prison. They were the lowest of the lost, those that society had shut away in jails and prison, and
that is who I wanted to share my passion for the Lord with, the worst of the worst.
I began going into prisons around 2007 with a weekly Bible study for prisoners who were willing to sit with me. The numbers grew after they realized I was serious about my convictions in the Lord and that I really cared for these people. I didn’t want a single one of them to go to hell. I was soon able to form a tight bond with hardened criminals. I had no doubt that I loved these men, no matter how dark their past had been. It is amazing that all men however high or low they might be still desperately need the Lord. My ministry grew until I was successfully teaching in three prisons . . . then,
Something happened that alarmed me.
I saw that prisoners who had studied with me, men who had broken down and cried for their souls, and celebrated with me that they were being released, these same men I saw returning to prison. How could anyone who had learned the truth about the Gospel ever go back to that low life of sin and crime? How could this happen? My heart was broken. These guys had a real life changing experience with Jesus, it wasn’t phony, it was real, but here they are again. The very men I knew had changed for good, back in prison. This really shook me up.
I felt God was telling me DO NOT LIMIT YOUR MINISTRY, take it with you everywhere, even outside prison. Why give up on a man when he is released. They still need you. . . I will come back to that later.
I was a “Topless Club” manager for many years, before I came to Christ. I realized that most dancers come from abusive backgrounds and they never learned about faith, trust, joy or love. I’m talking about real love, that unconditional love that can only come from Jesus when you humble yourself before God and ask Him to take control of all areas of your life. Then it will overflow from you to other people.
I am saying all this because I wanted to go into a women’s prison also to show them the real love I had found in Jesus, a love that has no strings
attached. So I started going once a week to Plane State Jail in Dayton, TX. These women had the same kind of background that the dancers did and
we really connected. They have a habit of picking the wrong men, men that used them, abused them. They were amazed to learn that Jesus could love them after what they had done. There were a lot of rebellious women there making dramatic changes. When they came face to face with Christ they realized they had been created by a perfect God and in His likeness. Though they were in the bowels of sin, they didn’t need to stay that way. One of my favorite examples was a very rebellious lesbian-Mormon woman who made some drastic changes when she gave her life to Christ.
While I was teaching in 3 prisons every week I wondered what to call my ministry. God told me why not let the prisoners decide on the name? So, that week I gathered all the names that the prisoners had suggested and one particular name stood out, “Forgotten Sinners.” That name sparked my curiosity, so I asked the men if they thought God would forget them, or that I would forget them. They said, “We know that God won’t forget us, but society and even churches do forget. They seem to want to forget that we are here.” Well, the name “Forgotten Sinners” was voted on and won by a landslide.
Now back to when these men (and women) get released. The things that sent them to prison in the first place are still there hitting them square in the face. The average person makes about 150 decisions a day and when they get locked up they make about 5 decisions a day. So you can imagine after a long time being put away, they get out and they don’t slowly go back to 150, they instantly go to 150 decisions a day which is overwhelming and you end up making a lot of wrong decisions, they need us before they do this. But now they are released with no job, no home and no money and no friends. It is easy to slip back into a life of crime. And think about the horrors facing the wives and children of these “criminals” when the prisoners are released. The family did nothing wrong, but who would want to associate with them? Some people, including Christians will say “Let’s forget about them, maybe they will go away.”
This concern has led us to provide a place of fellowship, study and a meal for these “forgotten ones” and for their families, on Friday nights
at 1704 Weber St. Impact church there has graciously turned their facilities over to us for a meal and worship which begins at 6:30 pm. each Friday.
My plans are to have a Forgotten Sinners in every part of Houston, so we can easier help people, because most of these people don’t have cars.
If you would like to share a helping hand with these “Forgotten Sinners,” a contribution, a prayer, or a visit to services, it is needed and would be greatly appreciated.
We can gripe and complain about crime or
‘STOP CRIME ONE LIFE AT A TIME’
Forgotten Sinners
2122 East Sam Houston Pkwy S #1315
Pasadena Texas 77503
Phone 832-421-4802
We are a 501C3 Ministry
Rod Walsh, Minister