Our Purpose and Mission
The purpose of New Hope Correctional Ministry is:
1. To provide comprehensive, non-denominational Chaplain services to a correctional facility(s) by providing spiritual care to the resident inmates, staff, public officials, and to the community that the facility serves.
2. To provide the good news of salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to those being served and to instruct and disciple these resident inmates to a new life of hope and service.
3. To provide practical assistance, care and spiritual guidance to selected resident inmates upon release.
4. To provide any and all desired support to selected released inmates and their families as determined by the Board of Directors in line with the charitable purposes of the corporation.
Declaration of Faith
New Hope Correctional Ministry, its board of directors, its staff, and volunteers affirm the following founding principles and declaration of faith:
- The Bible. We believe in the absolute authority, accuracy and inerrancy of the 66 books of the Bible found in the Old and New Testaments; its full verbal inspiration of the original manuscripts and its total sufficiency and final authority as the Christian’s rule of faith and practice. (Proverbs 30: 5; Isaiah 40:8; II Timothy 3, 16,17; II Peter 1:19-21).
- God. We believe that there is but one God, the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all things, who is perfect in holiness and in love, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power and who reveals himself to us as three distinct persons, The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Nehemiah 9:6; I Chronicles 29:11,12; Exodus 15:11; 1 John 4:8b; Matthew 28:19).
- Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true man, led a sinless and perfect life, and is the only Mediator between God and man. (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,12,14; John 12: 45, 14:9; I Timothy 2:5)
- Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person, equal with the Father and the Son, and one in essence and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment; that he bears witness to the church; that His is the agent of the new birth; and that at conversion He baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God. He enables and empowers the life and ministry of the Christian. ( John 16:8-11, 3:3-7; Ephesians 1:13; II Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16,17; Romans 3:23, Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 6:2)
- Man. We believe that man was created by and for God; that by disobeying God, man became a sinner and thereby incurred spiritual death, which is separation from God, and physical death as a consequence; and that all members of the human race are born in sin and are sinners by nature and practice. (Genesis 3: 1-19; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1-8)
- Justification. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe on Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood on the Cross of Calvary. (I Corinthians 15: 3,4; Revelation 1:5)
- Salvation. We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, and that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming children of God. We believe in the eternal security of the believer. (Ephesians 2: 8,9; John 1: 12,13; John 3: 3,7: John 10: 27-29; Romans 8:14-17)
- Resurrection.Jesus Christ. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present ministry there for us as High Priest and Advocate. (Luke 24:1-12; John 11: 25; Hebrews 8:1-6)
- Resurrection. Man: We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just, the bodily resurrection of the unjust, the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.(I Corinthians 15:20-24; Revelation 20:12-15; II Corinthians 5:8)
- The Church. We believe that the church is an elect company of believers and that it is the body of Christ having been formed by the work of the Holy Spirit of all those who trust Christ as their Savior. We believe that the church is an autonomous, independent association of believers and is independent of any external ecclesiastical or political control whatsoever. The church or ministry may choose to participate within a denomination or association of like faith and mission voluntarily. (Matthew 1:18; I Corinthians 14: 12,26; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:24)
- Baptism. We believe that God’s Word commands every believer to be baptized by immersion in water. Though the practice of baptism has no saving merit, it demonstrates the believer’s faith in Christ and identifies himself with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Acts 8: 38; Acts 18: 8; Romans 6:3-5)
- The Lord’s Supper. We believe that the Lord’s Supper should be taken by believers in Christ to commemorate the suffering, death, and anticipated return of their Savior. Its observance should be preceded by faithful self-examination. (Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-30)
- The Great Commission. We believe in the last command of Jesus Christ, which is recognized as the Great Commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the ends of the World. Amen.” Matthew 28: 19,20
- Future Things. We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His church and in His coming Glory with His believers to set up His millennial kingdom upon the earth followed by an eternal kingdom on a new heaven and earth. The saved will forever be in His presence and fellowship while the unsaved will forever be separated from God and His fellowship. (I Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 4: 14-16;I John 2: 1,2; I Thessalonians 4:13-17, Revelations 19:1-16, 20:1-15, 21: 1-8)