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ABOUT US AND OUR MINISTRY |
Jack and Carolyn Burbridge founded FROM CRIME TO CHRIST MINISTRIES IN
1972. Jack's life story, THE ENFORCER,
was released in 1980 and has been distributed in jails
and prisons around the world. Jack worked building cars
upon his release from
prison in 1971 to raise his family and go back into the
prisons to tell inmates the love that JESUS has for
them. In 1980, he and
Carolyn went out full time and the LORD has provided
since then for them to continue the ministry HE has
called them to.
Jack has always had a love for motorcycles. In 1960 he
and Carolyn had a motorcycle wedding. In 1998 GOD
showed Jack how he
could use motorcycles as a witnessing tool behind prison
walls. By training several bikers in the prison ministry
the doors of the prisons
were open for him to have Bike Rodeos in the prisons.
Now there are several groups of bikers going into the
prisons across the state
of Arkansas, Iowa and Indiana. This gets inmates out to
the yard that would never come to the chapel. Hundreds
of thousands have
come to JESUS because these men and women are willing to
go behind bars and share the love of JESUS.
Jack and Carolyn are
also available for Biker Sunday at churches. They bring
a group of motorcyclists to a service that shows
everyone
that you can be a Christian and a biker too. It shows
young people you can have fun being a Christian and it
shows older people that
you shouldn't judge the person by the outside. Jack and
Carolyn are also available to minister at your church
without the bikers. Jack
also holds meetings in schools with other bikers. They
are not allowed to preach in the schools, but instead
they tell the youth about
"choices" they make that can affect their whole lives.
Most of the ministries
support comes from individuals who believe in what Jack
& Carolyn are doing.
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Newsletter
August 2011
JACK & CAROLYN BURBRIDGE
PRISON MINISTRIES
From
Crime to Christ, Inc.
Praise The
Lord! !! Thank you so much for
your contribution in July!! It
was quite a month for us. We
headed for Indiana and on the
way I broke out with
shingles on my
forehead going into my eye. I
am being treated by a
ophthalmologist. Had to be
treated in Indiana Until we got
home on August 7th.
First day in
Elkhart, IN the trike broke down
by the side of the road. The
modulator went out. On the way
home we stopped at a campground
and was
invaded with
millions of baby mosquitoes.
The whole trip of 1,500 miles
was almost all without an air
conditioner as the generator
kept shutting off. And as
you know it
was near 100 degrees. The only
time we had air was when we were
plugged into electric at a
campground. Well, we found out
that the modulator
was out in the
generator also. We had to order
it and we will be making the
second trip an hour away with no
air condition tomorrow. The
modulator
alone is over
$300 not counting labor. So
with all the repairs and
continues visits to the eye
doctor it has been a very costly
summer. I have to continue the
doctor visits
for quite some time yet as they
are keeping a close watch on the
cornea, as it could lead to
blindness, but I have a lot of
prayers going up for
me!! So this
was the second year that I could
not attend the meetings in IN.
Last year I broke my ankle the
second day there. But the
meetings were
awesome!!
Started in Thayer, MO was a
biker Sunday. In Peru, IN Jack
went to a prison, and in
Northern Indiana Jack had a
bike/car show, a biker church, 3
church
services, juvenile prison, plus
taking such good care of me,
doctoring me all the time
putting up to 14 drops a day in
my eye at different times. Two
of the
prisons were
canceled as there were 3
killings in the prisons there. I
do believe the devil is mad at
us!! But we would rather have
him mad at us then to be
happy with us!! Tonight Jack is
at the local county jail giving
the devil another black eye!!
We covet your prayers for
health, strength and traveling
mercies.
And of course for our finances
that have been hit so heavy!
Our God is the Great Supplier
of all our needs.
OUR
GOD IS ABLE TO
SUPPLY ALL OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN
GLORY!!!!
In His Love
& Service;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Newsletter
June 2011
JACK & CAROLYN BURBRIDGE
PRISON MINISTRIES
From
Crime to Christ, Inc.
Praise the Lord! Well, it has
been six months since our last
newsletter in
December. We left for Texas on
the 1& of December. Stopped off
in
Logansport, LA where we had
services at a Cowboy Church.
Then
continued on to Camp Ta-Ku-La in
Chester where we spent the next
three
months working at the camp and
having meeting around the area.
We spoke at a
Lion's Club Meeting in
Woodville, TX. Then had two days
of meeting at Chester High
School. The young people were
very receptive and
had a lot
of questions. Want to mention
that our good friends, Dave &
Darlene
Trinkle, from Illinois spent the
winter with us at the camp and
went to meetings
with us. We went into the prison
in Woodville again this year.
Was good to see our
friends again there. We had
three church services in
February. And
two youth services. In February
Chuck & Kookie Nipper, from
Clinton, AR,
came and spent a few days
helping at the camp. Later in
the month Herb &
Mary Dal Santo, from Logansport,
LA, came and helped scrape on a
two story building,
helping prepare it for Jack to
paint. In March Nick the Greek
and his friend, Terry stopped on
their way through to Louisiana.
We always enjoy a visit with
Nick. We spent most of March
preparing and painting the
house. Had a church service in
Logansport, LA with our good
friends, Herb & Mary
Dal Santo. We got home on our
daughter, Jackie's, 50th
birthday. Was home
six days when our home flooded
from a broken water heater. We
were still in the motor home so
didn't discover it right away.
We are spending what
available time we have tearing up carpets and laying laminated wood
tiling.
Jack is going
into the local jail every week
while we are home.
We are going to
cut down our mailing list
drastically. You will be able to
read
it on our web
site,
fromcrimetochrist.com Of
course, if we receive a
donation from you
in any given month you will
receive a thank you letter with
up-dates of our
activities. So, if you check the
web site in December and June
you can read the
newsletter. It takes money and a
lot of time to put together a
newsletter, so I hope you will
understand.
We are so
thankful for each and everyone
of you, for your love, prayers
and
financial help.
It is not an easy ministry He
called us to but He gives us the
strength to keep going on. We so
appreciate every financial
contribution
whether it is large or small as it has been a very hard year
financially. OUR
GOD IS ABLE TO SUPPLY ALL OUR
NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS
RICHES IN GLORY!!!!
In His Love &
Service;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
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Newsletter
December 2010
JACK & CAROLYN BURBRIDGE
PRISON MINISTRIES
From
Crime to Christ, Inc.
MERRY CHRISTMAS / December 2010
Praise The Lord!!! What a
busy six months we have had since our last
newsletter was sent
out. Enjoyed Nick the Greek being with us for a week in
June.
And we celebrated our 50' anniversary quietly together.
We thank everyone
for the many cards we received.
Then in July we went to northern
Indiana for our
prison meetings there. I, (Carolyn) ended up spending
the time in the motor home with a broken ankle.
But what awesome meetings in the prisons Jack had.
We were able to go into a juvenile prison for the first
time in that area.
70 young people , ages from 12-16. Had a great response
from them and are invited back every year.
In August Jack had services in
our local jail every
Wednesday. Also went to a youth center here in
Arkansas.
September continued being busy in the local jail and
also at the jail with the youth south of here.
Then on to the Hot Springs Motorcycle Rally where we
helped in
registering and had the Sunday service. Then back to
Hot Springs for the
Cannon Ball Run. Several 1916 and older
motorcycles coming
through. Jack was
able to be a
go-fer for parts etc. as they spent two nights in
Hot Springs getting the bike prepared for the rest of
the journey. Jack
thought he died and
went to motorcycle heaven.
October we had another motorcycle rally where
Jack did the Sunday morning service. Jack had two
falls in October.
One he fell off the back of a pick up on a motorcycle
that he was unloading and then two days later he fell
off a ladder in the garage.
A couple of weeks before that he walked into the rocker
in the dark and broke two toes and pulled a muscle in
his ankle. He also had four jail meetings in
October.
Now into November, still doing the weekly jail
services. Jack made
a trip to Dyersburg,
TN to take a friend to pick up a Boss Hoss motorcycle.
And we ended November with our 7' Annual Toy Run
where Santa gave gifts to 130 children and 96 hamburgers
and 100 of dogs were devoured.
It was very draining on our physical bodies organizing
every thing for a couple of months but we know that God
will restore us. Oh, we also spoke to 6 classes in a
high school.
We
are so thankful for each and everyone of you, for your
love, prayers and
financial help. It is not an easy ministry
He called us to but He gives us the strength to keep
going on. We so appreciate every financial contribution
whether it is large or
small as it has been a very hard year financially.
OUR
GOD IS ABLE TO
SUPPLY ALL OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN
GLORY!!!!
In His Love
& Service;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
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50 YEARS TOGETHER CELEBRATED JUNE 24, 2010
50 YEARS TOGETHER
COME CELEBRATE JUNE 24, 2010
Newsletter
June 2010 |
Praise
The Lord!! You have not gotten a newsletter since
last
December.
We
are only sending out one
in
June & December now
in
order to save on
finances.
We do send
out a thank
you note
to
every contributor. So
some of
you get 12 a year.
We
send out almost
300
newsletters and get less
then
30 contributions a
month.
So you see
why it
is necessary to cut down on
mailings.
It
has been a
very busy
6 months.
In
January
I
(Carolyn)
had
some chest pains
and had to delay
our
trip south for a
month till I
had
a lot
of tests done.
Tests
revealed nothing
but a
50 % blockage
in an
upper aorta.
Was
told
they don't do anything unless
it
is 70%.
I
believe
all
the prayers sent up for me were
answered.
While we were
home Jack's cousin's husband
died
very
unexpectedly
and he
went to IN
to
be with Doris for
the funeral.
We
left
for
TX on
Feb.
18'.
We did
have
to
cancel
one
service
in LA. While in TX we
had a prison service and a youth meeting
and
2
church
services.
We
had
a great response
at
the
prison where
many lives were touched. Jack
worked at
the youth camp where we
stayed,
painting a two story house and fiber
glassing
and
painting 3 swimming pools. On the way home we went
to a
Bike Rally in OK.
Then
the
end
of April Jack broke some spurs off
in his
back and was laid up for a while. We had a meeting at
a women's shelter
and
Jack had 6 meetings at the local county jail.
He has been training
a friend to
do the jail ministry, while we are gone. Then a
week ago we did
a
bike rally in
OK. Now we are
getting
prepared for the busy summer months.
On June 24' we will have our 50th wedding
anniversary. God has been good
to us and we are so grateful to Him.
We thank Him for our children,
grand-children
and great-grandchildren!!
We are so thankful for each and everyone of you, for
your love, prayers and financial help. It is not
an easy ministry, He called us to but
He gives us the
strength to keep
going
on. We so appreciate every financial contribution
whether it is
large or
small.
OUR GOD IS ABLE TO SUPPLY ALL OUR
NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY!!!!
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
A
VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!!!!!
We are
another year closer to our Lord's return Glory!!!
Things may get harder but it is a sign of HIS Coming!!
We are so excited at the things He is doing through us.
From little children to old ages. We would like
to
share a essay letter we got from a high school student
after speaking at six classes; Change is often the
result
of memorable or powerful experiences. An
experience that somehow changed me as a person was
reading
a book entitled, The Enforcer, and then meeting the
characters. At
16
years old I could never see anything
changing my life because I'm young and don't ever listen
to what anyone tells me for the better of my life. The
main character of the book, named Happy Jack, almost
brought tears to my eyes. After telling me he
tried to
kill his family and how he shot down a bar, well, a 16
year old like me would think that would be really cool.
But after him also telling me how God changed his life, little did Happy
Jack know, he changed mine.
Happy Jack really got to me after telling me about
the blood of Jesus and how He shed His life for me to
see another day. He also told me that God
sent us to earth for a reason and the reason wasn't what
I was
doing in my life already. God sent me to earth to
serve Him and to help others. Don't get me wrong, I've
heard
that story plenty of times before but it never got
through to me. I never really cared about what
anybody told me.
I always did my own thing. But through Happy
Jack's experience in life somehow helped me and after
him telling
me the love of Jesus and the ways he put it, I'm proud
to say Happy Jack really changed my life. We know
this took
up a lot of space but we wanted you to know that we are
reaching not only prisoners but also young people that
may
become prisoners if they are not reached for Christ.
The
holidays are a hard time for prisoners. We ask for
your prayers for them and their families in your
prayers. We ask for
your prayers as we head to Louisiana and Texas next month for meetings.
The last few months has been a real struggle
financially, but we know God will supply somehow.
He always does.
We are
so thankful for each and every one of you who support us
with your love, prayers and finances. We know that
it
will be worth it all when we all share heaven together.
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
GOD
IS GOOD!!! It has
been seven months since we have put out a newsletter.
Of course you have gotten a thank you note in the
meantime if you have
sent a contribution. We haven't forgotten you,
don't forget us. We have been really busy. We
spent about six weeks in Texas the first of the year.
Did a lot of manual labor at a youth camp while there.
The grounds were damaged from a previous hurricane.
The prison we had scheduled there was canceled
due to a lock down, but there was still plenty of divine
appointments met. There is a lot of hurting,
hungry people everywhere. When we got back home an
ice
storm had knocked down a tree and it took the power out
to the electric box that we hook the motor home up to.
And a couple of weeks ago a wind storm
came through and took down two huge trees in our back yard. We still
have to get them removed. While in Texas Jack and
Dave Trinkle took a 200 mile trip to pray
for an ex-Bandido leader. He had served 16 - 1/2
years in the
Arkansas prison system and was sent home to die.
We have a Healing God and are believing for a mighty
touch on his life. Of course we gave out hundreds
of pennies from Heaven. In May we rode our bike
down to Conway, AR to greet the Rolling Thunder as they
came through
on their way to Washington DC. April we went to an
alternative class of high school children that have
already been in trouble with the law.
If you would like to
receive our newsletter via Internet you can do so by
going to our web site. The address is on the left
side of this letter. Also, please note that
our email address has changed to
fctc@artelco.com.
If you would like to get the letter off the web site let
us know so we can take your name off the mailing list
and
send us your email address so we can notify you when we
put out a new newsletter. This will save on
expenses too. Also if you want our schedule email
us and we will
mail it to you. We are trying to cut expenses anyway we
can.
We know that times are
difficult now, but please pray and if the LORD leads any
size contribution will be greatly appreciated. We
will also be with the Patriot Guard for the
funeral of the young soldier shot here in Arkansas at
the recruiting station. We also have a prison here
in the state before we leave in July for prisons in
Indiana.
Thank you for your love,
prayers and financial help to us in this ministry.
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Merry, Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to One and
All!!! We are so thankful for each one of you!!
Next month it will be 38 years that God had blessed us
with being able to be in this ministry. There is
no
way that we could even imagine how HE has worked through
us the many miracles that has occurred.
And all of you that has supported us in one way or
another are a part of it. We have some that have
stood by us
for the 38 years. We have new ones that we meet
over the years. We are so thankful for your love
and prayers and
financial help. There has been a lot of struggles
over the years, but GOD had given us the strength to
overcome.
He has strengthened our bodies and refreshed our minds.
One of the greatest obstacles in this ministry is
financial,
which you have heard very little about from us. At
the present we need a financial blessing from the LORD.
We know GOD will provide as HE has never failed in the
past. We realize that the future according to the
world
doesn't look good, but our future is awesome!!!
It never ceases to amaze us how GOD uses us as HE does
all that is available to be used. Just this week
we had a
accident
just out front of our home. The lady said that an
angel came and pulled the door off her left leg.
She said it
had to be
an angel cause he disappeared right afterwards.
Jack pulled the door off her leg and when the police and
medics got there
he directed traffic, that is why she didn't see him again.
One day I was taking a daily walk. It was a damp day so
I decide to walk through the mall area. As I was
walking I
noticed
a postcard laying on the ground beside some cars.
I walked on by and something told me to go back an pick
it
up.
I did and it was addressed to an inmate in a federal
prison and signed Dad, but no return address. I
sent it on to the
inmate with a note explaining the circumstances.
This was a year ago, and we have been corresponding with
him
since. We got a letter last month with a copy of a
certificate he had gotten for taking part in a Kairos
program.
He said, "Because it was your simple act of picking up
that postcard last year and mailing it to me that set
things in motion. I am where I am today, in part,
because of you."
Our letters are kept to one page to save on ink.
I do our newsletter printing myself. So we try to
get it all crammed in.
It has been a blessed year and we are looking forward to
being used by our KING in the New Year!!!
Continue to support us in any way you can, with your
love, prayers and finances.
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Praise The Lord! !
A lot has happened here in Arkansas since our last
newsletter.
Just days before we were to leave for our tour in Texas,
a tornado hit our area.
Many homes were completely destroyed. We went down the
hill into our garage and watched the tornado pass
by about four miles from us.
We postponed our trip for a few days so Jack could be
available for any assistance in counseling, etc..
We were able to do a lot of ministering while in Texas
and Louisiana the next three weeks.
We were invited to minister to a youth group at a church
near the campground where we were staying,
with an invite to come back next year to minister to the
whole church congregation.
Also an invitation to go back to Louisiana some time
this year for a tent revival.
The day we were to come home a snow storm hit Arkansas.
So postponed coming home for a couple of days.
Then the day after we got home another snowstorm hit. Oh
boy, Jack sure wished we would have went south instead
of north!!!
Then a few weeks later we had a couple of bouts of bad
floods.
Sounds like our Lord's coming is very near!!! In fact,
our one prison meeting was canceled because of the
flooding.
Some of you may have seen on television the house
floating under the bridge. That was the bridge we would
have been crossing to get to the prison
that night. But God has been good to us and we
were spared any harm during this time. We have had quite
a few meeting the
last couple of months since we have been back.
We had a Biker Sunday and also spoke to the Fellowship
of Christian Athletes.
Jack spoke to the young men and women at the youth
detention here in Arkansas where five young men
(one of them who had tried to commit suicide that
morning) and three young women were saved. Jack also
ministers daily at the local B&R
when we are home. Several answered prayers from
there.
One of the greatest obstacles we face now is the gas
prices as we head out for the summer tours.
In June we will be traveling first to southern Indiana,
Illinois and Missouri. Then on to northern Louisiana. In
July we will be in northern Indiana.
Some of the contributions have dropped coming in. We can
sure understand how that may be with the cost of living
going up.
But we also know that if God wants us going he will
supply the means to go!!!
We really desire your prayers for us as we prepare for
the summer months of traveling. We are so blessed
by the Lord
to be still riding our motorcycle at our age. It saves a
lot when we get to the areas that we are ministering.
We take the motor home to where we are going then we
ride the bike while we are in the area.
It saves a lot in fuel, cause that motor home has a big
appetite for gas. Smile!! So if the Lord places on
your heart to send some meals to the motor home we would
sure appreciate it.
Thanks for all your LOVE to us!!! Happy Jack & Mama
Carolyn
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You!! We are
another year closer to the appearing of our Savior!!!
There are so
many souls that need the saving grace of God. So much
work to be done. We thank our Lord for the strength He
gives us to
keep on the firing side. Every month has been busy for
us. Even as I write this newsletter Jack is speaking at
a men's meeting.
Last month he spoke at a high school in six classes plus
during the lunch hour at a Christian meeting. The
teacher is still amazed
at the response from the young people. She had
them write their reaction and she has made copies for
us. We are anxious
to read them.
Letters from inmates pour in every day. Some times we
are so busy in meetings that it takes a while to get
them answered,
but we answer every one of them. So many are tired of
their way of life and want to know how to be saved.
This past year has had us in prisons, schools, churches,
secular motorcycle rallies, motorcycle drag races and
lots of one on
one witnessing. We mad a total of four trips to Indiana
this year. Jack's bother was in the hospital and
rehabilitation center since
May and the Lord took him home in September. We have the
blessed hope of being together for eternity someday.
A lot of you have heard Kelly Masters sing in our
meetings. On November 10th her 23 year son
was killed in a motorcycle accident
in North Carolina. He had gotten back from Iraq three
weeks before. He left a wife and two small children;
one had been born
while he was in Iraq. Please keep Kelly and the family
in your prayers.
We are looking forward to the up-coming year and winning
new souls for His Kingdom. We thought as we grew older
that
things would slow down. We now know that it is only
going to accelerate and we ask for prayers for strength.
We know He will
be with us as He sends us out. We are thankful for your
prayers sent up on our behalf. This is not a one man or
one women ministry.
We need each and every one of you. Thank you for your
love and support!
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Praise
The Lord!!! I am a month late with this newsletter. We
had to make a trip up north last month,
as Jack's brother, was in the hospital and things were
touch and go for awhile. But our God is good.
He is in a rehabilitation center now and doing much
better. Please remember him in your prayers.
Carolyn's sister had hip surgery June 25th. We
are busy keeping prayed up. What do People do without
the Lord!!
We had
our 47' wedding anniversary on June 24th. God has
blessed us so much over the years.
Never in our wildest
dreams
would
we have imagined how the Lord was going to use us.
And to think that when we had that motorcycle wedding
all those years ago that we would be still riding
a Harley Davidson when we were 70 years old. Oh, God
must have such a sense of humor!!
We
will be headed north in a couple of weeks for our annual
meetings in the prisons, etc.
We appreciate all your prayers during this time of
travel and ministering.
We
were so blest to be able to ride with over 100
motorcycles here in Arkansas to welcome
home from Iraq, a 20 year old man who lost both his legs
and was burned over 90 percent of his body.
He walked on his short prosthesis for the first
time that evening. It thundered, lightening
and poured down rain while we having the program, but we
all knew it was nothing compared
to what that young man had went through.
We
would like to share a note we received from a man in a
jail in Arizona.
: Mr. Burbridge, You have given me hope in my life.
I thought I would write to you and say
thanks
for your story.
It made my heart feel again, because all I lived for was
pain too.
Now I know the pain will quit. Thanks, D. L.
Thank
you for your love, prayers and financial help to this
ministry. We love each and every one of you!!!
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
Praise The Lord!!
Well, the robins are singing and we are hearing the roar
of
motorcycles flying down the highways and byways.
Our schedule for 2007 is
filling up and the Lord is renewing our strength. The
older we get, the more
the winter months
seem to drag
these old bodies down. But it is amazing how God gives
us the energy to 'git'er done' when the days warm up.
And we will
keep on
keeping on' as long as He supplies the needs of this
ministry.
We had a service in the women's prison here in Arkansas
in December. There
is one main women's
prison, but it is getting so full they are putting
them in other units also. In January we had a service in the men's prison in the
north
central part of
Arkansas.
We are helping with a bike rally at our county
fairgrounds which will take place
in September. This involves a lot of preliminary
work. Jack is on the
committee for this event. So he has been busy working
on it in between other
things.
We are ever so grateful for your involvement in this
ministry with us. It
touches so many lives, not just the bikers and inmates
but
whoever God causes
us to come into contact with. There is no
discrimination in
this
ministry. If they
need spiritual help, no matter what their
station in life, we are there to help
them. If you are
with us with your love, prayers or financial help, you
have a big part of the ministry. Again
God Bless You for all your help and concern.
We love you!!!
IN HIS LOVE;
Happy Jack & Mama Carolyn
