- Christian Library International
-
Christian Library International provides adults and youths in prisons, jails and youth detention centers with Christian books, Bibles, CDs, and DVDs. The new and used materials are shipped directly to chaplains who distribute them by means of a lending library, a book cart or by personally giving them to the inmates.
Contents
Primary Mission
“To disciple prison inmates through Christian books, Bibles, and materials and to share the good news of Jesus Christ.”
Beginnings
CLI was founded in 1996, establishing a small Christian library of 100 books in a YMCA. CLI was founded by Kathleen Skaar shortly after converting to Christianity, who felt others could be mentored through reading Christian books and established a Christian Library. When approached, the YMCA was receptive and CLI began its ministry.
In 2002, CLI began moving into US prisons. The request for Christian books in the prisons led to in the CLI supporting about 1,000 US prisons.
CLI Activities
Prison Support
CLI works to support prison chaplaincy programs and assist the work of the church behind bars. The prisons CLI supports have a wide variety of needs, such as Spanish Bibles. CLI approached several foundations and received a grant to purchase these books.
The CLI Youth Mission
In 2007, in keeping with the focus on prisons, the CLI Youth Mission distributed age appropriate Christian books, Bibles and materials to incarcerated young people.
Christian Book Drives
In January 2005, the Billy Graham organization contacted CLI with a book donation of 22 pallets of Christian books, Bibles, CDs, video tapes, magazines and tracts.
In 2007, Prison Fellowship donated a truckload of Christian books to CLI.
CLI conducts Christian Book Drives at churches around the US. A book drive sponsor, usually a church or scout troop, promotes the event in the local media, provides a drop-off point for the books, and then with a team of volunteers reviews the books and packs them for sorting by CLI.
Inmate Correspondence and the CLI Leadership Bible Study
Since CLI stamps its books, prison inmates can write to CLI with requests, comments and prayer requests. A team of CLI "Letter Minister" volunteers answer inmate letters every week. All inmates who write CLI are encouraged to enroll in the CLI Leadership Bible Study. About 5,000 letters and Bible studies are received and answered from prison inmates.
External links
Article in the Biblical Recorder about CLI http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/post/2009/07/14/Ministry-reaches-inmates-with-Bibles-books.aspx
Categories:- Non-governmental organizations based in the United States
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
