You Don't Have to Be a Pastor to Change Someone's Life

One of the biggest barriers to people getting involved in prison ministry isn't a lack of willingness — it's a false belief about qualification. People assume that walking into a correctional facility with something meaningful to offer requires a seminary degree, years of ministry experience, or some special credential.

It doesn't.

Genesis 1 Network was built on a different premise: that ordinary people, committed to showing up consistently, can produce extraordinary transformation in the lives of people who have been written off by the world.

How Genesis 1 Network Got Started

In March 1990, John Easley and his wife were at church when John met a man struggling to find work after getting out of prison. John didn't have a prison ministry background. He had a willing heart and the practical ability to help someone find a job.

He mentored that man. And then he did something about the larger problem — he created a grant program to help law-abiding ex-offenders find employment, and eventually built what became the Genesis 1 Network to reach more people at scale.

What started with one conversation at a church has grown into a structured program operating inside Oklahoma Department of Corrections facilities across the state, with chapter programs, in-prison accountability groups, and post-release support networks that have touched thousands of lives.

That's what happens when ordinary people decide to act on what they see.

What Volunteers Actually Do

Genesis 1 Network volunteers serve in several different capacities depending on their gifts, availability, and comfort level:

Chapter sponsors serve as the community anchor for an in-prison Genesis 1 chapter. You're present. You're consistent. You build relationship with members over time and help facilitate the accountability structure that makes the program work.

Mentors connect with released members during the critical reentry window — the first 30 to 90 days after release. You don't need to have all the answers. You need to be a stable, trustworthy presence in someone's life during the hardest months of their transition.

Potluck hosts and community supporters help provide the monthly gathering infrastructure that keeps released members connected to each other and to the mission. These events are lifelines for people who are rebuilding and need a consistent community to return to.

Prayer partners and donors sustain the work behind the scenes. Not everyone is called to walk into a facility. But everyone can pray for those who do — and for the men and women on the inside who are fighting for a different life.

What This Work Requires of You

Consistency. That's the core requirement. The people Genesis 1 Network serves have often experienced abandonment from every direction — family, institutions, society. What breaks that pattern isn't programs or resources alone. It's people who keep showing up.

You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have it all figured out. You have to be willing to show up, to listen, and to believe that the person in front of you is worth your time and attention regardless of what brought them to where they are.

Proverbs 11:14 says, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." Genesis 1 Network is building that abundance — one mentor, one sponsor, one partner at a time.

Find Your Role

Genesis 1 Network is actively recruiting volunteers, mentors, sponsors, and community partners across Oklahoma. Whatever your background, whatever your schedule, there is a place for you in this mission.

Start the conversation today. Visit genesisonenetwork.org/contact, fill out the form, and our team will reach out to find the right fit for you. The work is happening now. The need is real. And the invitation is open.