Debbie Skelton,
Founder Freedom Begins With Jesus, Inc.
is saying:
Over six years
ago, a friend of mine asked me if I would come and speak to some young ladies in
a juvenile facility about abstinence. I was a counselor at a local Crisis Pregnancy
Center and she knew that I loved talking to young people. Well, I went there and
God gave me a real burden to help these young ladies to know more about Him and
the unconditional love that He has for them! These young ladies needed to know that
Jesus loved them. At the time there was not a ministry that went to minister to
these young ladies on a regular basis. I really didn’t think that I had the time,
after all, I was counseling at the Pregnancy Center every week. But God just would
not let me stop thinking about these young ladies. I prayed about it and God told
me that He wanted this ministry to be a “community-wide” ministry. He also wanted
us to come regularly so that these young ladies would know that there were adults
that they could trust to do what they said they would do. You see, God knew that
they had been lied to and hurt by the adults in their lives. I felt that God was
wanting me to show them there were adults that would love them unconditionally and
that there were adults that they could trust to do what they said they would do.
Kind of like “walk the talk” if you know what I mean. If you read my testimony you
will see that I can relate to what they are going through and they need to know
that God has their back 24/7! I minister to these young ladies in hope that they
will know that Jesus died on the cross for them and that He has a new life for
them. They need to know how special they are to Him and how much He loves them.
He gave up His life so that they do not have to. They can overcome any obstacle
that the devil puts in their way with the Blood of the Lord Jesus. That is why I
minister to these young ladies. It is awesome to see these young lives change when
they learn how to allow Jesus to take over their lives.
The Girls are saying:
"My favorite thing about church service is I learn about my Father, creator.
I learn things to get closer to him and I learn things to use in my everyday life
like pray in the spirit. I can talk and he can hear my heart."
"My favorite thing about church is to be with God"
"My favorite thing is it's about God, the Lord Jesus Christ"
"I like church because it gives me time to worship God, our creator"
"No matter how upset or discouraged I get, I still find faith and they lift me up"
"People get the Holy Ghost and I just like church because it's in my heart 4ever"
The Friends and partners are saying.
Sherri Daume says...
Serving Jesus with Freedom Begins
With Jesus...
Why do I go to juvenile periodically on Sunday afternoons? Because from the very
first time I went last spring, I fell in love with the girls and what Freedom Begins With Jesus
is providing in their lives! Working with these teens is an incredible experience.
I admit that each time I visit the juvenile facility
I am a little apprehensive at first.
After all, these girls are not the most socially adept young women. They have pasts
filled with pain and hardships I can not even imagine. Most of them have defensive
walls built up to protect them from the hurts of this world. I wonder "What do I,
a sinner, have to offer them?"
However, God whispers to me that they are created in the image of Jesus Christ,
with amazing potential to worship Him and minister to others from the comfort they
have received from their Savior. When we first arrive, everyone is a little shy
but as God pours out His love through His Word, praise music and Godly teaching,
these girls open up and you see their hunger for the things of the Spirit! They
love to get into scripture and see what God's Word says to them. They love to share
with you what God has taught them recently. They especially love to know that you
pray for them and their loved ones. That is what I can offer them - my love for
Jesus!
Sometimes I sense that some of the girls are just "watching" us. They have never
been involved with people who love the Lord and are curious. I sense in them a desire
to have what we have and my passion is to share Jesus Christ with them so that they
will have the amazing gift of salvation and God can pour out His mercy upon them.
Many of these girls have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior
through the work of Freedom Begins With Jesus. It warms my heart and I know blesses Jesus
when I think that someday Debbie and others who minister to the girls at juvenile
will stand before God and He will reveal the full impact this little ministry has
made for His kingdom. In Luke 15:10 Jesus tells us that there is much rejoicing
in the presence of angels of God over one sinner who repents. WOW! We serve an amazing
King of Kings!
Chris Pipkin says...
I have been a volunteer counselor at A Women's Pregnancy Center in Tallahassee
for over 10 years. But this year I was given a different kind of opportunity. In
February, the Center was contacted to see if anyone would volunteer to counsel a
17 year old girl who was confined at a juvenile facility in Tallahassee. I raised
my hand at that point and things have not been the same since. Carol (not her real
name) was serving time for failing to appear in court to answer drug related charges.
Carol's mother has spent most of her adult life in prison for drug related charges
as well. In fact, Carol was born while her mother was in prison. She has been raised
by her father and step father - but that is a loose association. As Carol has told
me, "nobody ever taught me about right and wrong." So, when I met Carol, she was
17, pregnant and did not know for sure who the father of her unborn child was. She
also had the reading level of about a 2nd grader. From February through early August,
Carol and I met each week for about an hour. During that time, Carol accepted Jesus
as her Savior and began her walk of faith. I have personally witnessed the "faith
of a little child" in Carol. She has readily accepted the promises God has made
to us in His Word and she has seen her prayers answered. We have also spent a good
deal of time working on basic reading and parenting skills. Carol was released from
juvenile in August and now lives at a home for pregnant teens. Her baby girl was
born on 9/26 and I continue to have regular contact with her. I am hopeful (that
means I have faith) that Carol has been released from the generational sins of addiction
and sex that are so prevalent in her immediate family, and that she is walking a
new life of faith in Jesus for her and her baby girl. She recently said to me, "Shouldn't
everyone want to better themselves?" That was a pretty profound statement considering
the person who said it, and where she had most recently come from. It is amazing
what God has done in the life of this young woman, with only a one hour per week
investment of my time, and of course prayer. I would ask you to consider making
a similar investment of one hour per week into the life of a girl through this ministry. You
will be blessed beyond measure.
Cindy Riggins The Word Ministry, Inc. Ken Riggins, Pastor says...
One Sunday in February, 2007, I had the opportunity to speak with a group of young
ladies ranging from ages 13 to 17. This juvenile
facility: a place of treatment, not punishment. With my husband (Kenny) and daughter
(Dwan) there to support me, it was an experience I will always remember.
I have worked with Debbie Skelton for many years, and when she asked me to speak
to these young ladies, I was a little apprehensive, but thought it would be a great chance
to meet them; Debbie speaks highly of “The Girls”. I also thought it would be a
perfect opportunity to talk with them about Jesus Christ and the promises that He
has for their lives.
Preparing a message wasn’t hard at all, because the Holy Spirit led me to speak
on a subject that often helps ME to remember God’s promises. It was a message that
I’d hoped someone would have shared with me when I was younger: a message of Love
(John 3:16) entitled, “Nothing Just Happens in the Life of a Born Again Believer:
Position Yourself to Prosper.
After we shared the Word of God, my daughter led songs of praise as some of the
girls joined in. I was delighted in what I saw and heard. They had such beautiful
voices and were extremely polite and attentive.
It was during this time that I was able to look at them through the eyes of Jesus,
and see Godly women with the potential to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, psalmist
and preachers; a group of young women who loved the Lord.
The experience is one that I’ll never forget. I was extremely blessed by their presence
and had an amazing time.