His Story: Shawn Springer
His Story
My journey began many years ago as an angry and troubled young man. Like a buzz saw, with my head down and fist clenched, I moved through life and people doing whatever I wanted to do. After some time, I ran into the local law enforcement and after a couple of encounters, I lost the big one. I had landed myself a life sentence at the Indiana State Reformatory in 1977. For the first 5 years of my incarceration, I continued to abuse drugs and people. I spent the better half of that time on the lock-up unit.
After my last "segregation vacation", a friend asked if I would like to join a Friday night Bible Study. Some church people from the outside came into the prison every week. They would bring coffee, cookies, and pretty girls from the local university. Of course I wanted to go! I love coffee, cookies and pretty girls! One evening, an elderly lady, named Ruth, approached me and asked if I had a Bible. I told her I did not. She asked if she could send one to me with no obligation to read it. I said to her, "What in the "%*&#" would I want with a Bible?" She simply replied, "Well, I would just feel better knowing you had one." So I told her she could send me her Bible. Little did I know that I was being set up. Ruth was already praying for me and praying over the Bible she was about to put in the mail.
I soon received my first copy of God's Word. What a nightmare! This book was a magnet! How could I not read it? I would roll up a big fat joint, fire it up and start reading. I spent the next two years continuing on my path of destruction while reading the Bible every day, and sometimes, all night. I understood the words written on the pages, but I felt like I was missing something very important. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Then one evening, I remember asking myself, "What am I missing?" I heard a soft little voice say, "It's about Jesus." Somehow, it all became very clear. This whole book is about Jesus, the One who died on the cross for my sins, my Savior, my Lord, my King! This was the first step in my long process of change.
For a while, I tried to live in both worlds, but soon found myself losing the ability to cope. Emotionally, I was about to crash. I gave away all the illegal possessions I had to a friend and told him I no longer wanted to be in the game. I began the difficult process of letting go of old friends and making new friends with some of the Christian men.
My first steps were Bible Study and prayer groups. I joined the Bible Bowl program, which eventually played a significant role in my spiritual development. God has given me a good mind to remember things and Scripture memory came easy for me. Another major factor contributing to my knowledge and understanding of the scriptures were the 14 hours of Bible courses I was able to take at the prison. A professor came and taught the Bible classes for credit on behalf of Kentucky Christian College. He taught us the principle of interpreting scripture with scripture and that just seemed to make sense to me. There were a few brothers who lived on the dorm who got together to study several times a week. Between us, we had several sets of commentaries, Bible dictionaries and other study helps. We would sit around and do Word Studies just for the fun of it.
I joined the "Christian Brotherhood Organization" (CBO), a legally structured organization composed only of inmates and run by inmates. We had our own church within the walls. God led me into leadership and eventually into the pastoral position of our church. I served as pastor for 4 1/2 years before being transferred to another institution. I was released from prison in 1995.
Coming home from prison was both joyous and difficult. It was joyous, because I was free after 18 1/2 years of incarceration. It was difficult because I then faced a life I knew very little about and had failed at before. I had a few people in my corner, particularly Lynn. I had met Lynn several years earlier while I was the pastor of CBO. We were married one year after I was released. She was a big support, but even that seemed small when my mother died in 1999. Transition to life on the outside was hard enough. When my mom died, I began to withdraw. I was in a dark place and recovery was slow. Lynn, who is a counselor and had been involved in prison ministry for almost 15 years at that time, was wise and discerning in her support of me. She was crucial to my survival. I say survival because it was a fight for my life.
I thank God that I have made the difficult transition into society and mourned the deaths of both of my parents in the process. It has been a very long road and I am still recovering. I will probably be recovering for the rest of my life.
In my post-incarceration years, I was employed at Miller Veneer for almost 13 years. I was the manager of the Log Yard, overseeing a crew of 7 men. I was laid off in 2008, along with a significant portion of the rest of America's workforce. One month later, I began work at Patterson-Horth Construction where I remained until July of 2012, when I was, again, laid off.
I was an active member at Chapel Rock Christian Church for 24 years. I have served as an Usher and on the Home Communion team. I taught Sunday School, and co-led small groups with my wife, Lynn. We are now members of Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis. I have also substitute preached periodically at various churches.
I finished college in 2014, graduating from Cincinnati Christian University, Magna cum laude, with a degree in Christian Ministry. I have now joined my wife, as opportunities arise, in ministering to people who are where I was. My preference would be to work with adult men, teaching, preaching and discipling. I believe my gifts lend themselves toward teaching scripture expositorily and I am eager to find my niche' in this ministry
It is amazing to me that God can actually use my greatest failures to reach other people. Understanding that God can actually redeem and use my past to influence people who are now where I was, is my greatest joy and motivation. He is revealing to me how much I have to offer men who are in prison, men who are getting out of prison, and young men who are on the path toward prison.
His Story
My journey began many years ago as an angry and troubled young man. Like a buzz saw, with my head down and fist clenched, I moved through life and people doing whatever I wanted to do. After some time, I ran into the local law enforcement and after a couple of encounters, I lost the big one. I had landed myself a life sentence at the Indiana State Reformatory in 1977. For the first 5 years of my incarceration, I continued to abuse drugs and people. I spent the better half of that time on the lock-up unit.
After my last "segregation vacation", a friend asked if I would like to join a Friday night Bible Study. Some church people from the outside came into the prison every week. They would bring coffee, cookies, and pretty girls from the local university. Of course I wanted to go! I love coffee, cookies and pretty girls! One evening, an elderly lady, named Ruth, approached me and asked if I had a Bible. I told her I did not. She asked if she could send one to me with no obligation to read it. I said to her, "What in the "%*&#" would I want with a Bible?" She simply replied, "Well, I would just feel better knowing you had one." So I told her she could send me her Bible. Little did I know that I was being set up. Ruth was already praying for me and praying over the Bible she was about to put in the mail.
I soon received my first copy of God's Word. What a nightmare! This book was a magnet! How could I not read it? I would roll up a big fat joint, fire it up and start reading. I spent the next two years continuing on my path of destruction while reading the Bible every day, and sometimes, all night. I understood the words written on the pages, but I felt like I was missing something very important. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Then one evening, I remember asking myself, "What am I missing?" I heard a soft little voice say, "It's about Jesus." Somehow, it all became very clear. This whole book is about Jesus, the One who died on the cross for my sins, my Savior, my Lord, my King! This was the first step in my long process of change.
For a while, I tried to live in both worlds, but soon found myself losing the ability to cope. Emotionally, I was about to crash. I gave away all the illegal possessions I had to a friend and told him I no longer wanted to be in the game. I began the difficult process of letting go of old friends and making new friends with some of the Christian men.
My first steps were Bible Study and prayer groups. I joined the Bible Bowl program, which eventually played a significant role in my spiritual development. God has given me a good mind to remember things and Scripture memory came easy for me. Another major factor contributing to my knowledge and understanding of the scriptures were the 14 hours of Bible courses I was able to take at the prison. A professor came and taught the Bible classes for credit on behalf of Kentucky Christian College. He taught us the principle of interpreting scripture with scripture and that just seemed to make sense to me. There were a few brothers who lived on the dorm who got together to study several times a week. Between us, we had several sets of commentaries, Bible dictionaries and other study helps. We would sit around and do Word Studies just for the fun of it.
I joined the "Christian Brotherhood Organization" (CBO), a legally structured organization composed only of inmates and run by inmates. We had our own church within the walls. God led me into leadership and eventually into the pastoral position of our church. I served as pastor for 4 1/2 years before being transferred to another institution. I was released from prison in 1995.
Coming home from prison was both joyous and difficult. It was joyous, because I was free after 18 1/2 years of incarceration. It was difficult because I then faced a life I knew very little about and had failed at before. I had a few people in my corner, particularly Lynn. I had met Lynn several years earlier while I was the pastor of CBO. We were married one year after I was released. She was a big support, but even that seemed small when my mother died in 1999. Transition to life on the outside was hard enough. When my mom died, I began to withdraw. I was in a dark place and recovery was slow. Lynn, who is a counselor and had been involved in prison ministry for almost 15 years at that time, was wise and discerning in her support of me. She was crucial to my survival. I say survival because it was a fight for my life.
I thank God that I have made the difficult transition into society and mourned the deaths of both of my parents in the process. It has been a very long road and I am still recovering. I will probably be recovering for the rest of my life.
In my post-incarceration years, I was employed at Miller Veneer for almost 13 years. I was the manager of the Log Yard, overseeing a crew of 7 men. I was laid off in 2008, along with a significant portion of the rest of America's workforce. One month later, I began work at Patterson-Horth Construction where I remained until July of 2012, when I was, again, laid off.
I was an active member at Chapel Rock Christian Church for 24 years. I have served as an Usher and on the Home Communion team. I taught Sunday School, and co-led small groups with my wife, Lynn. We are now members of Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis. I have also substitute preached periodically at various churches.
I finished college in 2014, graduating from Cincinnati Christian University, Magna cum laude, with a degree in Christian Ministry. I have now joined my wife, as opportunities arise, in ministering to people who are where I was. My preference would be to work with adult men, teaching, preaching and discipling. I believe my gifts lend themselves toward teaching scripture expositorily and I am eager to find my niche' in this ministry
It is amazing to me that God can actually use my greatest failures to reach other people. Understanding that God can actually redeem and use my past to influence people who are now where I was, is my greatest joy and motivation. He is revealing to me how much I have to offer men who are in prison, men who are getting out of prison, and young men who are on the path toward prison.