Programs

To learn more about each program, click on a program name below.

Programs within NLBM The VetNet Program Study-by-Mail Program
Online Study Program CASA "Little Angels" Program
Recidivism Study Program NLBM Training Programs  
 

Programs within NLBM

NLB Courses - There are fifteen courses in the NLB curriculum. They are as follows:

A Sense of Self Christians Against Substance Abuse
A Sense of Family The FamilyNet Series
Parenting Matters The Seeker Bible Study Series
True Freedom Prisoners of Christ
Christian Marriage Skills Managing My Anger
The Christian Woman Christians Against Sexual Addiction
Attitudes & Behaviors Managing My Dollar
Children’s Edition  


Each course consists of four units with a total of thirteen lessons. Though numbered, the courses are not arranged in a certain sequence or order. Choices are based on needs of the student or group of students. For example, True Freedom and the Seeker Series are to bring a student to Christ. The one course specifically addressed to the incarcerated is the Prisoners of Christ series.

NLB Courses for Jails and Prisons - All courses can benefit the incarcerated. As noted, the only one addressed directly to those behind bars is Prisoners of Christ. Each series benefits the offender individually, the penal institution, the offender’s family, the offender upon release, and the free-world community or society-at-large. The most popular courses requested include Sense of Self, Christians Against Substance Abuse, Managing My Anger, and Attitudes & Behaviors.

Special Small “Unit-Packaged-Curriculum” for Short-Term Use in “Live” Sessions - “Flexibility” is our middle name. Each course consists of four “Units” and 13 lessons. With 15 courses, this amounts to 60 units and 195 individual lessons. If you have students for 3-4 weeks only, you can design unique “unit” studies. Each unit has a title. You may award a “Certificate of Completion” based on a single unit. For instance, here are some interesting “Unit” titles . . .

Who Am I? (Unit 1) Calm, Cool & Collected (Unit 26)
The Christian Man (Unit 5) Heart Daggers (Unit 27)
Lift Up the Family (Unit 6) Paths to Poverty (Unit 28)
Train Up a Child (Unit 11) Making Peace with Men (Unit 31)
Freedom in Christ (Unit 13) God, Culture & Authority (Unit 37)
The Complete Person (Unit 16) Ready. Set. Go Home for Good (Unit 44)
The Christian Marriage (Unit 17) Replacing Anger (Unit 48)
A Woman of God (Unit 21) The Dollar Talks (Unit 54)

 

The VetNet Program

What is VetNet?   America’s brave men and women are valiantly fighting and risking their lives to protect and preserve our freedom and way of life. In the faithful discharge of duties, they have had to experience and witness extreme human conditions – worlds away from home. It sounds crazy, but much damage is the result of “friendly” fire. While Iraq and Afghanistan get most media attention, our  loved ones are literally serving all over the globe.

Thousands have made the supreme sacrifice. Many return with the loss of limbs or worse. Still others suffer ongoing trauma and haunting nightmares. A recent report says outside of combat, suicide is the Number Two cause of death. Troops are streaming home but we must ask . . . to what?

Would you like to help this effort?

    DONATE BUTTON GOES HERE

 

Study-by-Mail Program

NLB courses are suitable for study-by-mail. Many students are not and never have been, in prison. A growing number are family members or friends of prisoners. Most students are behind bars. A few prisons may offer several NLB in-prison classes. However, individual prison schedules do not permit many NLB courses to be taught in “live” classroom settings. Some facilities offer zero NLB classes. So, students receive desired studies by mail. The best feature is that the U.S. mail delivers materials to persons in prison areas that will never be offered group study classes and few religious volunteers have physical access to them.

    

Online Study Program

The “Seeker” Bible Study Series is freely available at www.theseeker.org. We are taking steps to be able to offer all the NLB curriculum for online study, beginning with “Sense of Self.” This is a huge task and requires time but well worth the investment. The majority of those incarcerated do not have Internet access. However, family members and friends of those locked up do as well as offenders once they are released into the community. The wonderful thing about this is – everyone can benefit from the NLB curriculum – worldwide! Praise God!

 

Christians Against Substance Abuse (CASA) – In Prison or the Community

CASA was organized in 1988 and is spreading rapidly. It became part of the NLB curriculum in 2000. Since most crime involves substance abuse in some way, substance abuse recovery is significantly needed in jails and prisons. CASA combines the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with the Bible. We are of the opinion that the “12 Steps” work not because of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob but because they agree with the teachings found in God’s Word. The CASA program also exists in churches/communities to provide valuable support for those coming out of prison. In the community, early detection and treatment helps prevent incarceration from being necessary. The CASA material is also used in residential and out-patient treatment programs. In the ideal situation, a person is introduced to CASA in the community and reconnects with CASA when incarcerated or . . . he or she is introduced to CASA behind bars and reconnects with CASA in the community upon release. This is a “win-win” situation.

    

“Little Angels” Program

We call child from birth to about age 12 as “Little Angels” because they are totally innocent of the crimes or poor choices of parents. Yet, these children suffer from negative consequences of the criminal justice system. One or both parents may be incarcerated or on probation or parole. They may even be children of correctional officers.

With funds available, we purchase $25 gift-cards from Wal-Mart, HEB, etc., to reassure these “little ones” that they are valued and loved by God. We value and love them, too. “Little Angels” is not a Christmas-time program but operates 365 days per year. The child may not get another “toy” (though that may be needful in some instances). Instead, they may need to fill a prescription or get a sweater, shoes, food, or school supplies. NLBM friends contribute specifically to fuel this program. With millions engulfed in the criminal justice system, we cannot meet every need but there is no excuse to not do everything possible. Remember the children.

 

Recidivism Study Program

NLBM began tracking students in 2006 in a long-term study of our impact on recidivism. Our premise is that our curriculum is effective when (1) a student begins and graduates from one of our courses, (2) his or her spouse becomes involved in NLB studies as well, and (3) his or her children take the Children’s Edition. Prisons usually report a recidivism rate in the sixties’ percentile. NLBM research shows less than a 5% rate! The longer we track our students, the larger our “study pool” grows and the more meaningful the results.

    

NLBM Training Programs

You might say, “the NLB curriculum teaches itself.” We have learned that the level of efficiency in teaching increases when instructors receive more guidance. Becoming a “Certified NLB Instructor” is accomplished using a variety of methods.

  • The “best” way is to visit our central office in Corpus Christi to observe firsthand and meet our staff. Arrive on Friday afternoon, enjoy a casual “get acquainted” meal with our President, meet Saturday morning at the office, have lunch, and return home with answered questions. 
  • NLBM “Regional Directors” are scattered throughout the USA. Thus, future volunteers can find training nearer his or her residence. The Regional Director in your area can be found online or you may contact our office for information.
  • There is an annual conference each June for “Jail & Prison Ministry Workers.” It has been happening for nearly 50 years. The location rotates around the nation to make it accessible. There are two NLB training sessions offered during this three-day workshop.
  • As a last resort, the training may be done by correspondence and through the use of DVDs, including an eighteen-minute “Introduction to NewLife Behavior Ministries.” There is a helpful Instructor’s Guide. An open-book exam is given and sent in for evaluation.