Magic Valley Chaplain Appreciation Banquet
Another wonderful time was had by all at our third MVChaplains Appreciation Banquet. The event, held on December 2, 2023, was filled with delicious food, fellowship, and musical entertainment by Laura Taylor. Special recognition awards were presented to CharDe Roche and Paul Andrews for their outstanding and faithful service to our inmates in the Magic Valley. An all-membership general meeting was held which included 2024 elections of MVC officers. We were treated to a special performance of his original song, Salvation Rap, by our own MVC President, Barry Knoblich. Thanks to the Banquet Planning Committee, chaired by Brent Reinke, for organizing this event.
Inmate Christmas Cards
We want to thank the children, churches and schools that colored and added a message of encouragement to the inmates this past Christmas. We disturbed over 800 cards this year so every person who was incarcerated in our area received a Christmas card. You can see more details about this yearly project on our website. Examples of a few fun cards for your viewing can be found on our website: https://mvchaplains.com/#projects.
Book Drive
As chaplains we want to meet the needs of the inmates. Having a well-stocked library of good reading materials is always a need. With the help of churches, individuals, and thrift stores, MVC supplies used reading books to all seven locations we serve. If you have books to donate, please contact us at [email protected].
Facility Updates
Community Re-entry Center News and Events – Barry Knoblich
The Reentry Center Chaplain services are scheduled for every Wed. evening at 7:00-8:30PM. Well-attended monthly concerts (see MVC website) for the residents are changing lives. We are grateful for the hearts of the talented performers sharing God’s love with the CRC residents through their music.
MVC supplied many reading books for their library.
The CRC Director, Pam McCaroll, retired and was replaced with Tasha Crouse. Tasha was the head of volunteer programs at the Jerome County jail before this new career with IDOC. The transition has been smooth, and we are excited to have her leadership at the Twin Falls CRC. Barry has been working with Ms. Crouse to develop policies and procedures for the new Church Furlough Program that will allow qualifying residents/inmates to attend church with an approved volunteer. MVC will recruit volunteers for this program from the Christian churches in the area that are interested in supporting the CRC residents in this manner. Volunteer training will be held this spring. Contact Barry if you would like to know more or are interested in becoming a part of this new program.
Twin Falls County Jail – Kathy Steinmetz
Chaplains continue to provide church services to both male and female inmates three times per week (Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays), and make individual visits to inmates upon request. Several new chaplains have joined our ranks in recent months, bringing us to a full complement of volunteers. We are blessed to see God at work, changing many lives as the Good News is shared.
Jerome County Jail – Bruce Venable
Men’s services are occurring on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings, with women’s services happening regularly on Sunday afternoons. Reports are plentiful about the lives being changed through the Gospel message that the chaplains bring to the inmates. Projects currently are centering around improving communication and promoting cohesion among the male chaplain group.
Snake River Fall Juvenile Detention Center – Zach Ivey
Chaplain services don’t always offer the tangible fruit that makes ministry work easy. At times, it seems as though the doors to the facilities are revolving, meaning the members come back just about as quickly as they are getting out. Serving at the Snake River Juvenile Detention center as a chaplain, we are still seeing ongoing favor with both the staff and the detainees. The juveniles continue to be inquisitive and courteous. We do our best to present the challenge for greater change, initiating the gospel message, and validating the realities of their own lives. The participants are especially interested in the life stories of the presenters. As we serve and minister to the juveniles, there is ongoing collaboration and mutual trust between the chaplains and the detention center. The number of juveniles in the facility, at any time, varies tremendously, making it difficult to know if there will be a single group (1 hr. lesson) or two groups (two 30-minute lessons). More recently, the facility was at its lowest capacity in some time. God is good and is tugging on the hearts of the young people. Prayer is needed for more chaplains in this facility.
Gooding County Jail – Dutch Zuiderveld
Live church services are offered each Tuesday evening with ladies and men. Spanish-language services are provided. Remote options for services are provided as needed.
Aftercare – Tim Wood
Lazarus and Serenity Houses are doing great. A feasibility project for installing security cameras is underway. We currently have 8 women and 8 men and always appreciate prayers for these women and men.
Adult and Teen Challenge – Linda Staub
God is so great and worthy of our praise. He has blessed our campus abundantly through blessings and donations from a great community. A couple of our staff members were able to be a part of faith impact day at the Idaho State Capitol and had the opportunity to share what God is doing within Adult and Teen Challenge PNW. The Life Renewal program, our outpatient drug and alcohol counseling program, is open and ready to begin classes.
Mini Cassia Jail – Jed Thomas
Since COVID, the jail had suspended in-house church services, but, thankfully, reestablished these services in December. Through the hard work and constant efforts of Barry, God has allowed the jail doors to, once again, become open at the Cassia jail. Our chaplains see on 12-17 female inmates and 8-15 men for church services every week. The team is also offering one-on-one visits if requested. To cover the new chaplain schedule needs MVC has been meeting with area churches to recruit more chaplains for the ministry. Pastor Mike Yost of The Springs Calvary Chapel in Heyburn and Pastor Travis Turner of Grace in Rupert (pictured below) have been so supportive of our ministry to the incarcerated in the Mini Cassia area are pictured below.
Left: Corina Christensen and Jed Thomas are pictured with Barry at manning the information booth at Grace Church in Rupert.
Fund Raising
Fund raising events at local churches have blessed MVC, enabling the ministry to provide Bibles and other religious materials to any inmate who requests them in each one of our facilities. Additionally, funds are being used for an endowment to ensure sustainability of the ministry in the years to come.
New Chaplains
The Lord continues to call more “laborers to the harvest.” The ministry has been blessed with more volunteer chaplains serving the incarcerated. Pictured below from left to right are new chaplains, Lindsay Kiosterman (Mini Cassia, John Kiefer (Twin Falls), Jeff Sigmon (Mini Cassia), Shery Tucker (Twin Falls), and Julie Arnold (Twin Falls).
Ask Me Pins
Pins and Information sheet on witness tool are free to all MVC chaplains. Pins now come with stronger magnet backs for a more secure application. Let us know the stories you may have by just wearing the ASK ME pin. Contact Barry for pins and other information on this witness tool. Pictured below displaying the pins are the CSI Prayer Team, and Worship Teams from Twin Falls Reformed Church and Buhl Bible Church while performing at the IDOC Community Reentry Center.
Inmate Spotlight – Barry Knoblich
An IDOC Reentry Resident, David Rollins (pictured with me below), has been attending church with me at Amazing Grace for over three months as a test of the Church Furlough Program. Except for one Sunday when he was ill, David had perfect attendance. I had a Sunday where I needed to be at another church, so another IDOC approved volunteer, Gary Brandt, filled in for me. David went through the volunteer process at the Amazing Grace church so he could serve in the kitchen. An electrician by trade, he is now applying to serve in the sound booth. It has been smooth so far, but I know it will not always work out this well. David was released from his prison term on the 22nd of February 2024. Thanks to this program, David is starting his release equipped with a home church and group of Christian friends who support him.
MVC Leadership 2024
“Watch to see where God is working and join Him in His work.”
Henry T. Blackaby (4/15/1935-2/10/2024), Evangelical Pastor and Author
God is working mightily in the lives of the incarcerated here in the Magic Valley and below are names of those whose privilege, indeed, is to join Him in His work.
501C3 Board of Directors
MVC President-Barry Knoblich
MVC Vice President – Brent Reinke
MVC Treasurer- Sharon Donalson
MVC Secretary- Kathy Steinmetz
MVC Board Member-Tim Wood
Strategy, Planning & Goals- Zach Ivey
Facility and Site Leaders
Dutch Zuiderveld – Gooding County Jail
Kathy Steinmetz- Twin Falls County Jail
Zach Ivey – Twin Falls Snake River Juvenile Detention
Bruce Venable- Jerome County Jail
Jed Thomas- Mini Cassia
Barry Knoblich- IDOC Reentry Center
Barry Knoblich-Rupert Juvenile Detention
Ministry Coordinators
Barry Knoblich- MVC materials ordering & facility restocking, MVC Website, 501C3 Fund Raising, Inmate Christmas card project, Jail Staff appreciation project, Chaplain recruiting, Inmate book drive project, Chaplain I.D. cards and IDOC CRC Mini Music concerts.
George Krastev- Twin Falls County MVC Men’s Coordinator
Phil Gerrish- Bible Study Course Coordinator.
Ruben Trujillo-Spanish Coordinator
Tim Wood- Inmate Aftercare
Kathy Steinmetz -Quarterly Newsletter
Speaking of leadership
THANK YOU to Susie Jones (pictured below) for her many years of service as she retires from her position as Treasurer of our ministry. Fortunately, she continues to bless this ministry as a chaplain at the Twin Falls County jail.
Website updates
We have updated the 2024 MVC Leadership Team and added the CRC Prison concerts to our website. Be sure to check out our updated website, https://mvchaplains.com for more information on our ministry!