A great old hymn of the Christian faith, My Savior’s Love, has been a source of comfort to believers around the world.  The chorus is “How marvelous!  How wonderful!  And my song shall ever be:  How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me!  The marvel and this love are demonstrated by the ministry of Emmaus Correspondence School.  They supply most of our correspondence courses by a network of prison ministry coordinators.  Men and women in North America receive these courses free of charge.

The immediate family members, wife, husband, and teenage children of a married inmate can receive and study the same courses free of charge.  In the case of an inmate who is single, his father and mother can also receive the courses without charge. Each family member must request the course himself or herself from the office where the inmate is studying.  Prisoners should notify their relatives of this opportunity.  Courses will not be sent to relatives at the request of the inmate.

Getting Started :  When you study Emmaus courses, you become part of a student body that extends around the world.  There are Emmaus students in ninety countries. There is no charge for this course or subsequent courses to you or your family. 

When your exams are received for grading, the next course will be shipped to you.  You must complete the courses in the order they are listed in the curriculum.  For each course you complete you will receive a credit certificate for a passing grade of 70% or better, or a completion certificate if your grade is 69% or below.  For each ten unit of credit you will also earn a large certificate suitable for framing.

Our curriculum provides an excellent introduction to the Bible, and will lead you, step-by-step through many of its great truths.  Credits earned are for Incentive value only and are not transferable.

The Problem:  Commitment is a major part of success in whatever we do, and especially as we live the Christian life in this godless world.  There is little hope of permanent freedom for most inmates who are released without help from the Lord.  This is where the correspondence ministry comes in.  When the inmate has trusted Christ as personal Savior, little growth will occur unless he/she is committed to knowing what the Bible teaches and to obeying it.  Knowledge without the will to obey is worthless.

We prove our faith and trust in Him by our lives.  (Read Romans 12:1-2.)  His will must be done for us to receive His blessing and victory in our lives.  As a Christian, our bodies belong to God, not to us. (1Cor. 6:19).

Benefits from the Studies:  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The curriculum offers sixty-six or more correspondence courses.  A survey showed that the recidivism rate for prisoners dropped from about 87% to only 8% for those who were committed and completed all or most of the courses offered.  Our hope is to see this figure drop to zero.

Psalm 119:99 says, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.”  So we must meditate (think prayerfully) about the lessons as we study, that the Scriptures may become part of our very being.  The words of Psalm 119:103 will then become our experience: How sweet are your words to my taste!  Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”