The Vision
The spring of 1999 was a time of transition for Collis and Sherry Huntington. God impressed upon them a new focus of helping Christian prisoners successfully return to society.
Collis had spent 11 years as the Arizona Director of Prison Fellowship (PF), and had dramatically grown the work of PF in the prisons. The need for aftercare was becoming more and more obvious to Collis as he witnessed Christian men failing in their return to society.
In July of 1999, THE VISION that God laid upon the hearts of Collis and Sherry became clear. Take a step in faith; create a Christian prison transition ministry; and develop a mentoring program as the core value of what would become known as Along Side Ministries, Inc.
In November of 1999, the Arizona Department of Corrections agreed to a pilot program at the old Florence State Prison Complex. This program consisted of Christian men from area Churches matched with prisoners. This was a radical program and its success would not
come overnight. However, Collis and the mentors believed that with God all things
are possible.
Something was missing.
Collis and the mentors struggled in the challenges of the critical transition of prisoners to the free world. Many were sent to secular halfway houses which were not conducive to successful reintegration to society. Sherry prayed for God to provide a place of safety for these men to live following their release from prison.
God answered Sherry’s prayer in November of 2003, and through the generosity of
a major donor, an apartment complex was purchased. On the left is the completed project resulting in the second core value of Along Side Ministries being established...
Safe Housing.
Today, Along Side Ministries’ Discipleship Training Program operates in most of the prisons throughout Arizona, reaching out to incarcerated Christian men and women with a spiritual and holistic transition program. More than 30 Churches partner with Along Side Ministries in Christ’s work to restore prisoners to the community, their families, and a local body of Believers.