Tabitha Ministry works in women's prisons, while women are still incarcerated, in order to teach and to counsel. We have worked at Lexington Women's Prison since 1999, and will expand our ministry at Troy Women's Prison in 2011.  After a woman is released from prison, she may enter Tabitha House, which helps her re-establish her life as a productive citizen.  While in prison, Tabitha teachers conduct one class each week. The current class is called "Life's Choices for Healing." In the past, we have taught a variety of classes, including the following:

• Life's Choices for Healing: empowering victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse and/or neglect or addiction. During the class, we examine core beliefs that create a victim mentality. Using Scripture ("As a man thinks, so he is"), we work through eight choices that transform lives. Based on the book Life's Healing Choices, by Pastor Rick Warren.

• Wounded Heart: a class for abuse victims.  This class is taught by a former abuse victim and is real help to overcome years of pain, guilt, and the consequences of abuse.  It focuses on self-discovery (why do you make bad choices?), self-expression (what do you feel and why do you feel that way?), and self-protection (learn to recognize the signs that make you vulnerable to abuse). This class meets for 10 weeks and is always filled to the maximum of 15 ladies per class.  Tabitha teaches 5 classes per year.

• Ethics and Choices (training from the Department of Corrections): to teach decision-making skills.  This is a practical class presented by the DOC to teach inmates about making choices.  Tabitha teachers are chosen because of their consistency in prison ministry over the years and their excellence in teaching. This class meets for 8 weeks and is always filled to the maximum of 15 ladies per class.  Cindi Wagner is the teacher, and she conducts 5 classes per year.

• Bible Study: Providing foundational Biblical study.  The content of this course varies, sometimes using devotional materials and sometimes just studying directly from the Word of God.  Tabitha has provided this class every Monday night since 1995.  There have been no breaks, no holidays, no missed classes – Tabitha has been a consistent influence on the lives of the women we serve. This class meets for 12-week sessions and the number of women attending varies from 7-20 each week.  This class met every Monday night from 2002 until 2007. We are grateful to be able to supply such consistency in the lives of inmates.

Tabitha also provides Community Sponsors - volunteers who receive training from the DOC in order to take ladies out for a few hours.  Women take prisoners to church or other outings.  This personal involvement is crucial to the ministry.