All Stories

I said, “I haven’t bathed in two or three days, the clothes I have on are dirty. I probably stink, you wouldn’t want to be around me.” And you said, “I just want to love on you.” That was Christ showing up to me. “Men of Valor has loved me when I couldn’t love myself and no matter where I was.” Dan had gone to church and attended Sunday school, but he still lacked a personal relationship with Christ. Through Men of Valor and the power of the gospel, Christ became personal to Dan in a way that He had never been before.

By the time James turned 18, he was a drug addict staring at a 25-year prison sentence for a homicide conviction. James’ parents describe their son’s addiction to a big mountain impossible to move. Jesus tells us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains. When James took the step to grow closer to Jesus, his addiction to substance abuse slowly began to wane. The Turley family story is remarkable.

Being meaningfully employed is key to becoming contributing members of society. Men of Valor is helping men, like Frankie, connect with employers to find work. We are fortunate enough to have developed a relationship with Graceful Tables, a specialty linen rental company that is open to hiring the formerly incarcerated. We praise God for this partnership.

Scripture says that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! We rejoice because these words are true and we have seen this play out countless times among the men we minister to. This is the true definition of transformation.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Men of Valor. They bring hope to the hopeless and serve as a tangible reminder to the men we are ministering that they are loved by their God and Creator. But it’s not just the men that are being blessed in this relationship. Our volunteers are also growing in their faith and being convicted in powerful ways each and every day they are a part of our ministry. We praise God for our volunteers and the men they mentor.

The first few months after being incarcerated is critically important in determining whether the formerly incarcerated will return back to a life of prison. This is why Men of Valor works hard to create a safe housing environment for the formerly incarcerated to live and grow in their faith. Discipleship and service are important tools in the transformation of lives. We are blessed to walk alongside our brothers in their journey.

Carl Carlson, a former prisoner and the Founder of Men of Valor had a vision. He saw a day when MOV would be able to build a campus for the formerly incarcerated MOV members. Today, this dream is closer to becoming a reality thanks to the generosity of our supporters and neighbors that are contributing for the construction of this campus. But despite the generosity, there is still more that is needed to fulfill this mighty endeavor. Will you consider providing MOV with a gift to fulfill Carl Carlson’s dream?

Did you know that it costs Tennessee’s taxpayers at least $28,000 a year to house an inmate? And with nearly 30,0000 Tennesseans in prison, this adds up to millions of dollars over the years. Unfortunately, the vicious cycle of incarceration repeats itself as research has found that 70% of all children that have at least one parent incarcerated will end up in prison themselves. But through Men of Valor, God is transforming lives. We are seeing men surrendering themselves to Jesus to become Godly men. And in the process, we are saving our state hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Will you consider supporting Men of Valor so that we can continue in the work of transforming communities and changing lives?