Jim Antonucci is the recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Living Free Ministry Award for outstanding ministry. Jim Antonucci has served his church, Faith Assembly, and led outreach in local prisons for over ten years. He has mentored facilitators and led groups in church, prisons and many other settings. His amazing wife, Mary Anne, has served selflessly by his side.

Dr. Lee was deeply touched while visiting with people affected by Jim's ministry. One grateful participant commented, "This ministry has opened my eyes to what 'true' faith is. I cannot tell you the changes this ministry has made for me in the practice of my Christian faith."

Jim's passion for outreach is evident to everyone around him, including coworkers. His Pastor remarked to Dr. Lee, "Brother Jim has been doing Turning Point for a number of years now. It is a passion for him and he has done this ministry in an exemplary manner for that time. He continues to look for appropriate venues to facilitate Turning Point into the community with the conviction that the curriculum facilitates new life in Christ. It [the award] is an appropriate thank you for his tireless efforts."

Living Free is making incredible progress in Lithuania. Since the first seminar in 2001, the participants quickly began to use LF principles in their churches, communities, and Teen Challenge.

In coffeehouses, facilitators share questions from the workbooks, discuss answers, share testimonies, and invite participants to the Teen Challenge program where Insight is the first group offered. The directors say that in this group people encounter God, come to Christ, and understand what it means to be transformed by God's power.

Teen Challenge Lithuania also conducts annual Insight groups for staff members. This encourages the staff to stay spiritually healthy, deal with personal problems, and avoid burnout. An added benefit is that any staff person is trained and prepared to lead a group.

The FIT (Florida Integrity Training) Program is a ministry that works with inmates all over the state of Florida. The program has six units of study featuring several of the Living Free curricula including Insight, Free to Grow, Anger: Our Master or Our Servant and Handling Loss and Grief. This month they are highlighting the program at the Sarasota County Jail:

SARASOTA COUNTY JAIL TO CELEBRATE ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIT PROGRAM

We are pleased to feature the Sarasota County Jail as this month’s exemplary program. We’re excited for many reasons. This is an example of how many people of different Christian churches can work together for a common goal and enjoy it. It has become the largest of our institutional programs and produced more recorded graduates than any other facility. In the period April 4, 2008-March 3, 2009, a total of 264 individuals have graduated from one of our six units. 122 of them were female and 142 were male. All six of our units have been offered and graduates produced. The leadership and facilitators funnel jail participants into our community-based program, “Recently Released” in a seamless way, helping ensure that transition will be smooth and effective. After all, that is what we are all about – a transition program.

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