Personal Narrative: Beyond The Bridges Ministry

I am Wiley Hayes, and I serve several roles with Beyond the Bridges Ministry (BTB). My duties include serving as the program’s administrative assistant, managing the central office, and providing direct services to program participants. I have received training to mentor those who enroll in our Re-Entry Ministry, encouraging them to face the long-term challenges of returning from prison to their communities, as well as helping them solve the immediate and practical problems of housing and employment. I have seen how BTB makes a difference for ex-offenders. It helps them put their lives back together, find a place in the community, and put prison behind them. That is BTB’s mission, a ministry service provided to ex-offenders by ex-offenders.

I would never have suspected the importance of this key earlier in my life. I had lived for myself alone. Life was a party, that is what kept telling myself. Falling for that lie, I plunged headlong toward a destructive dead end. I had developed a hard attitude. Faith in God didn’t mean much to me. God, however, is gracious, even when we are not. He waited for me to come to the end of myself. Then he got my attention. I learned that I needed Him to put my life back together. Doing things my way would simply destroy my life. Faith helped me to redeem my past and gave me strength to build a new future. This was easy and automatic, as if God were some kind of magic genie granting wishes. Nevertheless, I received from Him the strength to move ahead with my life and the patience to resolve problems with confidence. By His grace, I am not the same person that I

Through my relationship with Christ, I have learned who I really am and know my purpose in life. Simply put, it is through service to others that one finds an identity; consequently, enriching the community becomes the only sensible mission in life. This is why I am grateful for the Beyond the Bridges Ministry. It gives legs to my personal mission and allows me to bless the community through service.

First, BTB allows me to serve as a mentor, encouraging and aiding men who seek the same success I was desperate to find. By helping them, I also give back to the community. In addition, BTB empowers me to share my faith in a practical way, showing others the key that has changed my life. Moreover, helping others has enriched my own life. I have learned from those I have served and have developed respect for their commitment and courage. I take pride in their successes. I am also gratified to watch them grow in