Inside the Lines
Play. Preach. Pursue.
BOARD MEMBERS
Mike Washer--Pastor at International Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC.
Bill Guidinger--Landscaper, Member at Faith Baptist Church in Taylors, SC.
Dennis Washer--Retired Missionary/Physician Assistant, Member at Morningside Baptist Church, Greenville, SC.
David Cowser--Retired, Member at Harvest Baptist Church, Rock Hill, SC
Paul Pendell--Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Greer, SC
Chris Ladue--State Trooper, Member at International Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC
Paul Halloran--Member at International Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC
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REFERENCES
MIKE WASHER
DIRECTOR
NATIONAL HOOPS MINISTRIES
National Hoops Ministries had the privilege of having Jonathan and his family work with us for over 4 years. Jonathan is a gifted evangelist who has a heart and zeal to win souls. His burden is for the neglected of our world and he has the compassion to go after those in need. This family is dependent on the Lord and willing to sacrifice for the Lord’s glory. I highly recommend this family and their new ministry to your church.
PASTOR ROB CAMPBELL
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
SELLERSVILLE, PA
We have supported Jonathan and Emily Washer now for several years. Our church has become very attached to them beyond just the financial support. We really love them as a family. I have had the privilege of marrying them and then watching them begin to serve together in ministry. They have served together now long enough to experience the thrills and joys of ministry and to know some of the heaviness, disappointments, and unexpected turns. Through it all I have seen them turn to the Lord for direction. Jonathan has one of the most evident burdens for personal discipleship relationships of anyone I have been around. He is humble and easy to get to know. Jonathan and Emily love ministry and love serving with pastors and churches. I am thankful to know Jonathan and Emily and it is with joy I recommend them for your consideration.
DAVE YOUNG
EVANGELIST
DAVE YOUNG EVANGELISTIC ASSOC.
Evangelist Micah Self and I have seen first hand the incredible ministry of Inside the Lines. Bro. Washer has a unique opportunity to preach the gospel to a "captive" audience and continually sees men and women saved in the prisons. I can't recommend his ministry enough. You and your church will benefit greatly by partnering with Inside the Lines.
SUPPORTING CHURCHES
We are so grateful for the churches around the United States that support Inside the Lines on a regular basis!
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Maranatha Baptist Church--Rantoul, IL
Bethel Baptist Church--Sellersville, PA
Westgate Baptist Church--Spartanburg, SC
Layton Chapel Baptist Church--Spring Lake, NC
Victory Baptist Church--Carterville, IL
Huntsville Bible Baptist Church--Huntsville, AL
International Baptist Church--Spartanburg, SC
Salem Baptist Church--Decatur, IL
Grace Baptist Church--Moweaqua, IL
Martin County Baptist Church--Jensen Beach, FL
First Baptist Church of Westwood Lake, FL
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STATEMENT OF FAITH
TIMOTHY LOVE
CHAPLAIN
EAST ST. LOUIS, IL
Inside the Lines was able to reach men through the tournament that wouldn’t come to a Chapel service. Some started to attend after the tournament. The gospel was presented in a very practical way that the inmates understood. We have scheduled them to come back this year to run another tournament. We had around 60 inmates who participated and 27 of them met with me afterward to discuss their new found faith in Jesus Christ.
WASHER FAMILY
Jonathan was born in Togo, West Africa and was saved as a young boy while on the mission field. He surrendered his life to the Lord for ministry when he was a senior in high school. Emily grew up in Quakertown, PA and they met at Bob Jones University. Jonathan received a BA in Bible Evangelism and Emily graduated with a degree in English. After graduating in 2006, the Washers served the Lord in youth ministry at Westgate Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC. A few years later the Lord called them to travel with National Hoops Ministries, a ministry that uses sports as a tool to give the gospel to teens. Jonathan also served as a speaker at and coordinator for the National Hoops Camp. The Washer family served with National Hoops for 5 years before obeying the call of God to begin Inside the Lines.
The Washers are members at International Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC. For more information about their church please see www.ibcspartanburg.com.
INSIDE THE LINES BEGINNING
While traveling with National Hoops Ministries (www.nationalhoops.com) the Washer's met a Christian who had been a warden in the state of Illinois for 22 years. The idea of using sports inside prisons was presented to the warden and he thought it would be a great success. God used this man's influence within the prisons, and within 2 months Inside the Lines was able to do a tournament at a minimum security prison in Illinois. Inside the Lines exists to bring glory to God by using any sport to preach the gospel to those that are lost inside any prison or military base.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
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THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of God. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God has preserved His Word through the ages. Inside the Lines preaches from and distributes the King James Version. (Psalm 12:6–7; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
GOD
We believe in one God who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. We believe He is one, yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ to be the one and only Saviour of mankind. We believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin-born, that He was God incarnate, and that the purposes of the incarnation were to reveal God, to save men, and to rule over God's kingdom. We believe Jesus Christ never relinquished any attributes of His Deity when He lived a perfect, sinless life on earth. (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has ministry that includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal. The Holy Spirit will fill all who yield to Him in faith for Divine empowering and victorious living. have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Ephesians 5:18)
SIN AND SALVATION
We believe all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. Because of this sin, we deserve the judgment of God in Hell. We believe that Christ died for our sins as our substitute and that three days later he rose again. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is a dependence on Christ alone without works. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire. We believe that all of those who are saved will be saved forever. (Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14)
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
We believe that the church began with the calling out of the apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58)
THE LAST DAYS
We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in both their grammatical and their historical context. We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of 1,000 years. Following this one-thousand-year reign is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22)
SEPARATION
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful practices, and to refrain from any involvement that would take away from the Glory of God as he has called us to live in Holiness. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17)
CREATION
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, and any theory or design not attributed to God as unscriptural. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
HUMAN SEXUALITY
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1: 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND MAN'S FREE WILL
We believe in both God's sovereignty and man's free will and allow this to be a mystery as to how God put the two together. We believe it is dangerous to emphasize one over the other and believe in balance. (2 Peter 3:8-10; Ephesians 1)
LOVE
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who are against us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, gossip,or the taking of revenge. We believe in practicing spirit filled, Godly rebuke. We believe God's requirement for right relationships is forgiveness as opposed to bitterness and anger. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)