THE STORY OF NEXT CHAPTER MINISTRIES

Next Chapter Ministries began to form in 1991 when Andy Kilen started volunteering in the Olmsted County Jail, leading Bible Studies once a week.  During these Bible studies, it became apparent that many of the inmates wanted and needed further help after they were released.  Statistically, these inmates' need for help was very real, as two-thirds of released prisoners are today rearrested within three years. 

Because of this need, and after much prayer and planning, the Network For Life group was created, bringing together released prisoners and church members in a weekly Bible Study/support group. It was from these initial small group meetings that Next Chapter Ministries formed, becoming an official non-profit organization in 1999. 

Today, Next Chapter Ministries has grown to include three residential houses for men, a non-residential and residential house for women, Little Legacies for children, and a home for families, all impacted by the cycle of incarceration. Each home is designed to address the trauma that our participants have sustained. Our services start in but go beyond the home into some of the deep-end systems that our participants are found in. Our family system approach is evidenced-based and proven to contribute to holistic Gospel Transformation.