Kutzler: John and Sharon Thomas started a Twin Cities ministry called Glorybound in the late ’90s. Glorybound helps families who are left behind as a family member enters prison or a long-term drug treatment program. It is a ministry of mercy and practical help that comes alongside those who need something special at a very critical time in their lives.

John Thomas went home to be with the Lord in July of 2006 due to a long-term illness, which left this ministry of compassion to Sharon. We want to find out how she is doing today, six months later.

Bennett: Sharon, what has happened since last summer when you lost John?

Thomas: We have been challenged and stretched. John was more the voice and face of the ministry, and that has all been passed down to me. I am doing things now that I never thought I would ever have to do, but those of us at Glorybound are committed to continue to minister to the kinds of families we reach—and whatever it takes we will continue to do this ministry.

We feel that the families of prisoners, or drug treatment clients, are for the most part forgotten in the process of incarceration or recovery.

John and I went through 18 years of heroin addiction and 8 years of cocaine addiction. John went to 16 recovery programs before coming to a Christian treatment program that set him free. Throughout this entire experience, no one thought about our family and me. We were left with all the bills and the responsibilities of raising the family.

This is why I am so committed to helping people who were like me. So even if the job I inherited may be difficult, I plan to stay the course.

When John passed in July last year, the service that was held in his memory was wonderful. The support and kindness was incredible. So many of the people had a lot to say about John and his character, and it was awesome.

Emotions were running high, and a lot of promises and support was vocalized. But like so much of life, it moves on and so does that moment in time. Some of those promises are being fulfilled while others are not. However, there are some churches and individuals who have been there for us as time has moved forward.

Kutzler: Sharon, as you look to this new year, what can the body of Christ do for you and Glorybound as a way to help you continue this ministry to help these forgotten families and be a memorial to John?

Thomas: We need manpower. We need people to come in and model what a fully functional Christian family looks like. These needs include leading Bible studies and coming alongside these families through friendship and spiritual mentorship to help them cope with the issues they face.

Many of these families are new Christians, and they need help to try to figure out how faith works in their everyday world. We could really use some men to help us work with the men in our program. That was John’s area, and it’s been hard to find someone who could do some of what he did.

Kutzler: If your church or ministry would like to adopt Glorybound as a ministry this year, contact them at (763) 546-3100 or go to www.gloryboundministries.org.

Please pray for Sharon, who is taking on the full weight of this ministry. She needs your prayer support. Also, remember her son Jeffery who started at Northwestern College this past fall and is doing well. The Thomas family has sacrificed [much] to minister to needy families and has its own special needs. My prayer is that we won’t forget them as they continue the dream started by the late “Rev” John Thomas.


CitySites is a nonprofit media that supports the promotion of urban and ethnic ministries in the Twin Cities. For a listing of urban/ethnic ministries by category please log on to our Web site at www.citysitesurbanmedia.com.