Every ministry has a starting point.
Some begin with behavior.
Others begin with accountability or practical life skills.
Journey Into Freedom begins somewhere different.
It begins with identity.
That conviction has shaped the ministry from the very beginning and continues to guide every class, every conversation, and every life that’s impacted through Journey Into Freedom.
A Curriculum That Changed Everything
Before Journey Into Freedom was ever serving inside correctional facilities, founders Mike Shields and Tanya Shearrer experienced a transformational curriculum called Your One Degree, developed by Dave Jewitt.
The curriculum challenged participants to look beyond their past, their circumstances, and even the roles they had assigned themselves.
Instead, it asked a deeper question:
Who did God create you to be?
For Tanya, the process wasn’t easy.
“It was a discovery,” she says. “I thought I knew all about who I was.”
But the deeper she went, the more she realized that discovering God’s design required surrender.
“I had to come to a crossroads. Was I going to keep living my life my way, or was I going to live surrendered?”
That question continues to shape her life today.
Discovering Purpose Through Obedience
As Tanya learned more about how God had uniquely gifted her, she realized He was calling her somewhere she never expected.
She knew God had created her to coach and encourage women.
She just didn’t think that calling would lead her into prison.
“Going into prisons was not part of my story that I wanted,” she admits.
Yet the same lesson she had learned through the curriculum confronted her once again:
Would she continue doing things her own way, or would she trust where God was leading?
She chose obedience.
Today, serving alongside the women in Journey Into Freedom has become one of the most meaningful parts of her ministry.
“I’m so glad that I said yes,” Tanya says. “It’s one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I’ve seen my gifts used in ways I never thought were possible.”
She is quick to point out that the work isn’t about her.
“I don’t feel worthy at all. It’s only God working through me.”
A Vision for Something Different
For Mike Shields, the same curriculum revealed a different calling.
As he revisited the material and spent time in prayer, he sensed God leading him toward a mission he hadn’t anticipated.
“I heard God’s voice say, ‘I need you to take this into the prisons because I have children who don’t understand their purpose. They don’t understand who they are in Me.'”
That moment became the beginning of Journey Into Freedom.
Rather than building another prison ministry centered solely on behavior modification or short-term programming, the vision was to create a ministry that would help incarcerated men and women discover something foundational:
Their God-given identity.
Why Identity Comes First
Journey Into Freedom believes lasting transformation begins long before someone walks out of prison.
It begins when people understand they are more than their mistakes.
Through the ministry’s Identity & Purpose curriculum, participants begin discovering:
- Their God-given identity
- Their unique gifts and strengths
- Their purpose
- The beliefs and patterns that have shaped their lives
- A new way to see themselves through Christ
When identity changes, everything else can begin to change.
Relationships.
Choices.
Character.
The future.
Watching Lives Flourish
Today, Journey Into Freedom continues bringing that same curriculum into correctional facilities, where men and women begin the same discovery process that first transformed its leaders.
Again and again, participants discover that their past does not define them.
Instead, they begin understanding how uniquely God created them and why their lives still matter.
Watching that transformation unfold has become one of the ministry’s greatest privileges.
As participants embrace their identity in Christ, many begin rebuilding relationships, preparing for re-entry, and imagining a future they once believed was impossible.
The Journey Continues
The mission of Journey Into Freedom has never been simply to help people complete a class.
The goal is to help people discover who they were created to be.
Because when someone understands their identity, they can begin living with purpose.
And when purpose takes root, lasting transformation becomes possible.
Join the Journey
Every class, every participant, and every story of transformation begins because people choose to invest in this mission.
Whether you give, volunteer, pray, or partner with Journey Into Freedom, you become part of helping men and women discover that their identity is greater than their past.
Together, we can help more people begin the journey toward lasting freedom.
