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NewLife Behaviour Ministries (NLBM) is a "curriculum-based", charitable organization. At the heart of NLBM is a behavioural skills program. Researched, edited and field-tested for 20 years, we develop a curriculum designed "to reconcile individuals to God, family and the community" through changing the way people think about humanity and how we conduct our daily lives. The NLB curriculum provides comprehensive studies leading to an understanding of ourselves and the value of discovering a meaningful relationship with God and others.
We engage in the research, design, and development of cognitive behaviour tools to be used by volunteer instructors in a variety of settings with youth and adults (churches, schools, jails, prisons, camps, substance abuse treatment centers and other community efforts). Not only is the curriculum approved by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) for application in prisons and for substance abuse recovery, but it is also used in community outreach efforts and in local Bible classes for all ages.
We publish and distribute the curriculum as widely as possible. Users of the curriculum receive a set of courses "originals" along with an individually numbered license, outlining the obligations of licensee, in exchange for a small donation, entitling them to lifetime reproduction privileges. We seek to recruit and train volunteer instructors in the use of these materials. All the courses include an Instructor's Guide and a formal "proposal" for its implementation. Regional Directors are available for consultation and training in addition to special workshops and seminars. Additional training materials and tools are being
We seek to translate the curriculum into every language. The first eight courses (plus the Children's Edition) have already been translated into Spanish, Russian and Chinese. Currently in South Africa the NLBM course is only available in English, with translations in Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa pending, due to financial constraints.
NLBM also: -
i. Is a registered NPO since 1999
ii. Has a functioning Management Committee
iii. And submits Annual Reports to the Department Of Social Development
It is our basic belief that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26- 27) and that we are most complete, comfortable, and productive when operating our daily lives in harmony with our Creator and Savior. The outcomes of this program is to present the possibilities that a person – regardless of past behaviour and current conditions – can with time, purpose and diligence, clear his/her mind of a failure-oriented paradigm and replace it with a productive one.
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| The White Paper on Corrections and the NLB Program |
Article 4.4.9 Promotion of healthy family relations:
The Constitution obliges correctional officials to ensure contact between inmates and their families. Moreover, the achievement of rehabilitation is premised on the building of healthy family relations. The importance of these external relations to both inmates and family is of such importance that disciplinary measures should not infringe on these constitutional rights. Control of visitation rights, for example, should not be used as either a punishment or a privilege and visits should only be limited by the availability of resources. NLBM agree with the sentiment of the White Paper (Art 4.4.9) that the achievement of rehabilitation is premised on the building of healthy family relations. Hence, NLBM develops and distributes Bible-based curriculum centered on the family and tools to facilitate the reconciliation process.
We believe in a Reconstruction of Relationships strategy.
- Rehabilitation
- Reconciliation
- Reintegration
We furthermore believe that, for the best possible results, with regard to the reconstruction strategy, intervention should start the day a person is incarcerated. Hence, the most successful reintegration method is to involve the family in the reconstruction strategy as soon as possible and the NLB program is ideally structured to achieve this objective.
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| Why is NLBM so important? |
There is no other program available in South Africa that addresses the psychological, social and spiritual needs of offenders in the manner that NLBM does.
Apart from the many study groups that are conducted in various prisons country wide, two congregations were established as a direct result of this ministry.
When first introduced to the NLB program in 1997, the Chaplains of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) were so impressed with NLBM that some of them have taken it upon themselves to enhance the program, and have written a letter of recommendation to the Director of Religious Care and the Commissioner of the DCS.
This comment for Past. S. P. Janse van Vuuren, Regional Chaplain of Gauteng
“In the Department of Correctional Services, our main emphasis at present is the rehabilitation, upliftment and empowerment of offenders. In the new Unit Management System introduced to South African Prisons, the first priority is safe custody, and equal to that, Development Programs, which by implication means that programs to develop offenders to combat recidivism have to be presented. A specialized group of chaplains evaluated all the courses available for prison ministry of which NEWLIFE BEHAVIOUR MINISTRIES is one.
NEWLIFE BEHAVIOUR MINISTRIES was found to be one of the only courses that touches down and addresses every part of the being of offenders, and was officially approved to be one of the courses to be presented in the Unit Management System.
I believe the NEWLIFE BEHAVIOUR MINISTRIES can make the difference, and the offender, community, tax payer, families and friends can benefit from that.” |
| The butterfly |
| NewLife Behaviour Ministries uses a butterfly logo because it represents change. Our goal is to provide The Way to a better life for individuals, families, and society in general through establishing a strong relationship with God. |
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