By Dan Swets, Director of Ministry
One day, my father-in-law called me. He told me he had been listening to a radio program where a chaplain was talking about ministry in Cook County Jail and was looking for volunteers. He said, “Dan, you need to do this.” I didn’t know what to expect, but I went to observe a Bible study at the jail. From the moment it began, I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I knew this was something I was supposed to do.
During that time, a few of the men that I was working with began to talk with others about what I was doing. Eventually, I was invited to lunch with our founders: “If we provide the seed money, would you go into this ministry full-time?” I prayed about it, we met several times, and we all felt peace about moving forward.
In 1994, Chicagoland Prison Outreach was born.
In CPO’s early days, I was going into the jail five days a week, leading Bible studies, doing one-on-one discipleship, and meeting with men who wanted to grow in their faith. From the very beginning, it was all about discipleship. Over time, others joined the work. We added staff and volunteers, began serving in new facilities, and expanded beyond the walls of Cook County. I still look back and marvel at how God multiplied it all. What started with one person has become a movement of many, each one helping others grow in faith.
If I had to sum up CPO’s ministry philosophy in two words, it would be faithfulness and intentionality. Over the years, I’ve learned they go hand in hand: to be faithful, you have to be intentional. And to be intentional, you have to be faithful. Those two words have guided CPO. Whether we’re teaching, mentoring, or serving, our goal is to stay faithful to God’s call and to do everything with purpose.
My hope for the next 30 years of CPO is simple: stay faithful to the call. I’m grateful beyond words to see Corey carrying that banner so well. I don’t worry about the future because I know the mission is in good hands. If Christ took me home tomorrow, nothing would change in the advancement of the kingdom. That’s how confident I am in the team God has raised up. The seeds planted long ago are still growing – and they’re being replanted every day in new hearts, new facilities, and new families.
Looking back, I never could have imagined how one phone call would lead to this. But God takes small beginnings and grows them into something lasting. CPO’s story is proof of that. It’s been a joy to watch these seeds of faith grow into a garden of grace – tended by so many hands, watered by prayer, and rooted deeply in God’s love.
