Reaching Women
Mel Goebel, Founder & President Impact for Life Ministries.
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Mel Goebel
Founder and President of Impact for Life Ministries
While serving time in the Nebraska State Penitentiary, Mel Goebel was transformed with the love of Christ and began his journey to learn and grow in the love of the Lord. Before leaving prison in 1976, with assistance from the prison Chaplain and Christians visiting from the outside, Mel served Christ within the stone walls of the penitentiary. He helped bring men inside together to grow in their faith. At the same time Mel was growing in his faith by learning how to feel others’ pain and respond to their needs.
Within seven short months after his release, the warden approved Mel’s return to prison to conduct Bible study groups with the inmates at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Omaha, NE.
In 1986, Mel was granted a full pardon by the governor of Nebraska.
For 20 years, Mel worked for Prison Fellowship, and served in a national capacity as Director of Nebraska and Colorado. Today, Mel continues to be a spokesperson and supporter of Operation Starting Line. Operation Starting Line (OSL) is a network of national, regional and state ministries, and organizations working together to support prisoners, their families, and the prison community through evangelism, discipleship, and collaboration.
In 2000, Mel founded Impact for Life Ministries which the love and compassion of Jesus Christ has evolved into three distinct outreach missions; Library of Hope, Daughters of Destiny, and Kid’s Crossing. Mel is passionate about bringing inmates into a life-long, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He continues to personally minister to inmates throughout the U.S. speaking and inspiring them with his story of pain and healing transformation.
The Unseen Presence, published in 2001, is story of his personal journey to freedom through Christ. Over 100,000 inmates have received the book and it continues to be included in Prison Chaplain Libraries distributed through Library of Hope, a sister-ministry of Impact for Life.
Mel and his wife of 30 years Jane live in Monument, Colorado.