Joe's Crisis at the Cross

Memoir of an Angel – Joe’s Crisis at the Cross

12 Week Student/Instructor Curriculum Package

This curriculum, based on Jackie E. Pruett’s “Memoir of an Angel,” aims to provide a transformative learning experience for participants in Rehabilitative and Recovery Education Programs and to equip educators with a unique and impactful teaching resource.

Objective: Participants in this program will be enabled to:

• Explore the foundational story of Christianity: Gain a deeper understanding of “the greatest story—the story of Christ”, focusing on the last days of Jesus, His ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection, presented through a unique first-person, fictional angelic perspective.
• Receive “blessing, revelation, and truth”: Engage with a narrative “based on Biblical truth” that offers insights into God’s flawless plan, His unwavering control even amidst perceived tragedy, and the “eternal solution to an earthly problem: sin”.
• Understand the significance of obedience, faith, and grace: Reflect on paramount lessons of obedience to God, the saving grace extended through faith, and the profound love demonstrated through the ultimate sacrifice for humanity’s redemption.
• Connect Christian principles to personal recovery journeys: Benefit from a “relational storytelling technique” that explains “the why behind the what of Christianity”, drawing parallels between God’s triumph over evil and the journey of overcoming personal struggles, fostered by an author with direct experience aiding individuals in recovery ministry.
• Discover hope and a restored relationship: Experience renewed hope for a restored relationship with God and witness the profound defeat of the demonic enemy, offering a foundation for peace and a new life.

Educators: this program provides:

• A unique and engaging teaching tool: Utilize a distinctive “first-person eyewitness perspective” from an angel named Joe, offering a fresh and “interesting and accurate” way to explain the Ministry, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ.
• Biblically-rooted content: Deliver a curriculum solidly “based on Biblical truth”, supported by Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible.
• Resources for a sensitive audience: Leverage an author’s proven “relational storytelling technique” that has successfully “aided hundreds of men and women in the recovery ministry”, enabling compassionate and effective instruction for participants seeking spiritual and personal healing.
• Comprehensive insights into Christian doctrine: Facilitate discussions on core Christian concepts such as God’s plan, the nature of sin and redemption, the power of faith and obedience, and the defeat of spiritual adversaries, presented with both accuracy and depth.

Curriculum Overview: Memoir of an Angel – Joe’s Crisis at the Cross

This curriculum is built around the book “Memoir of an Angel: Joe’s Crisis at the Cross” by Jackie E. Pruett, complemented by a study guide and an instructor’s guide. It aims to provide inmates with a comprehensive and transformative understanding of the Christian Gospel, presented through a unique, first-person eyewitness perspective from an angel named Joe. The curriculum is structured to unfold over 12 weeks, allowing for in-depth exploration of core Christian tenets and their practical application.

Core Content and Unique Approach: The central text, “Memoir of an Angel,” offers a fictional first-person eyewitness account based on Biblical truth, focusing on the last days of Jesus Christ on Earth. The narrative is presented from the perspective of an angel named Joe, providing insights into eternal concepts such as energy, time, and space, and contrasting them with human understanding. This relational storytelling technique is designed to explain the “why behind the what of Christianity” in an engaging and accurate manner, aiding individuals in their personal and spiritual recovery.

Key Themes and Learning Objectives:

Over the 12-week period, participants will explore profound themes, including:

• The Nature of God and His Plan: The curriculum introduces God as the “King of Kings,” “Lion of Judah,” and “Prince of Peace,” emphasizing His ultimate control over all circumstances and His deliberate, flawless plan for humanity. It highlights that nothing God does is by accident, even instances of human disobedience.
• The Origin and Impact of Sin: Participants will journey back to the Garden of Eden to understand the genesis of sin through disobedience and its far-reaching consequences, including the introduction of fear, decay, and death into the world. The role of Lucifer (Satan) as the “greatest tempter” and the source of jealousy and pride is also explored.
• The Significance of Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice: The curriculum deeply explores Jesus’s journey, from His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, through His unjust trials and brutal crucifixion, to His declaration of “It is finished”. It emphasizes Jesus as the “final sacrificial lamb of the Passover,” whose shed blood pays the debt of all sin for every human.
• The Power of Obedience and Faith: The narrative frequently underscores the paramount importance of obedience to God, contrasting it with human and angelic disobedience. It illustrates that salvation is extended by grace through faith, echoing the deliverance of Noah and his family, and the Israelites during the first Passover.
• Spiritual Warfare and God’s Authority: The curriculum reveals the constant spiritual battle between angelic forces and demonic hordes, emphasizing that physical means cannot interfere with spiritual battles. It demonstrates God’s overwhelming power and authority over the demonic enemy, as seen in the calming of the storm and the defeat of the Assyrian army.
• The Hope of Resurrection and New Life: A central focus is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, depicted as the ultimate victory over death and the total destruction of the enemy’s kingdom. The curriculum offers a message of restored hope and fellowship with God through Christ, a relationship described as “richer in many ways” for humans than even for angels.
• Personal Transformation and Purpose: By understanding God’s love and the “why behind the what” of Christ’s ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection, participants are encouraged to find personal meaning and a restored relationship with their Creator. The journey of individuals like the Roman soldier Claudius, who found faith and played an instrumental role in the early church, serves as an example of transformative change.

Curriculum Components:

1. Special Student’s Edition of Memoir of an Angel: Joe’s Crisis at the Cross (Book and integrated Study Guide) The primary text, offering the narrative from an angelic perspective, grounded in King James Version Bible scripture references. The integrated Study Guide of the special Student’s Edition is designed to facilitate deeper understanding and personal reflection on the book’s themes and biblical truths.
2. Online Instructor’s Guide: Provides guidance for facilitators, enabling them to lead discussions, address questions, and reinforce the curriculum’s teachings effectively.
3. Online Video Resources: 12 session videos

Proposed 12-Week Structure: While specific weekly breakdowns will be detailed in the full curriculum, the 12-week period will logically progress through the book’s chapters, allowing ample time for reading, discussion, and reflection on the profound implications of each section. This includes an introduction to the angelic narrator, the foundational story of creation and the fall, the detailed account of Jesus’s ministry, passion, death, and resurrection, and the ultimate victory over sin and death, culminating in the restoration of humanity’s relationship with God.

This curriculum offers a unique, compelling, and biblically-grounded resource to support the spiritual growth and personal transformation of inmates, providing them with a message of hope, purpose, and redemption.