Messy, raw, and real aren't the words most of us use when we say what's good about our churches. But what if they were? Author Lee Schott found out, serving a beautiful church inside the Iowa women's prison. A lifelong church person, she discovered more church, and greater faithfulness, in this most unlikely setting, with room for people the church has often overlooked. She shares the lessons she has learned there, with the hope that church leaders outside of prison might be inspired, equipped, and encouraged to loosen the fetters that keep our churches so closed off. We'll explore church characterized by honest relationship, protection of the vulnerable, radical welcome, and healthy boundaries. Practical application for the local church context and discussion questions for group study are included throughout.

Lee Roorda Schott is a United Methodist elder and pastor of Women at the Well, a church inside the womens prison in Mitchellville, Iowa. She is a graduate of Saint Paul School of Theology and Harvard Law School and worked as a lawyer for fifteen years before becoming a pastor. She is the author ofJob, in the Immersion Bible Study series (2011).