Where the Spirit Is
A paper-based charism discernment tool for incarcerated readers and the facilitators who walk with them.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”2 Corinthians 3:17
What this is
Where the Spirit Is is a charism discernment tool built for use inside prisons, jails, and detention centers. It's paper-based on purpose — no internet, no devices, no special equipment required. The participant fills out the booklet on their own time. The facilitator scores it with an overlay sheet, then uses the conversation guide for follow-up.
The 72 statements are written for the prison setting. The examples in the first round are grounded inside the walls. The two charisms most likely to be misread — Celibacy and Voluntary Poverty — have a framing note that makes clear we're asking about freedom and calling, not about lived state in confinement.
Scoring requires the facilitator's overlay sheet. A booklet without the overlay is unscoreable. That's the design — not a restriction, but a way to make sure the conversation that comes after scoring happens with you, not on a screen.
Who it's for
Anyone facilitating charism discernment with incarcerated people:
- Chaplains
- Prison ministry volunteers
- Deacons
- Lay ministers
- Returning-citizen mentors
- Diocesan prison ministry coordinators
How it works
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Step 1
You print the chaplain master and the inmate booklet. Standard letter paper, corner-stapled. Black-and-white is fine.
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Step 2
Participants fill the booklet on their own time. 72 statements, three rounds, a frequency scale from Never to Always. About 20 minutes total.
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Step 3
You score with the overlay and use the conversation guide. The conversation guide walks you through follow-up and pulls the top-5 charism one-sheets for each participant.
What you receive
Facilitator access opens a full toolkit, ongoing support, and the entire Many Parts charism library.
The Prison Ministry Toolkit
- Where the Spirit Is Prison Ministry Discernment Tool — the chaplain master with the inmate booklet, scoring overlay, scoring instructions, conversation guide, and the 24 charism one-sheets in a single document
- Where the Spirit Is Inmate Booklet — the inmate-only PDF, formatted for printing in volume
- Testimonial Release Form — a one-page document you can adapt to your facility's release language
Ongoing Facilitator Support
- Charism Collective Community — access to Many Parts' member community, including a dedicated Prison Ministry channel for facilitators
- Intro to Charism Discernment video library — foundational training videos for anyone new to the charism framework
- Monthly Live Call Replays — ongoing teaching, Q&A, and stories from the field
Plus the Full Many Parts Charism Library
- Guide to the Twenty-Four Charisms — the foundational reference for the 24 charism categories
- What Annoys You Based on Your Charisms — ebook on the friction charisms create and what to do about it
- 100 Ways to Serve Our Priests — ebook on practical service rooted in charism
- Charisms for Couples Date Night Guide — PDF for spouses or engaged couples
- Four novenas and a litany for charism discernment — St. Thérèse, St. Ignatius, Holy Spirit, plus the Litany of the Saints for Charism Discernment
- Lifetime access — content updates and new resources added to the library are included automatically, no recurring charges
Pricing
$149
One-time · Per facility · Lifetime access
Scholarships available for facilities with no ministry budget. Every paid license helps fund scholarship access for another facility.
Ready to bring this inside?
Not a facilitator?
Help fund this work. Every $149 you donate covers one facility's scholarship for a chaplaincy with no ministry budget.
Donate to ScholarshipsWhere the Spirit Is is a digital-first product from Many Parts Ministries. PDFs delivered immediately upon purchase or scholarship approval through your Many Parts course account. 7-day refund window. Facility license is non-transferable.