Est. 2006 — A Ministry to Incarcerated Youth

Reaching those the world forgets.

For fifteen years, Give 'Em Heaven Ministries has carried the Gospel into the places most people never go — Florida juvenile detention centers, residential facilities, and the quiet corners of the state where at-risk boys are written off before they ever begin.

Partner With Us → Read Our Story →
Give 'Em Heaven Ministries — gates of heaven with Alpha and Omega, cross of Christ within, and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 banner
"We are gate keepers — leading everyone we meet to these gates." — Pastor Joe Pottle, Founder
15+ Years in Ministry
~1,500 Youth Baptized
2 Active Facilities
480+ Meals Served Annually
Big Joe and Eddie arriving at Falkenburg Juvenile Detention Center on motorcycles
Falkenburg JDC Riding in — where the ministry began.
Joe and Robin Pottle with the Give 'Em Heaven Ministries display board
Team Pottle Reaching those the world forgets.
Joe and Robin Pottle at a ministry event
Joe & Robin Founders · Still showing up.
The Mission

A promise kept, week after week.

What began as a single visit to a detention center in Tampa became a fifteen-year covenant with boys who had stopped believing anyone would come back.

Most of these boys are DCF kids, or kids with only a mom or grandma at home. They are labeled "at risk" — at risk of prison, at risk of being forgotten. We were called to be the voice that refuses to give up on them.

Our ministry operates inside Level 6 and Level 8 juvenile facilities in Florida. We hold church every Sunday and Wednesday evening — two services a week at each facility, year after year. Baptisms happen two to three times a year in a seven-foot round pool we bring onto the basketball court, with parents invited to witness their son's new beginning.

Beyond church services, we host monthly movie nights with popcorn and soda, McDonald's meal days where forty full meals are served across two facilities, and "exit parties" for every boy headed home — cake, ice cream, floats, and a ministry T-shirt that carries 1 Corinthians 15:33 back into the world with them.

What is DJJ?

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

The DJJ is a state-funded system set up to incarcerate young people ages 8 to 19. Programs run 24/7 with floor staff, medical staff, therapists, counselors, program monitors, a Facility Administrator, and an Assistant FA. The boys attend school five days a week, following the state's curriculum from elementary through high school.

Average stay is one year. Maximum stays exceed two.

These are the facilities where Give 'Em Heaven operates. This is who we serve.
2
Minimum Risk
Minor misdemeanors. Minimal lock-up and supervisory staff.
4
Low Risk
Non-violent offenses. Structured residential programming.
6
Moderate Risk Our work
Serious offenses. Secure residential facility. Full-time staff presence.
8
High Risk Our work
Violent or repeat offenses. Hardware-secure facility with locked perimeter.
10
Maximum Risk
One step from adult prison. Single cells, maximum lockdown, constant staff presence.
What We Do

Three ways we show up.

— 01

Inside the Walls

Weekly church services in juvenile detention and residential facilities. Twice-weekly worship, preaching, and baptism — a consistent presence where most outside visitors come once and never return.

Church · Baptism · Worship
— 02

Everyday Ministry

Birthdays. Exit parties. Movie nights. McDonald's meals. One-on-one prayer and mentoring. The small, consistent acts of love that rebuild trust in boys who've been let down their entire lives.

Mentorship · Discipleship
— 03

Evangelism

Preaching the Gospel in churches, outreaches, and wherever the Lord sends us — equipping the broader body of Christ to carry the same message to the same forgotten places.

Preaching · Outreach
Give 'Em Heaven Ministries logo — detailed view showing gates, Alpha and Omega, cross, and scripture banner
Our Logo

Awakened at 2:30 AM with a vision.

I was awakened at 2:30 AM one night with thoughts about a logo we needed for Give 'Em Heaven. It had to represent what our ministry was going to be about. I went to my office with ruler and protractor in hand and began to put on paper what God was obviously giving me.

It started with the gates showing the Alpha and Omega signs on each gate — "the beginning and the end" — as this was the God we represented. The round arch between the gates bears the name of the ministry God was going to bless. Inside the gates, you see the cross with the Lord nailed upon it, viewed from behind.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 "According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

The rapture — the catching away of the church — is on a banner hanging from His waist. The meaning: until you walk inside the gates and turn around to see Him nailed there, you are denying His existence.

We are gatekeepers. Leading everyone we meet to these gates. So we must keep our entrances clean, unsoiled by the world, so that the Lord can draw them unto Himself.

— Big Joe · Founder
Our Story Ybor City, Summer 2006

"Why should we listen? You're just like all the rest."

In the summer of 2006, I met a man in Ybor City while my wife and I were out riding our motorcycles. As it turns out, he was with Youth for Christ. He told me about a juvenile detention center he thought I should visit — said I'd relate to those boys.

I set a time the following week to visit the Tampa Residential Facility — formerly known as Falkenberg Juvenile Detention Center. At that time, it was a Level 6 security facility with 100 male youth incarcerated. I went from dorm to dorm, speaking to the boys, and noticed quickly that they weren't really listening. So I asked them what was up.

Big Joe and Eddie riding motorcycles to Falkenburg Juvenile Detention Center
Big Joe & Eddie · Arriving at Falkenburg
"Why should we? You're just like all the rest, and we'll never see you again." — A boy at Falkenberg Juvenile Detention Center, 2006

That's when the Lord really spoke to my heart. These youth were so used to men making promises and then disappointing them that they didn't want to listen to anybody. I made a promise that I would be there at least once a week for the next nine months. They laughed. They didn't believe me.

My past most certainly was not the best, but the Lord was working on my future. My wife's application was approved first; mine came through two weeks later. I honestly didn't think I'd get approved at all, but the Lord made a way.

As I began ministering to these young boys, I realized how much they didn't know about the Bible and about the Lord Jesus. Their desire to know was evident. I shared with them about salvation, the Lord's Supper, heaven and hell, and the need to be baptized. I also realized I wasn't qualified to do a lot of the tasks in front of me — I was not an ordained minister and certainly not able to baptize anyone, or so I thought.

Fifteen years later, we're still showing up. And roughly 1,500 boys have been baptized since that first visit.
— Pastor Joe Pottle
The Teams

Two households. One calling.

Team Pottle
Joe and Robin Pottle, founders of Give 'Em Heaven Ministries

Joe & Robin Pottle

Founders · Columbus JDC

Joe and Robin founded Give 'Em Heaven Ministries in 2006 after a single visit to a Tampa detention center turned into a lifelong calling. They handle all ministry finances, 501(c)(3) administration, and lead pastoral work at the Columbus Juvenile Detention Center.

◆ Columbus JDC, Florida
Team Boyd
SB
Tampa Residential · Est. 2011

Steve & Cindy Boyd

Pastoral Team · Tampa Residential

Steve was ordained by Give 'Em Heaven through Pastor Joe after a five-year commitment to the ministry. When the Lord opened a new door at Columbus, Joe and Robin handed off Tampa Residential — where Steve and Cindy now lead with the same heart and mission.

◆ Tampa Residential, Florida
Partner With Us

Your giving carries the Gospel inside.

Your prayers and financial support help us carry the Gospel into places many people will never go — jails, prisons, streets, churches, and everywhere the Lord sends us. When you give, you're sowing into real people hearing a real message of hope and eternity.

Bibles
Every boy who asks for one receives a Bible — many for the first time in their lives.
Baptisms
Two to three times a year. A seven-foot pool, the basketball court, and parents invited to witness.
Meals
40 McDonald's meals every month across two facilities. Birthdays. Exit parties. Movie nights.
Travel
Fuel and transport between facilities, churches, outreaches, and wherever the Lord sends us.

Give Now

Secure giving through PayPal · Venmo accepted

Become a Monthly Partner
Give 'Em Heaven Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Volunteer

No airfare required. The mission field is here.

"This is a ministry that will move you because God is behind it. We guarantee you will never be the same after spending time with them."

Age
21 years or older
Faith
Active, ongoing testimony
Screening
Application, background check, fingerprints
Commitment
2–4 visits per month

We're looking for men and women with the heart of Jesus and a desire to serve young men who've been hurt emotionally and let down by nearly every adult in their lives. Patience and presence change everything here.

Start the Application →
Contact

Drop us a line.

Whether you're called to mentor, give, pray, or simply want to know more — we'd love to hear from you. Expect a real reply from Joe, Robin, Steve, or Cindy.

Email joepottle@gmail.com
Ministry Area Tampa Bay, Florida
Office Hours Mon – Fri · 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Status 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Start a conversation

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you'd like to be involved.