Prison Ministry
“why am I locked up for murder? ……my father trained me to be a man of my word. I told my friend that if he didn’t shut up, i was going to shoot him. When he kept running his mouth, I had to follow through…”
This real conversation would almost have been funny, if it were not so heartbreaking. It is ridiculous – even obscene – to blame this murder on anybody except the man who pulled the trigger. However, in a very tangible way there is a fatherless generation that has inherited a bitterness and confusion so deep that it continues to control their actions. Who is better equipped to break this generational curse than the local church.
In it’s simplest form, our vision is a discipleship journey that will challenge the men of the church to carry the love of a Father God to a generation of prisoners who have never experienced the support of a earthly father. On a practical level, we want to answer Jesus’ challenge in:
Matthew 25:35-36:”For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in;36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
Prison ministry is not a duty, but a privilege. This verse is an invitation - there’s a piece of God’s heart that can only be experienced through service. We are challenged to reach out to the prisoner not because God needs us, but because He wants to spend time with us. We serve in prison, because Jesus is there already.
