Twenty two
years ago, God led me to begin working with alcoholics and
addicts, and eventually with prisoners. He led me in a rather
unorthodox way, by contacting the Chaplain of a nearby prison. The
reason was that in my learning experience with addicts and
alcoholics, I had a couple of men that went to jail, and later
into the state prison system. The Chaplain was Rev Paul Pedrick
from Leesburg, now called Bayside. He arranged for me to come and
visit the men in the Chaplain’s office. He felt there was value in
using me as a counselor with some of the men and invited me to
return. First it was a day a week, then two days. Then we had
lunch with the Chaplain of the newly opening Southern State
Correctional Facility right next door. That Chaplain invited me to
spend some time in his office counseling his men. Eventually, I
also gave a day a week to Trenton State Prison, our only maximum
security prison in New Jersey. I have always worked for the
Chaplains, under their authority, as a volunteer.
Many people
think of prison ministry as those folks that come in once a month
to do a service or teach a Bible study. This IS prison ministry
for sure, but there are so many needs beyond services and an
occasional Bible study. What is most needed, is
consistent
teaching, of
the Bible most assuredly, but also teaching about life… life lived
in the Spirit, for God...and living it HIS way! Classes are taught
inside the prison by social workers, on behavior modification,
anger management, healing, etc...all good attempts at changing the
men. But as Christians, we KNOW the only way to change a person is
through receiving Christ, and renewing the mind by the washing of
the Word of God. Only Christians can teach and model these things!
Living it out in front of people is still our most effective
witness to inmates and living it consistently and clearly can also
influence the staff. Generally speaking the staff of most prisons
are very skeptical of volunteers...but as they see us live it out
before them over a period of time, they give ground.
I love what I
do...teach classes on Basics Christian Principles, and on
individual books of the Bible and for seventeen years I have
taught a class on Dr David Seamands book, “Healing for Damaged
Emotions.” This material is so effective because it shows men
where their problems are, where they came from and what the
solution is. My classes are always full, with a waiting list.
Completions earns them a certificate signed by the administrator.
There are so many things that could be taught if there were people
available to tech them...anger management from a Christian
perspective...parenting...husband and wife courses...church
leadership, etc. My heart aches to see more of God’s people,
particularly strong men, good role models...get involved.
One of the few
areas Jesus mentioned to His disciples as a place to minister, was
prison…”I was in prison and you visited me”...how about you?
