Those behind fences and razor wire… they are included in the Great Commission – Mt 28:18-20 (public domain pic)
Thank you to everyone who prayed for us while we were involved with prison ministry this winter. This year the two outreaches in Alabama and South Carolina were back-to-back weeks and there were many answers to prayer. We never tire of seeing God work!
We are thankful to God privilege to be involved and to be able to serve Him together as a family
Week one was in Alabama with WeCare’s ReNew Hope outreach. One especially memorable moment was at a certain facility we sang “Chain Breaker”…and we have found that in a lot of prisons it’s very common for inmates to already know that song and sing it with us…but here it was different. They sang it with all their heart. Although this wasn’t planned, the evangelist that night came up at the end of the song and right then shared the gospel and gave an invitation to respond. God was working as men left their chairs to talk and pray with the ministry volunteers. And as that was going on, we sang the song again, all together. It’s true—we have all experienced chains at some level…but Jesus can break those.
so many people come to serve during ReNew Hope
After Alabama we skipped over to North Carolina for a couple nights.
and enjoyed much laughter with friends
Week two was in South Carolina with Gospel Express.
preparation for the week ahead
The first night of the outreach we were in such a tiny room…with fifteen inmates showing up it was a pretty full house. But it was a wonderful evening. That night one of the men decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. Apparently it was surprising that he had even decided to come, but when he left he poked his head back in the room and said something like, “I found real peace tonight!”
regrouping time of worship and sharing
On the last day, after the service the ministry volunteers were called to the front of the chapel, and one of the inmates prayed over all of us. The church behind the fences has really been an encouragement to us over the years. They love the Lord and are not ashamed. But being a follower of Jesus in prison is not easy, so pray for our brothers and sisters. They are the ones who are in the prisons day and night with the chance to share the message of true freedom. Pray for them to be strong.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 NKJV