Week in, week out, our prisons team are sharing the love of Jesus in word and action through one-to-ones, worship services, courses and discipleship sessions. We caught up with team members Emma and Kez to hear what’s been happening.
Over the last couple of weeks, Emma has been running an Alpha course in prison. One session recently explored the topic of forgiveness and those in the group got to open up about how they were feeling about asking for forgiveness, forgiving others and also forgiving themselves. Jackson shared that he was finding it really difficult to forgive the person who’d killed his cousin. He shared how he was angry and bitter towards them but, since coming along to these Alpha sessions as well as the Bible studies Emma was running, he shared, ‘I’m starting to see how living as a Christian could help me have God’s peace and wisdom in my life.’ We’re excited to see the journey that God takes him on throughout the Alpha course.
As well as running courses for those in prison, Emma also recently hosted a Sunday service at the chapel in prison for 32 people all about the tropic of trust. She and the team shared testimonies of how they’ve trusted God in different seasons of life and seen God move and be faithful to them. After this, Emma shared the gospel with those there and gave them the opportunity to respond. There and then, 15 people responded, accepting Jesus into their lives, but that’s not all. Off the back of the chapel service, 21 people have asked to come along to the Christianity Explored course to find out more about Jesus. Join us in praying for these men as they grow in their faith.
Kez has also been running courses in prison and seeing people come to know Jesus. Recently, she’s been running a Faith and Self-Esteem course, and Paula has been coming along. After not being able to come to the last session, Paula and Kez had a one-to-one catch up and Paula shared how she was feeling about some things she was facing in life and said, ‘I just want a new life’. Kez grabbed the opportunity to share about the hope and peace that Jesus offers, and Paula immediately said, ‘I want that! I know I’ve been bad, and I want God’s forgiveness.’ They prayed together and Paula gave her life to Jesus saying, ‘I can’t wait to see where this new faith in Jesus will take me’. How exciting!
Read more stories from our prisons team at message.org.uk/prisons
