(Reading time: 10 minutes)
In this “How to Train” series, we describe practical ways in which believers worldwide use our tools to share the message of the gospel.
In this article, we look at how you can use GoodSeed resources to help you reach into first-world prison systems with a clear understanding of the gospel. While the challenges faced in reaching into this unique environment can vary widely, we want to share with you some strategies that long-time users of GoodSeed materials have found helpful as they’ve reached prisoners with the Good News.
We also invite you to share your own experiences with us to benefit others. You can write to us via our contact form.
As Philip walks down the corridor lit by harsh fluorescent lights, he quickly prays to prepare himself for what lies ahead. The prison guards are expressionless as they check him and his belongings. Satisfied that he is clean, they open the heavy gate and let him through.
Another guard leads the way. Philip knows his way around the prison but understands this is protocol. In this higher security facility, Philip is not allowed to bring in any books, papers or visual aids. All he has is what’s in his head and the set of DVDs he is carrying with him…
Ministry in prisons poses a few unique challenges that we’re not likely to experience in most other arenas. Those who desire to minister in the prison environment must deal with the demands of high security, limited resource options and an audience overwhelmingly made up of those whose minds and bodies bear the scars of long years of drug and alcohol abuse. In addition, we must take into account the limited Bible knowledge and worldviews the inmates enter the room with.
How can one effectively communicate the gospel under these unique conditions?
Philip is ushered into a spartan room with tables and chairs. At the front is a TV set and DVD player which he quickly sets up. Before too long, a door on the far end of the room opens, and inmates shuffle into the room. Philip looks up and smiles broadly at them. They smile back.
“Hello again,” he greets them. “Shall we continue with our study?”
Prison ministry is hard work. Philip faces men of every kind, men who have committed every conceivable crime—and others which are inconceivable. These are men who have made a string of poor choices and have seen the worst of life. For many, they’ve hit rock bottom and they don’t have any expectation of anything better. For them, this is the end. There is no hope. But, Philip wants to tell them of the hope that God is offering to everyone.
Philip, and others like him, have found the Worldview Rethink course to be ideal for use in prison ministry. Its content assumes nothing, presenting a biblical worldview starting from the ground up in an objective, non-confrontational manner.
The material is flexible, adaptable to a variety of scenarios in which prison workers may find themselves as they go from prison to prison. With a variety of materials to choose from, including DVDs, coursebooks, workbooks and visual aids, workers feel they are able to share the gospel clearly and effectively, despite their daunting surroundings.
“I just want to tell you what the Bible says. I’m just sharing.”
Philip shared with us: “This study is beautiful.” He tells the men in the study, “I’m not here to argue with you. I just want to tell you what the Bible says. I’m just sharing.” Philip finds that because the study itself strives to be objective, it disarms the men. They come to class and sit easily in their chairs, listening. They don’t argue because they’re learning.
In some of his studies, the class starts small. But word soon spreads that it’s an interesting learning experience and then it grows and grows. Some classes have 50 attendees. The largest number he has taught was 90 men! Word even gets around to other correctional facilities and Philip now finds himself doing as many as five studies a week in different prisons.
Communicating a clear gospel message can create waves and bring about greater opportunity.
Philip and others have shared with us some basic ideas that helped make their own prison ministries effective.
1. Reach out to the prison chaplain.
Philip has made a point of befriending the prison chaplains, finding it essential to have this key person as an ally. Often, chaplains have assisted him in his teaching, becoming invested themselves in the message being taught and in the lives of the inmates.
2. Keep the sessions short and review often.
Philip learned that the men’s attention spans lasted about 45 minutes before they began to drift. To counter this, he is careful not to draw the sessions out too long and he reviews the material often to cement the main points in the minds of the inmates.
3. Avoid arm-twisting.
The nature of the material is objective, without the feel of proselytizing. Instead, Philip tells his classes, “I believe every word in the Bible, but now you have the chance to know what it says and decide for yourselves whether or not you believe it.”
When you are able to bring in resources. Consider the following:
Use the tools.
Make use of as many teaching helps as you can. If the situation allows you to bring in visuals aids, books and workbooks, then do! The inmates benefit greatly from interacting with the material on as many levels as possible.
Do reviews by using the workbook.
Depending on the prison situation, it may be used in a variety of ways, but being able to ask the inmates questions to ascertain their understanding and seeing where review is needed is invaluable.
Below are some suggestions organized by three scenarios in which prison outreach workers might find themselves ministering.
Adding to the challenge of ministering to our current generation is the reality that…
…but how can you effectively do so in a way that is relevant to their most fundamental need—that of having a right relationship with Christ—if you are wanting to focus on building up the believers?
This is at the heart for the evangelism strategy. The curriculum includes:
You have a choice of By This Name, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus and All that the Prophets Have Spoken.
The Lamb
This book was designed for children five years and up.
Using the same creation-to–Christ approach, it uses full-colour illustrations and a controlled vocabulary to explain the gospel message. Each chapter comes with review questions that help the teacher check if the children understand what is being taught.
The Ambassador Series
This series investigates issues of evangelism as they relate to the message and method taught and used by Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It is appropriate for Bible believers, small groups, home studies, pastors, leaders in evangelism and missions, Christian schools and Bible students.
This is a case study on evangelism. It follows the true-life story of Pete and Leah Humphreys, who spent 17 years working with the Manjúi tribe in Paraguay. Despite being careful to present the gospel clearly, they ran into some big challenges.
The book chronicles what they did to overcome the challenges, and more importantly, see how it is applicable to ordinary believers anywhere in the world today. Includes a six-session study guide.
No matter the role, each team member needs to have gone through the Worldview Rethink course. This will get everyone comfortable because all will have a firm foundation and the same understanding. With everyone on the same page, you will broaden the pool of people from which to draw for the different roles described below.
It’s also important for your congregants to catch the vision of being ambassadors for Christ in church and in the community. No one should feel pressured to take on a role. Doing so will only result in it being done out of obligation or duty. You want people who are excited about the gospel and eager to share it!
These are the roles:
These roles are suggestions. You can adapt to fit your situation. Small churches may not have enough personnel to fill all these roles. The key ones are the first four.
This person is in charge of the program. He or she is responsible for scheduling the courses and leaders. Depending on how many leaders you have, you can have courses ready to run each week, every two weeks or every month.
The course coordinator will need to work with those in charge of the welcome centre. The welcome desk team can take down names and contact numbers and pass them on to the course coordinator who will then make arrangements with the visitors.
Greeters are the ones who identify and invite visitors to join a course. (This group might be your existing usher team.) You can also put in your visitor card an option to check: “Yes, I’m interested in attending a class to learn more about the Bible.” Or the greeter can chat with the visitor to offer the course. Either way, greeters direct interested visitors to the course coordinator (or welcome desk) to get the visitor signed up for the next class.
Caution: Greeters must be of good reputation. You don’t want newcomers to your church to be met by a disreputable businessman or woman. Greeters should be friendly in disposition. You want those who find it natural to build a quick rapport with strangers. And finally, greeters need to have a good memory for faces and names.
Course leaders are the ones who guide visitors through the Worldview Rethink course. We recommend two leaders per course, team-teaching together.
You will want to recruit as many leaders as you can because there may be multiple courses running. For example, if you start a new course once a month, then in any given month, you may find your church has several courses running, each with visitors in them. And each course will be at a different stage in the curriculum.
Since Worldview Rethink is designed so that even leaders with little teaching experience can lead, do encourage as many church members to be scheduled as leaders. You can pair a more experienced one with a less experienced one. Some couples have also found this to be a very good ministry where they can serve together, reaching out as a team to other couples.
What’s important is that leaders have gone through the course as students and take the time to review the leader’s guide before they lead. You don’t need gifted communicators; you just need those who are willing.
There should be a regular meeting organized by the course coordinator for course leaders to share notes, discuss issues and pray together for their courses. Depending on the needs of the leaders, this meeting can be monthly, once every two months, or quarterly.
One of the things we hear from newcomers is that it’s very hard to integrate into the church. Picture this: a visitor courageously steps into a building full of strangers. The people inside may smile and greet him, but everyone seems to know everyone else and he feels left out. And this goes on for many weeks as each church member assumes another will take care of the new visitor. Before long, the visitor leaves, as he feels unwelcome.
It is the responsibility of everyone in church to connect and befriend visitors and newcomers. But to help visitors out, you can consider forming a group of befrienders. This team is made up of people who are naturally friendly and enjoy taking care of people. This group intentionally befriends newcomers.
It’s a good idea to put together a befrienders’ team comprised of people with different skills. So if a new family moves into town, the befrienders can offer help in setting up the new home. Electricians, plumbers, even a painting crew can be the team. At other times, befrienders can provide meals, babysitting or other forms of help. These are practical ways of showing Christ’s love and it goes a long way to helping newcomers feel a part of the church family.
One church regularly hosted international dinners for new students in their community. These dinners helped newcomers get to know church members in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Friendships were built and eventually, many newcomers joined in a course to learn the gospel message.
So while newcomers are trying out the church and attending a Worldview Rethink course, it’s important to also get other church members, these befrienders, to make them feel welcome and help visitors get to know more people in your church. All this needs to happen naturally and not feel forced or artificial.
Read about a lady who got to know a church through these international dinners >>
Often, youth, teens and children accompany their parents when they visit a church for the first time. Depending on the maturity of the child, but generally if they are 13 or older, they are able to attend the Worldview Rethink course with their parents. We have heard of children as young as nine fully engaged as they sat through a course.
The younger children, however, should be led in a special class that runs at the same time as the parents’ course. The book to use for children is The Lamb. A course leader can gather visiting children and read aloud from the book, one chapter at a time, and ask the children the questions. It takes an average of two hours to go through The Lamb. At the end of it, the children should have a good grasp of what the gospel is. After that, they can join Sunday school or children’s church.
Note: You will need to be sensitive to the parents’ wishes regarding their children. You may need to wait until the parents feel comfortable before putting their young children in class. Ensure you have their express permission to do so.
If there are a number of youth, you can run a Worldview Rethink course just for them. Being in their own course might encourage the young people to be more open and free to ask questions.
It’s really important that children and youth learn the gospel message for themselves as well. We have heard from churchgoers how their children and teens attend church simply because their parents take them, but once they are old enough, they stop attending. One key reason for this is that they’ve never understood the gospel message. Over the years, they were simply taught an unrelated collection of Bible stories and moral lessons. But they actually did not learn the gospel. Going through a Worldview Rethink course will help in learning the good news of Jesus Christ clearly.
