“If church is in jail, then why doesn’t my church know that?”, .. you may be asking.
With only 2% of most churches’ budgets earmarked towards missions, it may be the case that they were simply not interested in it. Or it might be that they don’t want to get involved because of the stigma that exists in these fields.
But for the sake of diplomacy or peace keeping, lets just say they lack the knowledge or the “ins and outs” on implementing this type of outreach ministry. The following information may, hopefully, sheds some light on some of these questions.
Although not all, many jails and prisons have religious services that offer faith-based programs for inmates. Due to lack of space and the lack of security guards, “church” in jails &/or prisons seems to be very limited.
Most jails/prisons have a services director who actually manage these types of religious programs. The program size largely depends on the administration’s viewpoint on the actual value tied to program and staffing needs.
Research has shown that because of the calming influence in such programs, numerous administrators are beginning to welcome religious services (church). With the easing of disciplinary incidents and less violence related due to the implementation of such services, safety and monetary savings help lessen the burdens on the correctional staff.
Because of the benefits, jails and prisons are finally becoming more mission-focused. Seminaries and churches are even initiating the birth of the recovery programs.
As time goes on and with the onset of co-vid, many ministries began to think “outside the box” so to speak. The advent of online activities has even gained ground through tools such as the following: sharing of testimonies, studying the Word together, small group activities, Sunday broadcasts of worship, etc..
Through grants, the accumulation of assets by convention boards & Christian associations have enabled the purchase of streaming equipment to present the gospel into the standard county jail. Donations for church literature is increasing rapidly.
While once these grants seemed nearly improbable, the access to these services has proven realistic all of a sudden. The typical outreach program has had remarkable success in pitching these proposals for acquisition by following a similar outline:
Outline:
Prepare Proposal – (purpose, demographics, target population, leadership, etc.)
Submit Proposal – (1st to your church & then to volunteer coordinator)
Schedule Appointment – (all parties simultaneously … if possible)
Over much preparation and prayers, hopefully off and running. When possible, church members can choose to volunteer their time to hold worship services and classes for incarcerated individuals on topics like religious education, addiction recovery, family history, and self-reliance. The centrality of these efforts needs to extend hope in Jesus Christ!
Lastly, because every person is made in the image of God & no one is beyond the Lord’s reach, Time Served Ministry exists to serve “the least of these”. Transforming the incarcerated communities through a gospel-focused, Christ-centered message, … Restoration is made possible!
