2 minute read
The Gift of Hope
by Lifewords
Words
All over the UK, churches and organisations are sharing God’s message of welcome and inclusion with people in prison. At the end of last year, alongside programmes of visiting, education, and mentoring, Lifewords partners gave away over 28,000 Bible resources in UK prisons.
As part of its ministry to share the love of Jesus with young people and communities, The Message Trust spends time with some of the UK’s 90,000 prison inmates. They go into prisons to build relationships, and run chapel services and Bible study groups. They also provide space – through their Peacemaker courses and music classes – for people to develop skills to help them resolve conflicts, manage their emotions, and equip them for life outside prison.
Meaningful Gifts
At the end of last year, The Message shared 5,700 Bags of Hope gift packs with people in 10 prisons across the UK. The bags contained shampoo, soap, festive chocolate, and a copy of OUTSIDE/IN – a Lifewords resource that shares the Bible’s message of welcome and inclusion, and how everyone – no matter who they are – can take part in what God is doing. “It was incredible to be able to bless so many people practically and have the opportunity to pray with them,” says Paul, an outreach worker from The Message. “The booklet got into thousands of cells! We’re praying that each person who received a gift bag would experience Jesus’ love and want to find out more about the gospel.”
The impact that these practical and thoughtful gifts have is huge. Amy*, who received a bag, had tears in her eyes: “I haven’t received a gift in 10 years, and I can’t believe you brought this to my door! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Freddie* is another person the team have built a relationship with: “Since 2003, Freddie had been stuck in cycles of drugs and violence, and was having a tough time when we met him,” says Paul. “As we got to know Freddie, we were able to share more about the hope and peace that Jesus offers and invited him along to chapel services. And he said yes! There, Freddie heard the gospel and accepted Jesus into his life. Freddie is going from strength to strength in his faith, he goes along to Bible studies and is sharing about Jesus with everyone he meets in prison.”
Sixty-One, another Lifewords partner based in Bristol, UK, also used OUTSIDE/IN last December. Their Christmas Gift Project offered a copy of the booklet as part of a gift bag to 1,400 people in prison. “As we delivered the gift bags to each of the prisons, officers, chaplains, and serving prisoners alike expressed just how much the gifts mean to people,” says Elizabeth Preece, Sixty-One CEO. One of the chaplains said: “Thank you again for your kind donations ... Many of the prisoners (especially the new ones) were so thankful that someone, somewhere, cared enough about them to send gifts.”
New Hope
The Lifewords team in Kenya also partner with several prison ministries who used OUTSIDE/ IN with 300 boys between 15 and 18 years old, 75 of whom accepted the invitation to find hope in the Christmas story. “Coming to prison broke my heart and shattered all my dreams,” said one. “I have been feeling unimportant, overlooked, and excluded. Thank you for sharing OUTSIDE/IN, I now realise that God welcomes me to his love. I have accepted the invitation to come in and now I have hope.”
Give thanks for organisations, churches, and individuals who visit people in prison bringing the light and hope of Jesus.
Praise God for how practical and spiritual support is bringing restoration and rehabilitation to people in prison.
Pray for those who are in prison, that they would find healing and new life as they discover Jesus.
