United States (MNN) — You have gifts God might want to use in ways you haven’t dreamed of yet. For Bryan and Bonnie Foxley, volunteers with Prisoners for Christ, they stepped into prison ministry with music and a sense of calling.
“We read verses like ‘I was sick, and you visited me with help, administering care. I was in prison, and you came to see me,’” says Bonnie. “We felt the tug on our hearts to be that kind of person who would visit Jesus in prison.”
“My wife and I met in a Christian band,” says Bryan. “We’ve been doing music our entire married lives. I feel like music’s the channel we kind of live in.”
The Foxleys started performing music evangelism concerts in United States prisons, along with their two sons. They eventually connected with the team at Prisoners for Christ. When COVID-19 happened, it made prisons less accessible. So today, the Foxleys have also developed a digital approach to reach inmates. They upload Christian content to an app called Pando, which many inmates have access to while in prison.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved in prison ministry,” says Bryan. “We’ve got opportunities we never had before.”
(Photo by Michael Maasen on Unsplash)
One special type of video Bryan and Bonnie create is Redemption Stories, a combination of music and testimonies of Jesus transforming people’s lives. But that’s not all.
“We realized they really want music and they want teaching. They want practical help — the incarcerated individuals across the country,” says Bonnie. “So what we’re now doing is sending in some music and coordinating with some other people, kind of putting some scripture meditation videos up where they can use that with their quiet time. We’ve gotten a lot of letters saying what a blessing that’s been.”
Find your place in the story
The need in prison ministry is great. Is God calling you to consider this work? The Foxleys say listening comes first.
“All we ever do in prison ministry is follow Jesus and He brings the results,” says Bryan. “The encouragement I’d give to anybody that’s even considering prison ministry is, ‘Hear the voice of the Lord and what His heart is for the broken and the lost, and you will be compelled to at least look into it. Then you’ll know if it’s a calling.’”
Greg Von Tobel serves as the president of Prisoners for Christ. He says the ministry is looking for the next generation of Christians to step into prison ministry.
“We are desperate for young people to come up alongside us and take the leadership baton,” Von Tobel says. “We’ll train them, we’ll equip them, we’ll turn them loose. We’ll give them guidance. We’ll come up when they fall.”
Connect with Prisoners for Christ and learn more about how to begin to reach inmates with the gospel of Jesus.
“I have seen the Lord’s grace poured out on people who know that they need Him,” says Bonnie. “When you go to the broken, that’s where they’re at. You get to witness God’s grace abundantly, and it’s a blessing to see that. You grow closer to the Lord yourself. And in seeing that, you see your own need, but just give it back in praise and glory to God.”
Header photo courtesy of Israel Palacio via Unsplash.
