United States (MNN) — A disciple-making movement is underway in one eastern Washington State prison facility. Its leaders are not volunteers but inmates!
Kathleen Retan with Prisoners for Christ (PFC) says that a few years ago, an inmate named Darryl was receiving discipleship from multiple ministries, including PFC. He decided it was time to take responsibility for gospel ministry in his facility.
Today, Darryl and a group of fellow believers call themselves Table Time Ministries. The name is a riff on a well-known prison reality in which s the tables in shared spaces are staked out by different people.
(Photo courtesy of Ivan Samkov via Pexels)
“Their emphasis is very much on being models within the prison, models of the way Jesus Christ would want them to act and to live,” said Retan. “This is not just to other inmates, but specifically for staff to see that too.”
The men in Table Time meet for three hours on Saturdays, sponsored by PFC. Volunteers with PFC lead one hour, but a full two hours are for Table Time’s cell-to-cell outreach planning, Bible study, community, and more.
“When you have the inmate-initiated discipleship, you’re able to tap into a passion for other inmates as well as a shared cultural experience that volunteers can’t match either,” said Retan. “That gives me a lot of hope for what the Holy Spirit’s going to do in this work.”
This good news is a call to action! Inmates around the world need discipleship before they can become disciplers themselves. That often means a fellow Christian must come to serve them first.
“So many of us think of the work of the church [as if] it should be done by the pastors and the elders, the deacons, and we sit in the pews,” said Retan. “Well, the inmates can be the same way. They need to have it awakened to them that they need to be the ‘inside church’ themselves and not leave ministry up to the organizations, the volunteers alone.”
Think God might be calling you to prison ministry? Prisoners for Christ is dedicated to taking the gospel into jails, prisons, and juvenile institutions in more than 30 countries worldwide, including the US. Contact PFC today to learn more and find resources about this work wherever you are.
The header photo is courtesy of Donald Tong/Pexels.
