I go into the county jail each Friday and do individual mentoring discipling for 2 hours. Then I have been leading a Bible study for an hour for any of the men who wish to come down and participate.
I participated in a 3 day evangelistic event the end of February which led to 25 baptisms after teaching on the meaning of baptism the following week.
For me it is very fulfilling to work with these guys who are incarcerated for various offenses and watch them come to life in Jesus Christ. I then have the privilege of helping them grow in their relationship with the Lord. These are long term relationships mostly rather than short time ones.
A couple of the guys I have worked with have been released and we still maintain our relationship. Mostly they move on to the Department of Corrections prison system. I try to stay in contact with them. It is emotionally draining when I have been with a guy for a long stretch and then see them go on to prison. One young man has become a son in the Lord and another a grandson in the Lord.
I am waiting on volunteer status at the DOC prison close to where I live and then I will begin mentoring in the prison. There are several of the guys there whom I’ve mentored at county so I can continue working with them along with any others who might want to be mentored. I will do a Bible study there as well for those who wish that.
God has been so good to me in placing me in this ministry.
Ed is an Inspire Missioner and retired Methodist minster. (March 2023)
Please continue to pray for Ed, and others like him who are helping to ‘set prisoners free’ as they introduce them to Jesus.
Read more about how Inspire principles and practices are being used in other prison ministry here
