Prison ministries show value of life, future
By Scott Dawson
Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says these profound words: “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it for me.”
Here Christ calls us to think and act bigger than ourselves, bigger than just those around us and to be stewards of the least of these in our communities.
Protecting life is a universal moral imperative. At every stage of human development, we, as good Christians and good people should value life and who God has put on this earth.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in our fight to save the unborn and stand up for the defenseless.
However, in recent years Christians across America and specifically Alabama have also turned their focus to another group of people who are often left defenseless and forgotten about — prisoners.
Through a network of different organizations and ministries, men and women of faith are bringing light to those incarcerated and giving them another chance.
So often we hear that those in the pro-life community value life only when it’s in the womb and when it is politically expedient to do so. In most communities around our state, the local church is leading the effort to reach those incarcerated.
Through incredible organizations like Prison Fellowship, God Behind Bars and Church of the Highlands Correctional Ministry, those in prison are getting to experience life and community again. They are being connected to friends and family who are going to be there for them as they reenter society.
Heart change is where it all begins. Restoring or forming a relationship with Christ is the catalyst for life change.
Organizations like Prison Fellowship take a hands-on personal approach. They work to restore familial and community relationships. They put on incredible family and community events like Angel Tree and Second-Chance Month. Heart change is what we know God wants but if you have no support system around you it’s easy to slip back to old habits. When you have a community around you to encourage and walk with you, that makes all the difference.
God Behind Bars partners with the local church to foster community within prisons across the country. Church of the Highlands prison ministry works similarly to this.
Christians are acting as the hands and feet of Jesus. We may not get everything right and no doubt make our fair share of mistakes, but these Christians are looking past a person’s actions and towards his or her heart and the purpose God has placed on that person’s life.
I think we can all cheer for that.
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Campuses are missions field
With more than 330,000 students enrolled Alabama college and university campuses are a great missions field, providing every Alabama Baptist church an unparalleled opportunity to reach students from every corner of Alabama and the world.
Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM), along with church collegiate ministries and collegiate church plants, do a stellar job of reaching college students for Christ. But as many as 200,000 remain unchurched.
Reach Every Student (#reacheverystudent) is a call for Alabama Baptist churches to engage on college campuses. Here are some practical ways your church can help:
- Pray for college students to be open to the gospel.
- Pray God would use BCM, existing churches and new church plants to multiply believers on campuses across our state.
- Pray for campus ministers and church ministers as they live and minister among the challenges of today’s college campuses.
- Engage students from a campus near you in the life and ministry of your church.
For more information contact Mike Nuss at 334-613-2276 or mnuss@alsbom.org.
—Rick Lance
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rick Lance is executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
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Change is Necessary
Change is difficult and even painful for some people. It is, however, both necessary and good. If nothing ever changed, babies would never grow up but neither would they get married and (give you) grandchildren!
What must never change is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, His crucifixion and His resurrection; but the methods we use to present that message change constantly.
Jesus didn’t talk to shepherds about fishing. He didn’t teach fishermen about plowing fields. He met people where they were and called them to follow Him.
Why am I talking about changing? We need to stop thinking that people are going to “clean up their acts,” find Jesus and then come to church and act like they are supposed to.
We need to find people where they are and lead them to Jesus. He will clean them up. That means that they will still be rough around the edges when they get to church but honestly so were we.
Jack Anderson
Associational missions director, Alabama-Crenshaw Baptist Association
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Jesus sees … all of the crowds of migrants, harassed and helpless and fleeing for refuge.
Alan Cross
Southern Baptist pastor and advocate for refugees and immigrants
Leaders don’t create more followers. They create more leaders.
Barry Bledsoe
President, The Baptist Foundation of Alabama
As Christians in a fallen world, we are tempted to yell at the darkness. But our job is to shine the light.
Rob Paul
Rob Paul Ministries and Pastor, Huffman Baptist Church, Birmingham
(We) often don’t appreciate it when things go well or as expected, but we are quick to complain when something goes wrong. We rarely post on Facebook or Twitter when our plane arrives on time or our waitress serves our meal quickly. On the other hand, we are quick to criticize on social media (or in the church parking lot) if the slightest thing goes wrong during our day.”
Otis Corbitt
Associational missions director, Covington Baptist Association
The writer of Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun. For millennia, children have been victims of horrific crime. Today, children continue to be treated as objects of desire and power rather than what they are — invaluable creations of the Lord God. “What you did to the least of these, you did to me …” It’s an admonition spoken to God’s people but it is true for all. When one is harmed, all suffer.
Ed Stetzer
ChristianityToday.com
It’s a sad commentary on our times that more than 70 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, gross violations continue throughout the world, sometimes even in the name of human rights. The time is right for an informed review of the role of human rights in American foreign policy.
Mike Pompeo
U.S. Secretary of State
We have been asked by churches in the area [of the U.S.-Mexican border] to help and that is what we are doing. Many of these migrants they’ve been traveling for as much as six months. They’re tired. They’re dirty. They’re frustrated and they’re coming into our country.
Franklin Graham
President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse
We have seen a lot of lives changed and families that never heard the gospel being told how God redeems and saves the lost. Watching our ladies wrestle with applying the truth and coming alongside them as they are actively choosing life and change has been such an amazing experience to see. What a privilege to serve in this ministry. But another miracle is how God uses so many people to meet the needs of this ministry.
Debra Garner
Executive director, The Summit of Fort Payne
Perfectionism is overrated but most importantly, it’s suffocating. If you let it, perfectionism will gradually erode your inner peace and rob you of your joy.
Rachel Moreland
Relevantmagazine.com
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From the Twitterverse
@preacherman13
My prayer today: “that the number of disciples will be multiplied greatly in Jerusalem (Jasper, Alabama)” (Acts 6:7). I’m thankful to God for the disciple-making efforts ongoing but I pray for God and his people to make more disciples in our community.
@WarrenColeSmith
We need to make it clear that, knowing what may await our Chinese brethren, we must back up any talk about religious freedom with real, tangible actions. That must include giving Christian refugees a place of refuge.
@Stu_Davidson
Christ died to renew you. Regenerating your soul was His top priority! You’ve been renovated from the inside out! You’ve been recreated to reflect Christ’s character. Love and live for him today!
@DL_Staples
Give some grace today. “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” — Proverbs 16:24
@TGC
I’ve seen guys try to plant a vision and not a church. Don’t do that. The Lord plants *people* for you to love.
@alsbom
Pray for pastors that are looking for the opportunity to do what God has called them to do. #PrayingAlabama
@DailyKeller
Prejudice assumes somebody is the way “all those kinds of people are” instead of caring enough about the truth to find out what this particular person is like, what this particular person is really saying.
@jdgreear
The NT is one of the most emphatically anti-racist texts ever written. … Read it, and you will find that trying to marry Christianity to white-centric nationalism is like trying to marry a cat to a mouse: one is designed to hunt the other, not mate with it. — @RebeccMcLaugh
@pastorjgkell
“I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.” — Charles Spurgeon during the height of his ministry. Weary pastor, do not lose heart.
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