Ministry
Background
We represent an outgrowth of a long-term prison ministry
in the Boston area at the Massachusetts Correctional
Institution at Concord. We are non-denominational, with
participants from several local churches. We are strongly
evangelical in our theology and practice. Over a 25-year
period, more than 200 volunteers and more than 20,000
inmates have participated in weekly Bible study sessions.
About 90 -100 men participate regularly. The prison chaplain
maintains a continuing waiting list for those who want to
participate whenever spaces open up in our group. Read about
our meeting format under Bible
Study
Curriculum.
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Ministry
Goals
Our fundamental
goal is to
help prison inmates
learn about Jesus Christ and His teachings, in
the hope that they will decide to
commit their lives to following Him
as their personal Savior and Lord. We understand
that such a decision comes through the ministry of the Holy
Spirit; that personal salvation is a result of Christ's
sacrifice, death, and resurrection; and that men's and
women's lives are profoundly changed when they accept God's
will and allow His Holy Spirit to guide their thoughts,
words, and deeds. It is the power
of God that gives us (both inmates and
volunteers)
the ability to withstand
temptation and be victorious over sin.
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Ministry
Materials
Our lesson materials are drawn directly from the Bible,
especially from the teachings and parables of Jesus Himself.
We have found lessons built around this material are the
most powerful and effective, which has led us to a deeper
appreciation of why Jesus chose to teach in this way. These
materials are summarized on our Bible
Study Curriculum page. The copyrights are held by
PrisonNet, but license to use them will be granted to
ministries for which they are appropriate. If you are
interested in using these materials in your ministry, please
send a message to webmaster@prisonnet.org
including a detailed description of your ministry.
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Ministry
Expansion
This Web site is aimed at encouraging the development of
similar ministries in other prisons, in other regions of the
US, and perhaps in additional countries as well. We don't
sell anything, nor do we solicit funds. We want to share
information with other groups with similar goals.
We want to provide ways for groups
to share information with us and with each other.
Ultimately, we want to develop a network of churches,
groups, and organizations within which we and other
PrisonNet participants can refer prisoners, ex-prisoners,
and their families with confidence in the soundness and
effectiveness of all the ministries involved.
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