Introduction
You hold in your hands the key to a great treasure box. Inside the box is gold, silver, and precious jewels. The box in which these treasures are contained is rather unusual--not really very appealing. It is surrounded by razor wire, electrified fences, and armed guard towers. But inside there is great treasure . . . men and women, precious to God, who are waiting for YOU.
The manual you hold in your hands--“You Came Unto Me”--is a training guide for jail and prison ministry. This manual provides instruction for every level of involvement:
∙ The minimal level of corresponding with an inmate.
∙ Visiting one-on-one with inmates.
∙ Ministering in group worship services, special programs, or Bible studies inside an institution.
∙ Assisting inmate’s families.
∙ Providing post-prison ministry upon an inmate’s release from a penal institution.
It includes instruction on dress and safety codes, institution and inmate typology, and how to relate to inmates in such a way that they will be attracted to the Gospel message and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
This manual is designed to be used as a training course for:
∙ Individuals who have a desire to get involved in jail and prison ministry.
∙ Churches who want to start jail and prison outreaches.
∙ Denominations desiring to involve their churches in such ministries.
∙ Bible colleges desiring to offer jail and prison ministry training to students.
∙ Chaplains who need a training tool for training their volunteers.
Each chapter includes instructional objectives to guide the learning experience and a self-test to measure individual progress. (Answers to self-tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual and may be removed by the instructor if they do not want students to have access to them.) The Appendices include a dictionary of prison-related terms, Scriptures related to prisoners, and a list of ministry resources.
Chapter Thirteen of this manual is an individualized section where a volunteer, church, Christian organization, or chaplain can insert training materials unique to their specific jail or prison--items like facility maps, rules, dress codes, forms, etc. If you are an instructor using this manual for a Bible college class, you may insert your own lecture notes or handouts in Chapter Thirteen.
∙ You are free to reproduce copies of this manual for the glory of God!
The manual you hold in your hands--“You Came Unto Me”--is a training guide for jail and prison ministry. This manual provides instruction for every level of involvement:
∙ The minimal level of corresponding with an inmate.
∙ Visiting one-on-one with inmates.
∙ Ministering in group worship services, special programs, or Bible studies inside an institution.
∙ Assisting inmate’s families.
∙ Providing post-prison ministry upon an inmate’s release from a penal institution.
It includes instruction on dress and safety codes, institution and inmate typology, and how to relate to inmates in such a way that they will be attracted to the Gospel message and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
This manual is designed to be used as a training course for:
∙ Individuals who have a desire to get involved in jail and prison ministry.
∙ Churches who want to start jail and prison outreaches.
∙ Denominations desiring to involve their churches in such ministries.
∙ Bible colleges desiring to offer jail and prison ministry training to students.
∙ Chaplains who need a training tool for training their volunteers.
Each chapter includes instructional objectives to guide the learning experience and a self-test to measure individual progress. (Answers to self-tests are provided at the conclusion of the final chapter in this manual and may be removed by the instructor if they do not want students to have access to them.) The Appendices include a dictionary of prison-related terms, Scriptures related to prisoners, and a list of ministry resources.
Chapter Thirteen of this manual is an individualized section where a volunteer, church, Christian organization, or chaplain can insert training materials unique to their specific jail or prison--items like facility maps, rules, dress codes, forms, etc. If you are an instructor using this manual for a Bible college class, you may insert your own lecture notes or handouts in Chapter Thirteen.
∙ You are free to reproduce copies of this manual for the glory of God!