How effective is prison ministry? I am quite often asked "how effective is what you do in the lives of
those who come to your programs?"It's not an easy question to answer because like all
ministry one must assess over time. Fruit takes time to ripen. But
there are indications of change that one would...
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| Prison Stories: "Bored - so he came to Alpha"
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Bored
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Ed, like so many other prisoners, found the tedium of prison life boring beyond endurance. So, he signed up for as many programs as possible. Every one was full, as last resort he put his name down for Alpha.
At the first session we went around the group asking each person why they had signed up and what they hoped to get out of the the course.
When Ed's turn came to speak, he said: "I don't have any expectations, I only signed up to relieve the boredom of being in this place. What's more I know nothing about religion or God. As far as I know my family is Catholic, but I'm not really sure.
As the course progressed Ed began to participate eagerly in the small group discussions. He began reading the Bible. Each week he had something to share about what he was learning and how God was answering prayer in his life.
At one of the sessions he said: "I have spent so much of my life in an alcohol induced fog that my mind was never clear enough to think about things that really matter, being in prison and coming to Alpha has given me the opportunity to find God."
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