Christmas Services, In Prison?

Yes, it's a poignant time of the year!

For me as a prison chaplain it is a great joy and delight to see inmates coming to the chapel to join the music group and rehearse for the Christmas Carol Services. There is something incredibly poignant about seeing prisoners working hard at learning guitar chords and earnestly singing out the carols in praise of our Lord and Saviour.

God is clearly at work in the hearts of some of these men, evidenced by their eager responses to the invitations to join in on such occasions. For many these events brings back childhood memories of bygone Christmases and we often hear testimony of how their involvement has caused them to look again at the Christmas story and the gospel message.

Those looking in from the outside may be a little cynical about so-called prison religion, and while that is an actual phenomenon, as I deal with prisoners from day to day I often see genuine cases of true conversion and a real turning around of men's lives as they come to know Christ as their Saviour.

This Christmas please pray for all such events that the prison chaplaincy teams are organising and for the men who take part, that they may find new life in Jesus this Christmas season.

Nick Stirling

On The Wing supported by

Benefact Group