Each week in Perth, a church gathers in a meeting room with its congregants. Like at many churches, songs are sung, the Bible is shared and needs and thanks are given to God in prayer. But this church has something different about it, too…
This church is one for ex-offenders to call home.
There’s a similar story unfolding in Victoria where another church gathers in suburbs from Ballarat to Box Hill, serving as a place of fellowship and discipleship for released prisoners.
The need for churches like these may not be immediately apparent, but the reality is, ex-offenders may not always be welcomed, accepted or even comfortable in a traditional church setting. With the transition out of prison already littered with unknowns, there is an added question for believers who have given their life to God behind bars: “Where can I go to church where I will be accepted?”
Established with this in mind, these churches serve people transitioning out of prison, offering encouragement, support, community and discipleship as they grow in their relationship with Christ.
In Perth, the format is intimate: sharing lunch, checking in on how everyone is doing, spending time in worship, then sharing testimonies, devotions, prayer and communion. “The idea is to enable ex-prisoners who might not fit in anywhere else to have a church community,” church pastor and Prison Fellowship Australia’s WA State Manager Steve McKinnon says. “And also to help them find a job and accommodation so they don’t re-offend, but carry on in their relationship with Christ.”
“I feel 10 out of 10 at the end of the meeting,” says church member and former inmate Paul*. “They who wait upon the Lord, He will renew our strength.”
“I feel encouraged when we meet,” says Ben*. “Because if I am alone and I fall in a hole, no one else is there to pull me out – but together, you pull me out.”
In Victoria, the gatherings are similarly personal – church members sharing with one another, delving into devotions and also looking outward to ways they can serve their community.
“I believe with God there is never waste,” says Sean*. “All those years I was in prison was not a waste. God is using me for good now.”
*Names have been changed
Thank you for helping welcome the ‘unwelcome’ – just like Jesus would do.
DID YOU KNOW YOUR CHURCH can also welcome former inmates and their families into your congregation? Prison Fellowship can help equip your church to become a ‘Restoration Hub’ – click here to find out more!
