Sharing faith with those in prison, one letter at a time

Daylight is a Christian charity and Agency member of Affinity that exists to glorify God and enjoy him by prayerfully proclaiming the gospel of his grace in every UK prison and to ex-offenders and their families. This is a guest post providing information about their crucial Letter Writing Ministry.

Working alongside local Bible-believing churches, and through HMPPS (His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service) and Community Chaplaincy Networks, we aspire to be a nationally reaching, locally rooted provider of the highest quality gospel ministry to prisoners; offering prisoners and their families Biblical guidance and assisting them to lead God-honouring and socially useful lives upon release.

As part of our work in prisons, for many years now, we have run a Letter Writing Ministry, where our volunteers write to prisoners to offer support during their sentences. Many people in prison receive little or no contact from family and friends, so receiving a personal letter can be a great encouragement to them. As well as being an opportunity to show them some Christian compassion in a practical way, the letters also provide an informal setting for sharing the gospel.

One prisoner, Andy, had picked up a mix of teachings from various religions in the past but was keen to learn more about the Bible during his time in prison. With the encouragement of our letter writing volunteer, he began to read our Bible study sheets and pray regularly. Just before his release earlier this year, Andy wrote to our volunteer, saying, ‘I do thank you and Daylight eternally for your support over the last 18 months via four prisons. It has been so beneficial having your regular letters in my life’. Andy is also continuing to receive Bible study material now he has returned home, and we pray that the Lord will use this contact in his heart and life.

For prisoners who are already Christians, the letters provide an opportunity to encourage them as they seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Our volunteers are often able to answer questions that prisoners come across in their personal Bible study times or recommend good Christian reading material.

Wyatt, a Christian prisoner who has been corresponding with one of our volunteers for several years, often lets us know how much the contact means to him, writing, ‘I send you thanks and heartfelt gratitude for your friendship that sustains me and the opportunity to resolve, consider and discuss Scripture and theological issues’.

For our 20th anniversary year, we have rebranded with a fresh logo and new website, reflecting our vision ‘to give light to those who sit in darkness’. As part of this, we have introduced a new sign-up card, enabling prisoners to request regular Bible study sheets and sign up for our Letter Writing Ministry.

Having begun to distribute these cards into various prisons over the last few months, we have been overwhelmed by the number of requests for letter writing that have come back. As a result, we are praying that the Lord will provide more volunteers to meet this need.

If this could be you or someone you know, then Daylight would love to hear from you. Please get in touch by emailing hannah@daylightcpt.org or calling 01245 252735, or visit their website www.daylightcpt.org to find out more.