'HOW CAN THEY CALL ON THE LORD WHEN THEY DO NOT BELIEVE?'
Behind the high walls of prison, Jesus Christ is changing the lives of people like Jesús.
Jesús got his first brush with the law in 1995 when he was arrested on gang-related charges. "It escalated from there," he shares. "I took somebody's life."
Arrested again in 2002, Jesus says he arrived in prison with the same mentality he had always had. "I was a gang member. I was going to resolve my problems through violence," he explains.
He was happy with who he was: a man of "authority," respected and feared by those around him.
As a lifer, there wasn't much incentive for Jesús to change. But when he noticed that his fellow lifers were being released, he felt the first spark of hope that maybe there was a different future for him. So, he started investigating, and that's how Jesús found Prison Fellowship®.
'HOW CAN THEY BELIEVE WHEN THEY HAVE NOT HEARD?'
Jesús saw how many of his fellow prisoners attended Prison Fellowship classes before their release, and in 2013 he decided he needed to do the same. What happened next changed everything.
"I started learning about Christ," he says, "learning what He did for me at the cross. … That's when I decided to take things seriously. This program changed my life, and it can change the life for anyone out there."
'HOW CAN THEY HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER?'
Since then, Jesús has been active in Prison Fellowship classes, which he credits with helping him be transformed. At the Hope Event™ in Folsom State Prison this past Easter, Jesús shared that he was excited to participate in the event.
"This is a nice event to get the new guys in here," he explains. Prison Fellowship Hope Events introduce prisoners to the hope of Jesus Christ through yard events featuring inspirational speakers, musicians, and other attractions. And, most importantly, they give students like Jesús an opportunity to share their faith.
"We are called to evangelize and proclaim the Word of God," Jesús says. "And as we share with them what we have learned … we become a blessing, not just for ourselves but for everybody around us."
'HOW CAN ANYONE PREACH UNLESS THEY ARE SENT?'
Prisoners like Jesús are shining the light of the Gospel into the deep and darkest places of prison because people like you help support Prison Fellowship programs. Thank you for your investment in the Church on the inside.
You can continue to support Prison Fellowship and Christians like Jesús by supporting Hope Events and Connection Classes.
REMEMBER THE PRISONER
In the darkest places, there is Light. For more than 40 years, Prison Fellowship has been going into correctional facilities, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those behind bars, and offering the hope of true transformation. Through biblical programming anchored in evidence-based curriculum, and with the help of thousands of committed volunteers, lives are being changed, hope is being restored, and darkness is being replaced with the promise of a future.
