Christians gathered at the Bethel Convention Centre in West Bromwich, on Saturday 4 November 2017, to hear about Daylight Christian Prison Trust’s work in prisons across the UK.
The opening address was given by managing chaplain John Little, who spoke on ‘The essential need for prisoners to hear the gospel and the importance of volunteers in that endeavour’. His talk centred on John 3:16, reminding us that ‘salvation is a gift for the guilty, not a reward for the righteous’.
Mr Little spoke of our prisons being a great harvest field, and of the need to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers. Those attending heard what is happening across Daylight, through reports from each of the staff and a number of volunteers.
One volunteer spoke about the hunger there is among prisoners for the gospel, while another told the story of a prisoner converted while attending Bible studies after a serious suicide attempt, who had recently been baptised.
Another volunteer spoke of a prisoner saying after a recent service, ‘I wish you could come every week’. Also, Ed, an ex-offender who Daylight supporters have prayed for over some years, spoke by video on how Daylight’s services and Bible studies helped him during his time in prison, and of Daylight’s support to him after his release.
The various reports conveyed the centrality of God’s Word, the importance of prayer for Daylight’s work and the opportunities to share the gospel and eagerness of prisoners to attend.
Training seminars were run twice during the day on the topics of prison etiquette, preaching and teaching the Word in prison, post-prison support, and getting started with Daylight. The day was closed with an address from Jeremy Brooks (pastor at Welcome Hall Evangelical Church) on Romans 11:33-12:1.
He emphasised, ‘Christ’s dying sacrifice demands our living sacrifice’. He finished with this challenging quote from C. T. Studd: ‘If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him’.
Hannah Mansfield
