The Prison Link ministry has been established for over 20 years with Joy Wilson leading the team. Joy was the visionary in terms of setting up this ministry and has been at the helm running it successfully ever since albeit now with a smaller core team. Currently, the team is made up of approximately 10 people and they make visits 4-6 times in any calendar year.
The aim of Prison Link is to deliver the gospel message to those in prisons (as the name suggests). Since its inception the team has visited various Category B/C Prisons, Young Offenders Institutes and Immigration Centres across England, even travelling as far as Durham on one occasion.
When attending the team given the opportunity to take the C of E service which comprises a song service, testimonies and sharing the word with the inmates.
Initially, when the team started attending it was admittedly more of a concert form with not much participation or involvement from the inmates but over the year this has changed substantially with the services now being very inclusive.
The team’s visits are very much welcomed and the men look forward to the one on one time when the service is finished to having chats and prayer over any personal issues.
This is a very rewarding ministry and if a sacrificial ministry as it involves very early starts, often not returning until mid afternoon.
Here are some quotes from members of the team
“Being a part of the ministry is living out my faith in a practical way. Taking the Gospel outside of the church. It teaches me the value of the hope we all have in Christ whether we are imprisoned or free. The guys we meet sometimes are the ones that remind us of this”
“… it’s not just the God in us that we bring into the prison but it is what the inmates often impart to us that enables us to see God at work in them and also in us”