Matt & Betsy Guilford
MINISTERING TO THE
INCARCERATED
Why is jail ministry necessary?
The Christian faith is fundamentally about being released from bondage.
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"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
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He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." – Isaiah 61:1-3
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." – Hebrews 13:1-3
Serving as a chaplain in jail ministry in Orange County, Florida
AUDIENCE: Incarcerated female population
ROLE: Serving as a chaplain and ministry coordinator.
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SPIRITUAL MENTORSHIP: Provide one-to-one, in-person discipleship with individual inmates.
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EDUCATION: Present curriculum to address challenges faced in jail and when transitioning out of jail, offering helpful approaches to doing life differently.
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TRANSITION:
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Encourage inmates to seek rehab treatment to deal with addictions
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Work with Public Defenders and Prosecuting Attorneys
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Provide interviews between inmates and potential outside residential programs
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THE GOAL: To participate in the transformational process of an individual, by being the hands and feet of Jesus in the context of a jail setting.
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Serving as a chaplain in jail ministry in SEMINOLE COUNTY, FloridA
AUDIENCE: Incarcerated female population
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ROLE: Chaplain/Teacher
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METHODS: Education and one-to-one mentoring
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Introduction of Jesus and the Bible through exegetical Bible studies.
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Teaching "Healing The Wounded Heart" by American Bible Society (Trauma healing curriculum)
THE GOAL: To introduce the Triune God to women so that they can experience reconciliation and healing through Jesus Christ.
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"But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison, or in hundreds of others just like it. My life of success was not what made this morning so glorious -- all my achievements meant nothing in God's economy. "No, the real legacy of my life was my biggest failure -- that I was an ex-convict. My greatest humiliation -- being sent to prison -- was the beginning of God's greatest use of my life; He chose the one thing in which I could not glory for His glory."
- Charles Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship
Serving as a chaplain in assisted living in Orlando, FloridA
Become a Champion for the forgotten.
At first glance, being a jail chaplain and a chaplain for an assisted living facility may seem worlds apart. But both groups, the elderly and the incarcerated, are often seen and treated as castaways in our culture. They appear too worn out or broken to matter (to us) or make a difference in the world.
God sees them. His transformational, healing power and peace is for them. Your partnership enables the gospel of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed and experience every week. By God’s grace, you and I travel together through the gates of the jail and the doors of a caring facility, to offer joy, peace, hope, and healing to the forgotten.
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THE GOAL: To have a ministry of presence with those who are lonely and nearing the end of their lives.