Opportunities for the church community to participate in Prison Ministry

Rev. Dr. Dana Gonsal and Rev. Linda MacKenzie

“Prison Ministry” pertains not only to incarcerated individuals; this ministry extends to family members, those impacted by criminal activity, community members, and policy makers.

The church and its members fall under the heading of “community,” the place of return for most incarcerated individuals.  The goal of this workshop is to highlight areas of prison ministry that may be of interest to the faith community. 

We will explore serving as a volunteer within the correctional institution.  We will explore providing support to individuals who have re-entered society.  We will look at the church as being a place to turn for families of incarcerated individuals.  And we will explore the discipline of “Restorative Justice” – the process of speaking and listening to the other – to see the other, by giving time, space and recognition to all parties involved in a contentious situation.

Each of the presenters will speak on their particular area of ministry and we will end with group participation in a role play demonstrating Restorative Justice.