How volunteering works (ASTRA)

APPLY: VOLUNTEERING OPTIONS

Benefits of volunteering with PF

• Reimbursement of travel expenses 

• Public Liability Insurance 

• Fellowship/accountability/ support/supervision from your local group

• Prayer support

• Good reputation & relationship with National Prison Service

• Accountability & support from the Support team 

• Free training

Volunteer self evaluation

Dear volunteer,

Visiting prisoners or their family members will bring you into contact with people who often find themselves in a difficult situation. This can place you in an awkward dilemma. A volunteer must have certain skills in order to help and support them. It is important both for you and for Prison Fellowship to ascertain what your strong qualities are. 

This self-evaluation is one way of determining these. Careful consideration and response to the corresponding questions can give you a greater insight into the particular character of this work. In addition, it will also give us a better understanding of who you are. When filling in this form, try not to indicate how one should have acted in a specific situation, but rather how you would personally react in that situation. 

We do not expect a volunteer to be at the level of a professional. With some training and guidance of an experienced person, a motivated volunteer with certain skills will already be able to get to work. A volunteer will continue to improve his or her personal skills during other training sessions and through experience. 

We kindly ask you to fill in this form and send it to Prison Fellowship. We will then invite you to come to our office for a personal visit so that you can acquaint yourself with us and our facilities. This form will be one of the items we will discuss during the visit. It is important to note that this information will be kept confidential. 

With kind regards 

Competencies

1. Awareness of one's own safety. The cultural and ethnic diversity of the prison population as well issues relating to prisoner physical and spiritual health is increasing. PF volunteers are also being confronted with this diversity. In one-on-one situations with a prisoner it is essential that the volunteer is aware of small changes in behaviour and in the prisoner's state of mind and is able, above all, to consistently react in a calm, and composed manner. 

Skills: Sensitivity, Self-confidence. 

• Describe one or a number of different situations from your own life- experience, in which it was evident that you have this ability? 

2. To pay attention to rules and to one's own feelings and convictions. Volunteer organisations often characterize themselves as having a profound intrinsic motivation for their activities. Similarly, within the framework Prison Fellowship volunteers, out of “a desire to do good for their fellow man”, manifest and demonstrate the feeling of love for one's neighbour which has arisen from their faith. 

Moreover the volunteer's work is characterized by a significant measure of independence leading to  a bond of confidence and trust developing. Over involvement can lead to blurring of the important line between privacy and necessary distance. This can comprise the volunteer, the prisoner, as well as Prison Fellowship. The actions of every individual volunteer and the possible precedents these may set, can harm the image and the position of Prison Fellowship in the eyes of the Ministry of Justice. 

It is essential that each volunteer adheres strictly the code of conduct, even when they go against one's own feelings and convictions. Furthermore, it is important that volunteers are able to recognize this inner struggle and that they are able to discuss this and point out it out the very moment that the interest of the organisation becomes incompatible with one's personal convictions. 

Skills: Sensitivity, Self-confidence 

How do you react to people who react unpredictably and/or emotionally? Give an example.  

• Describe an example from your own experiences where your personal feelings began to conflict with recognised codes of conduct? How did you handle this? 

• What does it mean to you to hold yourself to codes of conduct and procedures, which limit your possibilities of giving concrete help to the person asking for it?   

3. Building mutual trust. The relationship between the prisoner and the volunteer is one based on mutual trust: 

   • On the one hand the prisoner's trust in the volunteer. That the volunteer will do what he/ she says. 

   • On the other hand the volunteer's trust in the prisoner, that he/ she sincerely wishes to be honest during the conversations between them and is not merely trying to manipulate someone. 

A detention situation increases the chance of manipulative behaviour. It needs to be recognized in time. It is of utmost importance in this process that the volunteer be able, above all, to focus his attention fully on the prisoner, on his wishes and needs, on his emotions, on his tensions and on his possibilities. He is able to listen' between the lines, and can, depending on the given situation make use of a wide repertoire of conversational methods, such as to reflect, to confront, to wait, to reward, to provide arguments, to think in alternatives, to instruct, etc. Furthermore, it is of great importance, that the volunteer does not create false expectations and that he makes clear where he will help and where he won't. 

Skills: Listening, focussing on the prisoner, flexibility

• In discussions people often react to what the other says by giving examples from their own experiences. To what extent do you think this is useful? 

• What do people who know you well think of your ability to listen? What do you yourself feel are your strong and weak sides with regard to your ability to listen? 

• Give an example of a situation in which you held a conversation with someone, who did not want to focus critically on himself and/or listened badly? How did you go about it?  

4. Teamwork and authority 

• How will you keep the balance between maintaining your church commitment and supporting Prison Fellowship?

• You hear the Chaplain saying something with which you strongly disagree.  What are the different ways of dealing with such an issue and what might be the (long-term) consequences in each situation?  

4. Qualities: The following list are recommended qualities of a volunteer: 

   • Listening: Shows that he has the ability to pick up important information by word of mouth: he continues to ask; he acts upon reactions.

   • Focussing on the client: He examines the client's wishes and needs and acts on these accordingly. 

   • Sensitivity: Shows himself to be aware of other people and their personal environment, as well as his own influence in it; he shows the ability to distinguish the feelings and needs of other people. 

   • Discipline: He complies with the policy and/or the procedures of the organisation; when changes occur, he confirms this with the proper authority. 

   • Flexibility: If problems or changes arise, he changes his own style of behaviour or his conceptual approach in order to reach the set goal. 

   • Self Confidence: He acts with certainty and calmness and he maintains this impression, even when he meets opposition or emotions of other people. 

   • Self Reflection: He evaluates his own behaviour and his points of view in a critical way; he is open minded with regard to the evaluation of other people; he learns from it and based on this evaluation changes his own behaviour as well as his own points of view. 

Reference

• Received satisfactory references from church leader 

It is important that volunteers have a clear understanding of how matters would be progressed if a volunteer was found to be in possession of unauthorized articles, including detention for interview by police.  

All volunteers will be issued with a security briefing protocol which they will be required to formally sign acknowledging that they have read, understood and are willing to abide by its terms, including a requirement to report immediately to the governor or his/her representative any information or actions of which they may become aware during the course of their voluntary work which may threaten the good order and/or security of the establishment.

What's different about a prison setting?

There are a number of issues that are peculiar to prisons and prisoners which affect the way one delivers Christian programs in prison.

PRISONERS ARE IN PRISON 

This may seem obvious! But the prison regime will affect how you run a course in a prison. The prison rules and regulations are generally not negotiable.

• Prisoners are able to attend courses at specific times, for a specific length of time, in a specific place, with specific supervision. Different prisons will have different lengths of time available for you to run a course. Some may give a one-hour slot once a week. Some may give three hours, once a week. Some may give a whole week to run a course.

• Many prisons do not allow electronic equipment to be used

• The prison regime may mean that some prisoners cannot attend on occasion due to legal visits, inability to leave their common prison area, etc. In this case, make sure that the recap at the beginning of each session is done well enough to help people to know what happened in the session they missed. 

• Individual prisoners may be removed from your session half way through your teaching. The whole group may be sent back to their cells for security reasons or for lack of discipline during the session. Be prepared for the session to suddenly stop! 

PRISONERS ARE IN PRISON FOR A REASON 

Prisoners are in prison because they have been sentenced to serve time for a crime committed, or are awaiting trial for a crime that they are suspected of having committed. There are very few innocent people in prison! As you get to know your group, NEVER forget that they are in prison because they have committed, or are suspected of committing, a crime. 

This point is relevant partly for our own security, and partly because prisoners all know that they are sinners to some degree, because they know what their index offence is (ie: the offence they committed which led to their present incarceration). However, they often do not know what sin really is – rebellion against God – as compared to breaking the law, which is the sin they got caught for, and was a crime against society. 

CRIME / JUSTICE / PUNISHMENT 

In view of their current situation and previous lifestyle, prisoners generally do not have a biblical view of crime, justice, or punishment. Crime may be, for them, a necessary way of life or a chosen career path. They may have no insight into the effect of crime on victims. Justice may, in their eyes, seem unjust. They may not view the Criminal Justice System as being just - especially when they look at the sentences other people get for crimes which a prisoner considers worse than their own. This affects their understanding of God's justice. When prisoners accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, we often find ourselves explaining that - although they are now right with God – they still have a debt to society, who may never forgive them. This is, naturally, hard to accept. 

PRISONERS ARE INCARCERATED 

When you have a bible study in a church setting, people go home and have time to settle down and process what they have heard. 

In prison, at the end of a session, prisoners are taken back to their cells, where they are either alone or with another prisoner - someone they may or may not like/trust/speak a common language with. They have little to distract them from what they have heard. Be careful to end each of your sessions on a positive or reassuring note. Designs sessions so that, they are not left lying awake and condemning themselves. For example, when looking at what sin is and what a sinner is. Everyone in the room is a sinner. Explain that this is a problem. We are all sinners, and the Bible says that the consequence of sin is death and eternity in hell (somewhere that we have no relationship with God). If the session ended at this point, the risk of self harm, depression, suicide attempt, etc., would be high, and the course would be irresponsible. So you might end by explaining that Jesus came to sort this problem out, and that he is the solution to the problem of sin – he came to rescue sinners. Make sure the group know that, although mankind has a huge problem, God has a huge solution. 

ACADEMIC ISSUES 

Academic issues may include: not completing school education, reading ability, dyslexia and specific learning needs. A high proportion of prisoners have a low reading ability. For example in the UK this is at or below the age of an 11-year-old.

• Focus on short texts that are easy to understand, and to allow the prisoners to figure it out for themselves. 

• Adults learn best by self-discovery, not by being fed information. Leaders do need to help (a lot!), but the prisoners need to find the answers themselves, so that they remember them. It is important that they use the Bible themselves, and that the leaders don't spoon feed. 

• Those who cannot read or write are supported by leaders or by peer mentors (prisoners who have done the course before, have become Christians, and have shown an ability to support other prisoners). No one is asked to read the Bible in front of other people (although spontaneous volunteers are very welcome!) 

• People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have very short concentration spans and difficulty sitting still. Therefore, use multiple short blocks of activity, which change the direction of thought, mode of answering, and position in the room. 

EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY, MENTAL ILLNESS, SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM RISK 

As a group, prisoners are very vulnerable. This may be a consequence of their childhood, it may be simply the way they are wired, or it may be a result of their crime and time spent in prison. 

The most obvious places where we are watching out for emotional and psychological vulnerability are during the “check-in" and "check-out" of each session. At these times the group is brought together in a semi-circle, and everyone is asked to say how they are feeling, and whether they are struggling with anything. 

Ground rules are set by the course participants. These include confidentiality rules, making it clear which things will or won't be kept confidential. The group, therefore, knows that if the leaders are concerned that there is a risk to self or others, the prison staff or chaplains will be informed. 

Around 70% of prisoners have at least one mental illness, and 20% have four mental-health disorders. This means that the majority of your group may have a history of depression, anxiety, personality disorder, or psychosis (hearing voices, seeing things). And most of your group will be taking some form of medication - antidepressants or tranquillisers - which have side-effects, particularly affecting concentration and cognition. The prevalence of mental illness is a significant risk factor for suicide. 

BIBLE PASSAGES THAT CAN BE MISINTERPRETED BY PRISONERS 

As a result of the vulnerabilities discussed above, care needs to be taken with the interpretation of certain passages by some prisoners. The classic example in Mark's Gospel is Mark 9:43: "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell". It is very important that no one leaves the room thinking that self-mutilation is a way to avoid going to hell, since self-harm is so prevalent amongst prisoners. 

Another example, is 1 John 3:15: "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him". Clearly, John is not saying that murderers cannot be saved. He is saying that unrepentant murderers are not saved, which is true for unrepentant sinners of all kinds. But we hope you can see how such passages can be misinterpreted by prisoners, and how such misinterpretation could lead to self-harm/suicide. 

PRISON POPULATION STATISTICS 

The bereavement rate among prisoners is higher than in the background population - and often their primary carers have been grandparents, which means the death of a grandparent can have the effect of the death of a parent. Many prisoners have come from one-parent families, or have themselves created effective one-parent families by their incarceration. All these factors make prisoners emotionally and psychologically vulnerable and may affect their understanding of the Bible, particularly the Fatherhood of God. 

These factors also result in a heightened interest in what comes after death. Prisoners have often recounted to us stories of dead relatives who have come back to visit them, or personal accounts of having died (eg: from drug overdoses) and having an experience of "seeing the light" during resuscitation. All of this leads them to conclude that there is an afterlife, but by this they do not necessarily mean heaven. 

Our approach

• Which Christian person most strongly  influenced your decision to follow Christ? 

• What words describe this person and his or  her attitude towards you? 

Most of  us first considered following Christ because of Christians who told us the good news in a patient,  caring, and sincere way. That means we all have  what it takes to share the gospel. 

So, what will it be like to do our part? 

Read 2 Timothy 1–2

With the joy that comes from seeing the lost  rescued, we also see the sobering reality of the task  ahead. In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul beseeches Timothy to  join him in “suffering” for the gospel. He wrote this  around AD 67, chained and shackled in a Roman  prison and aware that he was going to die soon. Many followers of Christ had deserted Paul  (2 Timothy 1:15), so his appeal to Timothy was  not only to join him in suffering for the gospel, but  also to guard it, protect it, and pass it on. 

Being a volunteer means discipline,  responsibility, and commitment. We need to be  committed in these areas: 

• Committed to the Bible 

• Committed to Christ atonement 

• Committed to prisoners 

• Committed to the prison regime 

• Committed to working with the chaplaincy 

• Committed to prayer 

COMMITTED TO THE BIBLE 

God’s word is where the power is. Whatever his personal circumstances, Paul knew that if the word  was proclaimed, it would do its work. In 2 Timothy  2:15, Paul exhorts Timothy to devote himself to  the study of God’s word: “Do your best to present  yourself to God as one approved, a worker who  does not need to be ashamed and who correctly  handles the word of truth.” In order to correctly  handle the word of truth, you need to be sure of  the authority of Scripture and to be familiar with  Scripture 

COMMITTED TO CHRIST ATONEMENT 

Put simply, Jesus’  death on the cross was in the place of sinners; he  paid the price for sin.  

COMMITTED TO PRISONERS 

Jesus said: “I have not come to call the righteous, but  sinners” (Mark 2:17). This means he did not come  for those people who think they are good enough for God, but those who know they are bad enough to need forgiveness. Jesus pointed out the problem  of the human heart, and he was clear that all sin  makes us unclean and separates us from God (Mark  7:21-23).  

God treats all sin the same. Therefore, no person is  better than any other. We need to treat prisoners  in a completely non-judgemental way, regardless  of their crime, in order to show them Jesus’ love. 

COMMITTED TO PRISON REGIME 

As a volunteer, you must be seen to respect the  prison system and the criminal justice system. Be  on your guard against conversations degenerating  into criticism of individual members of staff or  the prison regime. One way of avoiding such a  situation is to start promptly so that you don’t  give the group an opportunity to start negative  conversations.  

COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH THE CHAPLAINCY 

Many prison chaplaincies are multi-faith chaplaincies  – they represent all faiths and religions. As a faith based volunteer you will be seen as a member of the  chaplaincy team (whether this has been officially  agreed upon or not). Therefore, while maintaining  your own Christian convictions, you are expected  to operate in a multi-faith chaplaincy team without  criticising or undermining the beliefs of people  from another faith.  

Do not facilitate discussions  about, for example, other faiths. 

COMMITTED TO PRAYER 

Prayer is essential. Paul opens his letter to Timothy by saying:  “as night and day I constantly remember you in  my prayers” (2 Timothy 1:3). We, too, need to  be constantly remembering the prisoners and our fellow volunteers in our prayers. 

Where an in prison course is more about growing in knowledge, reassure participants that they won’t be  asked to pray or sing. This is not because we  have a problem with praying or singing, but  because it may make some uncomfortable.

Why share the gospel in prisons? 

Why share the gospel in prisons? 

The Bible gives us a clear command to share the  gospel message with everyone (Matthew 28:18- 20). Jesus used the example of visiting prisoners to  show that Christians should care for the vulnerable  (Matthew 25:36). Prisoners are a vulnerable  group – many have a sense of hopelessness and  depression. Sharing the good news of Jesus with  prisoners begins to give them hope. 

What does the word “gospel” mean? The word “gospel”, from its Greek roots, means  “good news”. 

WHAT IS THIS GOOD NEWS WE MUST  PASS ON? 

• God created us to be in relationship with him,  enjoying his perfect goodness, wisdom, justice,  truth, and beauty – and glorifying him in  everything we do. But we have not been satisfied  with God, and have looked for satisfaction in  other things. In fact, we love these things more  than we love God (Romans 1:25). This rejection  of God is what the Bible calls “sin”.  

• God’s perfect love and justice mean that he  cannot simply ignore sin, because it is neither  loving nor just to do so. Instead, we will be  judged (Hebrews 9:27), and God’s righteous  punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23) and  hell (2 Thessalonians 1:9). 

• However, “God so loved the world that he gave  his one and only Son, that whoever believes in  him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John  3:16). The good news is that on our behalf Jesus  Christ lived the sinless life we are unable to live.  He then died on the cross to deal with the just  condemnation of God for sin. Jesus – God himself  in human form (Colossians 1:19-20) – died as our  substitute (1 Peter 3:18), taking upon himself the  punishment we deserve.  

• God then raised Jesus from the dead. His  resurrection is the conclusive sign that Jesus’  sacrificial death on behalf of mankind has been  accepted by God the Father (Acts 2:32-33).  

• If we “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15), turning  away from sin and putting our trust in Jesus,  we can once again enjoy the uniquely satisfying  relationship with God for which we were  created. Because of what Jesus did on the cross,  we can take his perfect, sinless righteousness as  if it were ours, and he takes our sin as if it were  his (2 Corinthians 5:21).  

• We do not deserve this extraordinary rescue, and  nothing we do can earn it. Even our faith in God  is a gift from him (Ephesians 2:8). All we can do is  joyfully accept what God has done for us. 

And that’s why we must share the Gospel: we  must tell people this amazingly good news while  there is still time. 

Read Luke 15:1-32  

In each of these three parables, something that is  of great value to someone goes missing – a sheep,  a coin, a son. In each case, the lost item represents  the lost “sinner”. 

Each parable illustrates how much the lost matter  to the Father. The shepherd goes after the sheep  until he finds it (v 4); the woman sweeps the  house and searches carefully until she finds the  coin (v 8); the father’s eyes scan the horizon for  his son (v 20). In the same way, God seeks out the  lost, sending his Son to pay the ultimate price on  their behalf. 

Jesus tells us that finding what was lost merits  great celebration. So much so that verses 7 and  10 show us that there is rejoicing in heaven on the  day that any sinner is reunited with God. 

You will never set eyes upon someone who does  not matter to God, who does not warrant an all out search, and for whom the whole of heaven  would not rejoice if he or she were to bow down  and confess Christ as Lord. 

God's role and ours 

When we share the Gospel we  need to distinguish between our part and God’s  part. It’s going to be incredibly frustrating if we try  to do God‘s part – because only the Creator of the  universe is able to do that. 

Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-6  

Answer the following questions from the  verses you’ve just read: 

• What is God’s part in sharing the Good News? 

• Why can’t people see the truth of the gospel? 

• What is our part in sharing the Good News? 

• How should we do our part in sharing the  Good News? 

GOD’S ROLE 

God makes “his light shine in our hearts to give  us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory  displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  In other words, God enables us to recognize that  Jesus is God. God makes it possible – by his Holy  Spirit – for a person to see who Jesus is.  

When Paul is on the Damascus Road, he asks:  “Who are you, Lord?” and is told: “I am Jesus”  (Acts 9:5). That is the moment of his conversion  – when he recognizes for the first time who Jesus  actually is. 

The beginning of 2 Corinthians 4:6 reminds us that  God said: “Let light shine out of darkness”. That  is a reference to the miracle of creation in Genesis  1:3. This same God, who brought light into the  world at creation, now shines light into the hearts  of human beings, enabling them to see that Jesus  is God. In other words, for people to recognize  that Jesus is God, God must perform a miracle. 

People do not become Christians just because we  share the gospel with them. God must shine his  light in people’s hearts so that they recognize and  respond to the truth of the gospel. 

And we know from 2 Corinthians 4:4 that people  can’t see the truth of the gospel because “the god  of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers”. 

Here, Paul reminds us that we are in the middle  of a supernatural battlefield. The reason so many  reject the gospel is that the devil is at work,  preventing people from recognizing who Jesus is. 

The devil blinds people by making them chase after  the things of this world, which are passing away  and which cannot save them. Their concerns are  confined to the here and now: their popularity, their  family, their relationships, their material possessions.  They are blind to anything beyond that. 

As a result, they can only see Jesus as a great moral  teacher, healer, or prophet; his eternal significance  is completely obscured. And, according to verse 4,  Satan is determined to prevent people from seeing  

“the light of the gospel that displays the glory of  Christ, who is the image of God”. Satan does not  want people to recognize who Jesus is. 

OUR ROLE 

The word “preach” can evoke negative images, but  it derives from a word simply meaning “herald”,  someone who relates important announcements  from the king to his kingdom. Our role is to tell  people the gospel and leave the Spirit of God to  convict them of its truth. 

These verses also reveal the attitude we should  adopt as we proclaim the gospel. We are to be like  “servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). The  word translated “servants” literally means “slaves”  in Greek. Paul was determined to present Christ to  others without any hint of self-promotion. 

We must remember that the only difference  between ourselves and an unbeliever is that  God, in his mercy, has opened our blind eyes and  illuminated our hearts by his Holy Spirit. We should  be forever grateful, and so seek to promote Christ,  not ourselves.  

We must keep proclaiming Christ as Lord, and  remembering that only a miracle from God can  open blind eyes, we must keep praying that God  will shine his light in the hearts of unbelievers. 

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 also helps us to carry out our  role in the right way: “we do not use deception,  nor do we distort the word of God ... by setting  forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to  everyone’s conscience in the sight of God ... For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ  as Lord.” 

When we tell people about Christ, we should  demonstrate the following qualities: 

Integrity – “we do not use deception”. We  are straight with people; we are genuine and  sincere, and we never use any kind of emotional  manipulation. 

Fidelity – we do not “distort the word of God”.  We have to tell people the tough parts. If, for  example, we don’t tell people about sin, about  hell, and about the necessity of repentance, then  we are distorting God’s word. Sharing these hard  truths means trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit  to draw people to Christ, however “difficult” the  message. 

Humility – “what we preach is not ourselves, but  Jesus Christ as Lord”. We must draw people to  Jesus, not to ourselves. We must remember that  some people are very impressionable, and that we  want them to make a decision to follow Christ  because they are convinced by the truth, and are  being led by the Holy Spirit, rather than being  manipulated by their admiration of the Course  Leader. 

As we use The Course to spread the gospel, we  must remember that it is up to God whether  somebody becomes a Christian or not. Only he  can open blind eyes, so we must trust him for the  results. God will do his part, and we must do ours. 

Leading a small group 

As Christians, we are entrusted with the gospel and our Christian qualities. Whether our program is directly Bible based or another from of spreading Gods love, we must present ourselves clearly. We’re not  presenting our own personal agendas, and we’re  not seeking to pressure anyone into becoming a  Christian. We want participants to be able  to make informed decisions.  

"For the appeal we make does not spring from  error or impure motives, nor are we trying to  trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those  approved by God to be entrusted with the  gospel" (1Thessalonians 2:3–4). 

Advice for small-group leaders: 

• Leaders should try to avoid speaking  immediately after each other. 

• Be gracious and courteous, and act as  peacemaker if the discussion gets heated.  Avoid an angry discussion at all costs as this  will rapidly escalate. You may have to end the  session if the discussion gets heated and you  can’t bring it back under control. 

• If a question is met with silence, don’t be too  quick to say something. Allow people time to  think. You may find rephrasing the question  will help. 

• It may be appropriate in certain circumstances  to address a question directly to an individual in  order to encourage discussion. Only do this if  you’re sure they can handle it. We suggest that  you don’t do this at all in the first few sessions. 

• Don’t forget how important the tone of your  voice and your body language can be as you  lead the discussion. 

• Lead honestly. You won’t be able to deal with  all the questions thrown your way,  so don’t pretend to have all the answers. If you know that a  question will be addressed later, then tell them  that it will be covered in a later session. If you don’t  know the answer to a question, say so – but  try to have an answer ready for the following  week. 

Use different learning styles to help different  people: 

• Semi-circle – whole group together, asked to  talk back or shout out 

• Poster making – twos or threes, working  together to make a list 

• Self-directed learning – twos or threes,  working together to answer questions, with leaders supervising from a  distance 

• Bible study – small groups with a leader co ordinating a Bible study. During the Bible studies, you may get responses  that approach the answer to a question, but are  not quite complete. Try to guide your group from  these initial answers to a better, more biblical  answer. 

SPECIFIC ISSUES 

When working with groups in prisons, you will  meet the following issues. You need to think about how you will handle  these situations before you find yourself in the  middle of them!  

What would you do in the following  situations?  

• Bad behaviour in one individual 

• Bad behaviour that infects half the group 

• One prisoner has a short attention span and  is getting up and down, fidgeting and giving  silly answers. A second prisoner gets so  annoyed that he loses his temper and you can  see he is near to hitting the first prisoner.  

• Three of your group of eight are completely  illiterate. 

• One of your group has a short attention  span and is also an attention seeker. He lacks  concentration and constantly distracts from  the main point. You know he is self-harming  and compulsively washing his hands. 

• One of the prisoners keeps asking questions  that are unrelated to the course. 

• Only half of your group  turns up, and the prisoners tell you the rest  of the group are still in the prison but haven’t  been unlocked today. The prison official  doesn’t have time to go back to the common  prison area. 

• You are discussing the the cost of following  Jesus. One of the group says you  are being ridiculous when you say that God  must come at the top of your priority list. He  gives you verbal abuse and walks out of the  room.

Why do people ask questions?

Because I want to test you. 

The precise question they ask may not be of particular concern to them. It could just be that they have heard it expressed by others, or know that it is a tricky question. What they are more interested in is how you handle it. By not being rattled, and by taking the question seriously and demonstrating that you have given it some thought, you are answering "the question behind the question", which is: "Are these people trustworthy?" Always take questions seriously. 

Because I genuinely don't understand. 

Some will want to ask what you might consider to be really basic questions: "Who was Jesus?", "When did all this happen?", "What is prayer?", etc. Again, treat them seriously, and make sure the rest of the group do not look down on those with less knowledge than they have. 

Because I have had a distressing personal experience. 

There is a world of difference between someone asking: "Why does God allow suffering?" as an academic question, and someone who asks the same question having watched a close relative die of cancer recently. The way you answer the two may be completely different. And of course, you will not know if others listening in to your answer are carrying a burden of disappointment or personal pain. Always answer compassionately. 

Because I have been let down. 

The way a question is phrased may be the key to getting an insight here. So instead of "What is prayer?", asking "Why does God answer some prayers and not others?" may indicate that the questioner has some specific disappointment in mind. Similarly, a question about Christians being hypocrites may relate to some bitter personal experience of a Christian or a church in the past. Always answer honestly. 

Because I want to be sure it all makes sense. 

The interest in a particular question may not be because it is a problem, but rather that they are seeking a sense that the Christian faith as a whole sticks together coherently. So answering in a way that connects the question with the big picture of the Bible's message is important. Answer from the Bible, not just from sensible reasons or philosophy. 

HOW DO I ANSWER? 

The following gives you some suggested approaches to answering the substance of the difficult questions that people ask. But, as we have suggested above, it is equally important that we answer in the right way. 

1 Peter 3:15 says: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 

5 considerations about giving answers: 

The person who answers the questions needs to be someone who is personally committed to Christ. 

This is important, because the answer to their unspoken questions is not your arguments or knowledge – it is your life. Many of their most important questions will remain unarticulated, like: "Is this relevant to me?", "What does this look like in a real person?" and "Can I live as a Christian?" All these questions are answered by the way you live and model being a disciple and follower of Jesus. Are you displaying the joy, peace, love, and contentment in life that comes from knowing Christ as Lord? If you come to The Course feeling resentful, angry, and doubtful in your own standing with God, then you cannot hope to influence your group members for the gospel. They may hear convincing arguments from your mouth, but your life will speak much more loudly. 

You must be ready to answer. 

Take time to think through your answers. You should be as sure in your answer as the Bible is – no less, no more! For example, on the questions of the origin of evil, or the reason for suffering, we do not have final and complete answers from the Bible, and therefore, we must be careful in what we say and acknowledge our difficulty with these issues, rather than insisting that we have it all sewn up. 

You must have a reasonable answer. 

In other words, saying: "Just have faith in the Bible" is not enough. Even if we cannot prove it with complete certainty, we have to show the reasonableness of our faith. 

You must answer gently and respectfully. 

Even when people are hostile, we must model kindness, love, and fairness in our attitudes, thinking, and speaking. 

And finally... 

Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know the answer to a question. But do promise to try and find out. 

Planning your session 

If you are using materials prepared by others, then figure out how long is required to cover the session:  

• If you have more time, go slowly but don’t  get diverted off the topic. 

• If you have less time, then decide what to leave out. 

PREPARING FOR THE SESSION 

Have you:

• Made it clear to  people the time  and place where  you will meet, and  how to get there? 

• Prepared materials that you need during the session in  advance – there will not be time once you get into prison. 

• Thought through  your answers  to each of the  questions? 

• Prayed for each  group member  and yourself as the  leader? 

Do you have:

• Enough materials for each course  participant?

• Flip-chart with  paper and at least enough marker pens? 

• Name labels, ballpoint pens, either Post-it  notes or sticky  labels? 

• Videos if needed? 

WHERE SHOULD YOU MEET?  

You may not have much choice! Explain that  the room you use needs to be quiet, not a  thoroughfare for other prisoners, and it must be  able to accommodate your group, allowing for  activities that involve the group splitting up and  moving around. You also need to have access to  equipment to show videos and, ideally, coffee and  tea facilities. 

SETTING UP YOUR VENUE  

You will need a semi-circle of chairs with a flip chart at the front, and a video screen visible to all,  with good audio. It helps to have a small table in  the middle for putting pens, stickers, and papers  on. You need enough space for people to be able  to move around and work on the floor in small  groups. 

We suggest that you do not let prisoners use  comfy chairs (unless the whole group can do so)  or sit on the floor (except when they are working  on the floor in small groups), as the atmosphere  can easily become unhelpfully complacent. We’ve  learned that one the hard way! 

Make sure that your leaders know where all the  exits are, where the alarm bells are situated, and  where the nearest telephone and member of staff  are. Don’t push yourself into a corner: if someone  has to sit in the corner of a room, make sure it’s  a prisoner and not a leader. Don’t put yourselves  into situations that you can’t quickly get out of.  For this reason, don’t make a complete circle of  chairs – keep the front open for the flip-chart and  for access. 

Welcome and introductions (First session)   

AIM 

To introduce everybody to everyone else. 

HOW TO RUN THIS 

5 minutes 

Use the flip-chart. Give everyone, including the leaders, a name  label when they come into the room, and also write everyone’s  name on the first flip-chart sheet – leaders in one area and group  members in another. This sheet will be useful to you to help you  remember names and to make the group feel welcome.  

Then briefly explain the following points: 

• Reassure the group that there will be no expectation that  they will become Christians on this course – the aim of the  course is to give them the information that they need to make  up their own mind as they explore Christianity.  

• Tell them how long the course will be and when the  sessions are. 

• Reassure the group that there will be no praying or  singing on this course. (Note: This is not because we disagree  with praying/singing (!) but because it can make some people  feel uncomfortable. Other groups in the prison may be happy  to pray or sing, but this is not the purpose of The Course.) 

A Course Leader for this session briefly introduces himself, and  then passes a question around the group, such as: “What is  your name and do you have any Christian background?” This will introduce the group to each other, and give the leaders  some idea of where each person is coming from.  

A Note: This exercise will swallow time if you don’t keep the  responses short. 

Check-in (For subsequent sessions) 

AIM 

To welcome everyone back, make sure they are all  OK, and check that no significant issues have arisen  since the last session. 

HOW TO RUN THIS 

5 minutes 

Go around the circle and ask: “How are you, and how are you  feeling about taking part in this session?” 

A Note: This exercise will swallow time if you don’t keep the  responses short. 

Ground rules (First session)

AIM

Setting ground rules gives clear boundaries & expectations to the group & gives leaders & group members authority to bring the group back to order if the need arises. Boundaries are very important in the prison context

TIMING

• For the first time, this takes about 7 minutes

• Thereafter about 2 minutes to reinforce what was agreed upon and introduce newcomers to the ground rules

HOW TO RUN THIS

Brainstorm, using the flip-chart. Ask the group whether they know what the ground rules are. If not, explain they are boundaries that help us work well together as a group.

Ask the group to provide the ground rules. This is not an exercise for the leader to enforce discipline, but for the group to decide how they want the course to be managed. They will proved rules such as "one voice at a time", "no laughing at each other", "respect" etc.

The leader needs to make sure, however that certain rules are included. These are:

• Confidentiality - all parties will keep information that they hear confidential. (It is fine to talk about what we have learned about the Bible on the common prison area, but not about what we've learned about each other). However, if leaders become privy to information (revealed or suspected) that a prisoner is a danger to himself or to others, then the leaders are obliged to pass this information on to the prison officials for further action

• Security - if prisoners reveal details of past crimes for which they have not been convicted, or planned future crime, the Leader may have a legal obligation to inform security. (This may vary from country to country). Prisoners need to know and agree to these two rules, or withdraw from the course.

• Everybody (including the leader) initial the sheet. You may want to put this sheet on the wall before each session so that everybody can see it during the time

Review the ground rules (For subsequent sessions)  

A Note: Only do this if there are newcomers  to the group or if you had particular problems  with keeping the ground rules in Session 1. 

AIM 

2 minutes 

To reinforce what was agreed upon, and introduce newcomers  to the ground rules. 

HOW TO RUN THIS 

The leader reads quickly through the ground rules sheet  again. Make sure that newcomers are happy with all the rules,  and then ask them to sign their name on the sheet too. 

Check out 

AIM 

To make sure everyone is OK before they leave,  and get some feedback on how they feel the course  is going. 

HOW TO RUN THIS 

5 minutes 

Course Leader asks:  “How did you find the course and are you feeling safe to  go back to your cell?” Make sure you have allowed time for  everyone to give an answer. 

A If anyone expresses concern about their safety going back  to their cell, you must contact the prison officials and  inform them of that prisoner’s concerns. 

Encourage the group to come back to the next session, and  make sure they know where it will be and at what time. 

Debrief the leaders

AIM 

To make sure your leaders are OK. To see what  could be done better next time. 

HOW TO RUN THIS 

This section must not happen until AFTER the prisoners  have left. All the leaders need to be present and engage in  this exercise.  

Course Leader asks: 

How did you find this session? 

Are there any prisoners you have particular concerns  about? 

Would you do anything differently next time? (Write any  suggestions down so that you can use them next time