I attend a large affluent church in an affluent or rich neighborhood. Most all of the people who are members drive nice cars, have nice jobs or own their own businesses. The real givers in that group support a very hefty budget and continuing building program. There are countless programs to attract more members of the same category and many programs to attract the not so fortunate. The fortunate support in many ways the not-so-fortunate. It has worked well for the thirty-five years I have been a member.
We have large numbers of kids who go on beach retreats and camps that are subsidized as well as single parents and the elderly in many ways. Much good is done by the body for the body and to the body of believers by other members of the body and that is the synergism that is in place that works. Not only in my church, but probably in most others around the country.
The key ingredient in this picture is the preacher who can speak the language of the educated (and mine does that very well) while covering those with prose who are not so well educated. He is adept at that as well.
My mission ground is where the less affluent are locked up. They are the 2,000,000 who are in US prisons at any time. They are not well educated, not affluent or rich, and have little hope for the future. They are, however, the best prospects for conversion to Christianity in the country today. They are the men and women who are almost without hope, without money, without family support for the most part, and without a future. It will be very difficult for them to find work when they are released (within two years). These are the men and women Jesus would have picked to minister to and did in sermons and conversations with all He came in contact.
I remind myself regularly that God has given us the names and addresses where two million mostly lost souls reside for periods of time. He has provided the location and all we have to do is go and give, speak or show them the Word of God. Some will, some won’t, but the Spirit of God takes over and so far has determined at least one in three of those behind bars is ready to come to Jesus. That is as opposed to one in two hundred in my neighborhood. We get much more bang for the buck distributing our book How to be a Child of God to incarcerated men and women than any method I know. It ends up costing about $5.41 to harvest a soul for Christ. They truly are the least, last, and lost.
Read it yourself and watch the video. Buy a few and take them to your local jail. Get into prison ministry. Get into evangelism. Win some souls for Christ.
David Howell Prison Evangelism, Inc.
PO Box 571977
Houston, Texas 77257
713-623-0690
www.prisonevangelism.com