New Prison Outreach Ministry for Assyrian Church
"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)
of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40)
The above verse is from a passage in the Bible whereby our Lord Christ poignantly emphasised the quality that separates his followers from others - compassionate acts towards those who are isolated and in need. By the grace of our Lord, the Assyrian Church of the East (Diocese of Australia and New Zealand) has embarked on a new ministry to provide support for Assyrians in correctional services. Entitled ‘Prison Outreach Service’, the new ministry will maintain ongoing contact with Assyrian inmates and assist their families.
In late 2006, members of the Ss Peter Paul Parish made contact with Prison Fellowship Australia to help our Church set up a service catering specifically for Assyrians. Prison Fellowship Australia has a long history of Prison ministry and also provides training for volunteers on the protocols and method of prison ministry work. Project Manager, Steven Essa said “Our priests are able to visit prisoners any time they want, however, this service puts a formal structure to the process and taps into the wider human resource of the church.”
 Rev. Genard Lazar and three other members of Ss Peter and Paul parish have already completed training, becoming accredited to enter correctional facilities in New South Wales and engage with inmates. Rev. Genard commented, “This service extends the work of our dioceses to an isolated group within our community,” and adds, “it is important to bring hope to an inmate, to let them know that they are not alone, people are praying for them and they have a place in our church and community.”
Through regular contact, it is hoped that an inmate can be encouraged to examine their relationship with Christ and their community. This is an important part of rehabilitation – understanding the hurt past behaviour has caused and setting new personal goals that will help transform their lives. The type of support provided is hoped to reduce the chances of re-offending once they have served their sentence. Apart from providing regular visits, the service will have volunteers to write letters to inmates and be able to support their families by making referral to specialised services (such as counselling).
The service has already received several inquiries and new volunteers, made up of church parishioners, will be trained in the coming months to cater for the growing need. The service is reliant upon inmates requesting visits through the on-site prison chaplain. Families can also contact their parish priest and make a referral.
The Church and those pioneering this important ministry pray that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ assists and guides the mission to reach out to those who have had difficult lives and to work with them to ensure a brighter future.
For further information contact Rev. Genard Lazar on
0403 215 553 or E-Mail: revglazar@assyrianchurch.com.au
| 