International (MNN) — Movies depicting men with large biceps, tough faces and hard attitudes are many times our point of reference for the realities of prison. But thanks to a number of prison ministries and faithful Christ-followers, prison can also be the place where many men find new life.
Of course, prisoners do face some very difficult issues. Few people know much about the prison system, though, if they don't know someone in it. Even if they do, they may be unsure of how to help.
Crossroad Bible Institute, a prison ministry which provides Bible study lessons for inmates, has created a radio program to bring some light to the subject.
"The program is a weekly, 15-fifteen minute program called ‘Crossroad Connection,'" says David Schuringa, president of CBI and host of the new program. "It seeks to be a voice for restorative justice. [It's] a program that seeks to educate the church and the general public on issues of concern with respect to the criminal justice system and matters of social justice."
Crossroad Connection has a variety of formatsand on any given week may include interviews with authorities on the criminal justice system, letters from prison, and news segments on criminal justice worldwide.
The purpose of the show is three-fold.
"We definitely want to use the program to attract people who, number one, may know somebody in prison and we can get enrollment forms to them and help them to minister to them. Number two, people who'd like to become Crossroad instructors to correct the Bible study lessons. And number three, people who just want to stay informed about what's going on and what the church is doing with people behind bars."
Schuringa says Crossroad Connection itself does not have an explicit evangelistic function, but as people listen and respond by getting involved with prison ministry, more and more men and women stuck behind bars will be introduced to the Gospel.
So far, the program airs on 60 stations throughout four continents, but Schuringa says he would love to see the program expand. You can check CBI's Web site to see if Crossroad Connection is on a station near you. If not, listen to it at cbi.fm, and appeal to your local radio station to put the program on the air.
