“As we walk with them through liturgy, lectionary, and Bible study, we see changes. Knowledge accrues. Faith rises. Humility deepens. Christian community bonds form.” – Rev. Russell Helbig
Three years ago this month, Rev. Russell Helbig, chaplain of AUSP Thomson, and Debbie Heusinkveld and George Nunziato, members of St. Peter’s, Morrison, began a Bible study at the maximum security federal penitentiary and adjacent minimum security camp in Thomson, Illinois.
Rev. Helbig has served in prison ministry for fifteen years. He has experienced the highs and lows, many moments of celebration and numerous occasions with great brokenness. Through it all, he emphatically says, “there is tenderness and decency behind the fence. You just need to know where to look for it.”
Knowing every institution has its own culture, just like every church has its own culture, the team from St. Peter’s, Morrison wanted to create a culture of peace and love in their Bible study. The founding members and the team have done just that. Inmates have said the word around facilities is that it is hard to find a Bible study and Sunday worship quite like the ones at AUSP Thomson.
Men who were once upset by long prison sentences have come to know Christ through Bible study and worship, turning their lives around. They have said they’ve been almost sorry to leave to Thomson, because that means leaving this Bible study. In the three years since its creation, the men of the Bible study have become lights on the compound, witnessing to inmates as well as staff 24/7 through the ways in which they live.
When inmates come to Bible study or worship, they see their chaplain, George, and Debbie: three Christians who are happy and bantering with one another. There is rapport, prayer, and friendship. They know they care for them, and that makes all the difference.
Debbie Heusinkveld and George Nunziato, volunteers from St. Peter’s, Morrison, humbly emphasize that they “get more than [they] give.” Adding “each week we walk away more blessed.” They would encourage others to get their foot in the door and take advantage of this opportunity by simply attending a Bible study or worship service at a penitentiary. They say, “if you can integrate and evangelize [at a penitentiary], you can talk to anyone. Go be a witness. You learn a lot in person.”
A Volunteer’s Perspective: Debbie Heusinkveld
When I was asked to be a part of the Thomson prison ministry for St. Peter’s, Morrison, my first response was, “Why me? What do I have to offer?” Then, I was reminded of a hymn that is close to my heart, Hark the Voice of Jesus Calling. The last stanza says, “let none hear you idly saying, there is nothing I can do. While the souls of men are dying and the Master calls for you. Take the task He gives you gladly, let His work your pleasure be. Answer quickly when He calleth, Here am I, send me, send me.” So, I went.
I found men who, for the most part, if you would meet on the street you would never give a second thought to. We hear the regret, the ‘what if’s.’
Some of the men have their own well-worn Bibles with them. They have an amazing knowledge and depth of understanding of God’s Word. Others were raised in church and for whatever reasons fell away and made poor choices. One inmate told us he wonders where he would be today if he hadn’t fallen away from the church. Then, he added that if he hadn’t ended up in prison, he would probably be dead.
Still more are new to faith, but they see what believers have and want the same. Some ask what you and I might consider child-like questions. They are laying the foundation for their faith. You can see they are taking it all in and thinking.
I have found that something as simple as a handshake is valuable to them. One inmate who always shakes our hands when he enters or leaves class told us it is nice to shake the hand of someone not involved in a prison setting. The same is true when people attend the on-site worship service on Sunday evenings. It’s so meaningful to them to think that someone from “the outside” would come and take the time to worship with them.
When I come to AUSP Thomson, I know I am in a maximum security federal prison and these men aren’t there for stealing candy or speeding. I don’t know nor do I want to know why they are there. I go in knowing I’m not there to judge, but to share God’s word. We talk a lot about the darkness and its association with Satan. Inmates recall that “nothing good happens after dark.” They realize we need to bring things from the darkness into the light to break Satan’s grip on them and allow them to walk in God’s marvelous light.
Sometimes George, Chaplain Helbig and I will share stories with the men that will spark memories from happier days. Unfortunately, with the joy comes sadness. They struggle with being away from their families. We talk about how hard it is to be a father incarcerated in a federal prison. Phone conversations are limited and visits can be few. When we were studying the book of James, one inmate compared his wife and children to the widow and fatherless and was thankful that people from their church looked out for his family. He shared that when he is released, he wants to give back to a family in his community the way fellow church members did for him.
As campers, these inmates are working their way out of the prison system. They share the fears they have of being released. Some of them have been in facilities for 20 years or more. When they return, children will be older and wives will have assumed the role of head of house, not by choice. Jobs will be hard to find. Some will go back to the same town, same situations that caused them to be incarcerated. They know the temptations will be great. They are very much aware life will be difficult and are in need of our prayers.
I ask you to pray for the inmates and staff. I also ask your prayers for our team – George, Chaplain Helbig, and myself – that we can be good witnesses and that God will show us what these men need to hear and continue to bless our ministry.
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