Share the gospel as a pen pal

Do you find it intimidating to share your faith with a stranger? How about with a convicted felon? Jesus tells us to share our faith and minister to those in prison. I have the privilege of doing this by being a pen pal with men who are incarcerated. As a pen pal, I have discovered many things about my faith and about myself. The experience has changed my ideas about the nature of grace, forgiveness, and the gospel.

I was nervous. These are the bad guys, right? I knew that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but certainly these guys had fallen a little further than I. Shame on me. The experience of being a pen pal has made it clear that people are not that different from one another. We are all sinners in need of a forgiving and merciful God.

I may not see the fruits of my labors on this side of heaven. I have not handled every situation well. And, on occasion, I have disclosed too much. Christ does not command that we witness perfectly, just that we do it. And, thankfully, we have the promise of the Holy Spirit’s help. I assure you that this is the case. Jesus looked beyond a person’s sin to see someone in need of the Gospel’s saving message. As a pen pal, I have learned that the limits of God’s grace and forgiveness are much broader than I could imagine. Looking beyond someone’s particular crimes and seeing the person loved by God has made grace and forgiveness more tangible and meaningful for me.

Consider becoming a pen pal. It is safe and anonymous. You will be giving much needed encouragement as you share the Gospel of Christ. The experience will change you. You will gain much more than you give. Contact WELS Prison Ministry (welspm@newulmtel.net) for more information on how to become a pen pal.