Help Bring the Truth of God’s Word to Inmates
4 Min Read
On May 21, we exceeded our Truth for Inmates campaign goal. Your generosity will send Bible teaching resources like Tabletalk magazine and the Reformation Study Bible to thousands of inmates across the United States over the next year. Thank you.
Like you, Ligonier Ministries has a passion to get the truth of God’s Word to men and women that others might overlook. And few people are as overlooked as those incarcerated.
Outside prison walls, we have easy access to more trustworthy resources for Christian growth than we know what to do with. But that’s not the case for inmates. Prison libraries are filled with religious material—from false religions, that is. There’s no shortage of books and pamphlets from the self-help movement, Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many other Christ-denying religions.
The same can’t be said for resources centered on the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Kevin, an inmate in Florida, described the situation at his prison:
“Here at this facility, there are three chapel libraries. If you are a Muslim or a Jehovah’s Witness, there are enough resources to keep you busy for a long time. However, there are hardly any resources on Reformed theology. I and several others love and hunger for studying God’s Word but are highly limited on material.”
My friends, this should not be. And Ligonier wants to help.
Presently, more than two million men and women are incarcerated in the United States. Many of them are coming to the end of themselves as they reflect on what they’ve done, and they’re looking for a savior. If we don’t fill prisons with gospel-proclaiming resources, how will they hear about the only Savior who can reconcile them to God?
That’s why Ligonier launched the Truth for Inmates campaign to raise funds to supply theologically sound resources to inmates and the chaplains who minister to them across the country. Ligonier seeks to send resources to as many prisoners as possible in order to help them grow in Christ—even behind bars.
The need is urgent, and the demand is great. A chaplain in Missouri wrote to us:
“We have received a number of Bibles, audio programs, and teaching series by Dr. R.C. Sproul. We are very appreciative of your gift of these materials. They have only been in circulation here for a short time but have received a considerable amount of interest and are in steady demand. Many men have been blessed by the teachings your ministry has provided.”
Every day, we receive dozens of letters like this one. Prisoners and chaplains are asking for help, but there are many more of them than our current funding can serve. Without your support, many will struggle to access the resources they need to grow. But with your help, gospel ministry can flourish inside these facilities.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that a generous Ligonier supporter has pledged a special matching gift to help fund the Truth for Inmates campaign. Every dollar you give to this vital outreach will be matched up to $20,000, allowing us to raise $40,000 total. Will you help reach this goal?
- Your $12 gift matched dollar for dollar sends a Tabletalk subscription to two inmates.
- Your $25 gift matched dollar for dollar sends a Tabletalk subscription and Reformation Study Bible to two inmates.
- Your $50 gift matched dollar for dollar sends a Tabletalk subscription, Reformation Study Bible, The Holiness of God book, and several Crucial Questions booklets such as How Can I Be Right with God? and What Is Repentance? to two inmates.
Think of the impact your donation will have as these inmates study the truth of God’s Word and, by His grace, see their minds renewed and lives transformed. Indeed, this is the only truth that will set them free.
These resources are reaching prisoners in some of the darkest places. One such prisoner, Lowell, was spending a decade in solitary confinement when the Lord transformed his life. He resolved to spend the rest of his sentence growing in the knowledge of God’s Word. That’s when he discovered R.C. Sproul’s teaching. Watch as he tells his story and shares how God used Ligonier’s resources to edify him.
Tina, an inmate in Florida, shared what receiving a study Bible would mean to her:
“I am in prison and am trying to grow closer to God and have a relationship with Him. Can you please send me one of your study Bibles? I’m a woman who wants to change her life and start living the way God wants me to. Please help me on my journey.”
You can help Tina and many others when you donate this month. Please consider supporting this outreach, and invite your friends and family to join you by using the hashtag #truth4inmates on social media. Together, we can fulfill the admonition to “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them” (Heb. 13:3). Thank you.