Lillian and I got involved at New Life Prison Ministry in the first year of our marriage, when it was still called: "New Life Film Ministry" (circa 1984). I still find myself slipping up sometimes and calling it that. In those early years (and still now I hope) we were hungry to be useful to God and share His message with others but we knew we needed to find others who could teach us about how to serve Him. We met people like that at New Life. Through their example, they taught us about simplicity in ministry, about generosity and grace, and about plugging on, even when things get tough. We learned too about faith and being dependant on God not just for daily guidance but also for His provision for each and every one of our needs. We were also impressed by the committment to excellence, coming to understand that God is worthy of the best we can offer. Those are lessons we need to be reminded of on a daily basis even now, but they were learned in those early years.
New Life Prison Ministry had a very humble beginning and has grown because of its commitment to prayer. Its influence is now felt in institutions across Canada through the presence of its Bible correspondence courses. At a recent board meeting we came to understand that there are over 500 active Bible students across Canada completing almost 1,000 studies a month! God has done and is doing a great work, bringing life and hope to very dark corners of our country- its prisons. You can watch a short video of the story of New Life's history and growth on the Ministry's website here: www.nlpm.com (under construction but full of helpful info)
New Life continues to evolve, as it must, to reflect the changing realities in Canadian prisons and society. In 1325 AD, when writing The Cantebury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer borrowed an even more ancient phrase and included it in The Clerk's Tale. It goes like this: "Time and tide wait for no man". How true this is. At New Life we are feeling it this month as our long time directors step down from their leadership responsibilities and we embark on uncharted waters, with long-time prison chaplain Rosemary Redshaw as our new Adminstrative Director.
Please pray: a) that NLPM will continue to honour God as we serve Him
b) for guidance in future decisions
c) for God's continued provison for all the needs of the ministry- new projects require new funds, new staff and new volunteers.
d) for fruitfulness as Bible studies go into the prisons and as our students are released from prison to start a new life as Christ-followers.
