Chaplaincy Support
Prison Fellowship’s chaplaincy work has a huge potential for changing lives, but of all the work that our volunteers do, it is perhaps the hardest to explain! Chaplaincy Support looks different in every prison, and volunteers fill many different roles.
Stephen Hawkins, PF’s Operations Manager, says, “We see our role as blessing Chaplaincy with the help and volunteers they need, using the gifts our volunteers have to support not just PF’s programs, but all the vital services that Chaplains offer.”
Prison Chaplaincies are a multi-faith team inside the prison that care for the spiritual and emotional well-being of prisoners, and help with some aspects of prisoner rehabilitation. Prisoners often have limited opportunities to spend time outside their cells in meaningful activities, so the services that Chaplaincy offer can be a lifeline.
There is a wealth of research that indicates that involvement in religious practices, such as services and Bible studies, positively impacts how prisoners perceive themselves, and how they interact with their surroundings. PF volunteers in Chaplaincy get to see this impact first hand.
Led by the individual chaplains themselves, PF Volunteers assist chaplaincies in a wide variety of ways. Examples include assisting with services and small groups that happen in the Chaplaincy, providing practical support and visiting prisoners.
