Diocese of Winchester

Sunday 6th December, four Mothers’ Union members (including one new gentleman) attended service in the West Hill Chapel of HMP Winchester, as they normally do on the first Sunday of each month. It was a lovely service for a few men who really are committed to the faith they have found with God – time out to be in this chapel makes them stand out from others. Your web-editor was the preacher this month, so to give you a slightly bigger picture of what went on and some sketches of the men’s situations, there’s more here on her own blog: Preparing the way – positives and negatives in prison

Jade, the Church Army Community Chaplain at HMP Winchester has also given us her prayer letter for December (having missed writting one in November because of the dreaded swine-flu).

Jade has recently spoken at Holy Trinity, Brompton speaking about the real help that men and women leaving prison get – which is not very much. She is sad that many return to prison through circumstances that include lack of funds and housing difficulties. With her was ex-offender Dan T, now living in a shared flat with his brother (a home of his own for the first time) made possible by funding through people’s voluntary care for ex-offenders.

The restorative justice scheme that Jade co-ordinates recently completed another SORI course, where 10 men spoke from their hearts at the presentation day before being given their certificates by the Mayor of Winchester, who is a great supporter of the scheme and of the Church Army funding that enables Jade to be in the chaplaincy to run it. Those visiting for the presentation were also enthusiastic about sharing what they had seen and heard with others ‘outside’ who are more negative about prisoners.

You are invited to pray in the coming weeks for

• the 9th SORI course due to take place in January and for the men who want to take part;
• the Governor and the decisions he has to take every day;
• the Transformed meetings for ex-offenders on the last Saturday in each month in Southampton;
• for all those in prison, inmates, warders and chaplaincy staff, this Christmas.