CR GOES TO PRISON
by Laurel Cleary

"Hey, you going to CR?"

This is the call from one offender at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) to another, overheard by Chapel Hill counselors Lori White and Lance Brown as they walked across the yard during one of their recent visits. It shows just how excited the women are to have Celebrate Recovery at the prison. And it’s a stunning example of God at work.

Ninety-five per cent of the offenders at WCCW are incarcerated for drug and alcohol abuse. It’s prime territory for a program like Celebrate Recovery. Lori and Lance’s wife Susan prayed for years for a chance to introduce it there.

"We knew God would bring it about in His time," says Lori. "But when the prison contacted us and asked us to come, we were blown away. That kind of thing is unheard of!"

Lance and Lori now visit the prison twice a month. The inmates need to get permission from the prison chaplain to come, and about 60 have done so. Actual attendance is around sixteen. That’s a comfortable level at which to get the program established.

"The worship time is awesome," says Lori. "They need to worship. Their hearts are into that. They are so grateful for it, so gracious."

The biggest problem to overcome is gaining trust. "It has to be real to them," says Lance. "We have to get them to the place where they open their hearts to the possibility that it is real. If they don’t realize God’s power, they’ll never get it."

They’re beginning to get it. One woman, a three strikes offender, may be released in the near future. She is eager once she does to become a facilitator in a CR program outside prison walls. That is a good possibility since CR is a national program that sponsors former inmates.

"God never wastes a hurt," says Lori. "These are beautiful women who just got stuck. When we present to them, we want them to listen to what we describe and be able to say, ‘Yeah, I’ve been there. What you’re saying makes sense.’ That’s when God can get into their hearts and turn them from victims into victors. Then they can begin to give back to others."

WORSHIP BEHIND BARS
by Jason Lillie

I was invited to lead worship at the Celebrate Recovery meeting at the women’s prison in Purdy. I was a bit uncomfortable about the idea at first but remembered that God calls each of us to step outside of our comfort zone, all the while assuring us that he’ll be there too.

It was a beautiful day as I entered the facility. The check-in process was interesting. I had to remove shoes, belt, etc., and take any unnecessary items out of my guitar case. After walking through a series of metal detectors and security gates and strolling along the well patrolled grounds among gray cement buildings, we reached the chapel. I believe it was the only painted structure on the campus, a little white church nestled in the midst of the prison grounds. Although I know full well that this too was a patrolled building, the sense of anxiety lowered almost instantly as I walked through the doors.

The meeting was attended by about fifteen inmates eager to spend time together worshipping, healing, and learning about God’s plan for their lives. We began with a couple of songs and I immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as he took over. The voices filled the room and the sound of their singing was beautiful. I’ve never heard a group so small sound so big!

I often have the opportunity to lead worship at Chapel Hill. The contrast between what we do here and what took place there was of course pretty great from a production standpoint. That was to be expected. But it doesn’t matter where you go, God is the same. The sound of worshipping sinners in the presence of the Holy Spirit is awesome inside the walls of a prison just as it is inside the walls of a filled sanctuary; maybe even more.

We sang a couple more songs and I smiled as I heard a voice whisper to a neighbor in excitement "Oh, I love this song!" How incredibly great it was to see how hungry these prisoners were to experience the power of gathering in worship. They didn’t have to be there. It was one of the first sunny days after a long and wet winter and yet they chose to come.

I was humbled to be used by God in this way and it was an experience I won’t soon forget.