The Free Churches Group, with other partners, pioneered the beginnings of the The Welcome Directory which was set up as an independent charity in 2016. The Welcome Directory has a simple yet powerful vision: to help faith communities become places where people who leave prison find acceptance; a place to belong that not only nurtures faith, but also offers appropriate practical support. The Welcome Directory works with faith communities to address the barriers facing those leaving prison and to help prison leavers with faith to identify welcoming faith communities to support beyond the gates. We want to help communities like yours to welcome prison leavers, the way Christ has welcomed you!
Since it was established as a charity 5 years ago, we are delighted to report The Welcome Directory has gone from strength to strength - there are now nearly 200 faith communities (including dozens of churches) who have committed to offer a warm welcome to those leaving prison! What an awesome achievement! We thought it would be a good time to share a bit more about their vital work in supporting faith groups across our communities to give a warm welcome to people leaving custody and to help you to find out more and see how your church could get involved in this important work!
Last month, I took some time to talk to Serena, from The Welcome Directory, who works as their brilliant Communications and Fundraising Officer - and as part of their amazing wider team led by Emily Green (Project Manager). I am grateful to Serena for the wide ranging and encouraging conversation we had and so I am sharing these reflections with you; I have always been greatly moved and inspired by the work of The Welcome Directory and I hope and pray that after reading this thoughtful and touching piece that you will feel moved to get involved too…. Let’s hear all about it, right from the heart of the work of The Directory!
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you
Love. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Empathy for those who struggle... These principles underpin so many of our faith teachings, but how do they translate into our daily practices? We’d all like to believe we have these qualities in abundance, but how do we measure up when we’re challenged to accept people we perceive as ‘other’?
In Matthew 25:31–40, we are called upon to feed the hungry, to welcome strangers, and to visit people in prison. Time and again the Bible shows how Jesus embraces the marginalised and forgives those who stray. We must strive to follow in this example, and to love and welcome one another as warmly as we would welcome Jesus himself, for: “whatever you did for these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
However, when it comes to welcoming people who have left prison, this can be easier said than done. It is estimated that only 20% of prison leavers with faith feel able to join new faith communities upon release, and we may not be aware of the invisible barriers that exist within our own communities.
The Welcome Directory works with faith communities to address such barriers and help prison leavers with faith to identify welcoming faith communities to support beyond the gates. We want to help communities like yours to welcome prison leavers, the way Christ has welcomed you.
We are a small multi-faith charity, working to maintain a directory of faith communities that are committed to welcoming and appropriately supporting people who leave prison. The Welcome Directory is used by prison leavers and their support teams to develop positive plans for release, and to overcome the prevalent fear of rejection.
We help empower faith communities to welcome prison leavers, and offer a free Prisons Awareness Course to shed light on the experiences of imprisonment and release, and to address any concerns which might prevent communities from welcoming, accepting and supporting people who leave prison
“We have benefited greatly from being part of The Welcome Directory. It’s equipped us to better serve ex-prisoners and to welcome them in our church community. We can offer welcome, and support people who wants to rebuild their lives. If more churches connected with The Welcome Directory, there would be a great impact upon ex-prisoners’ lives and reduce reoffending.” - Jubilee Church hull (registered church)
The power of faith
“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” the apostle James says (James 2:18).
The Christian faith is most clearly demonstrated in our interactions with our fellows. We aim to help faith communities to live out their faith teachings and enjoy the blessing of connecting with prison leavers who can enrich their congregations.
Within the prison walls, faith can be a lifeline, offering hope when it is needed most. During a sentence, individuals are guided by supportive chaplaincy teams. Beyond the gates, faith communities could offer similar support, as they offer a unique sense of belonging, connection and acceptance, and inclusion within them is shown to reduce reoffending and help people to enjoy a truly fresh start.
Sadly, often these connections are not forged, leaving prison leavers to navigate the tumultuous transition of release alone... We work to overcome the barriers and facilitate such connections, inspired by stories like the ones below.
Real-life experiences
After years of searching, Richard described the life-changing moment when he finally connected with a welcoming faith community:
“I felt this love, this peace and this joy just washing through me. I felt like I’d been born again; in that moment I felt like I was freed from my addictions” he went on to describe how: “The members of my church were like the arms and the mouths of God to help me, to feed me and guide me on my path. If I didn’t have the support of my faith community, I don’t think I’d be around today.”
Likewise, we asked Samman, a prison leaver of Muslim faith, how his journey would have been different without his welcoming faith communities. He said:
“Without the support of my community I would have been lost. I would feel like I’d been rejected, which would be devastating because my faith means a lot to me and sharing that with other people is so important.”
These moving stories show the difference we can make when we choose to welcome and love one another in friendship, just as gracious Christ lovingly welcomes us.
What we hope to achieve
Our goal is to reach the stage where our resource can be used to help all prison leavers with faith to identify a welcoming community in their area, wherever they are, whatever they believe.
Right now, our directory represents over 190 faith communities (including churches, mosques, gurdwaras and more), but there is still a lot of work to be done. There are geographic areas and numerically smaller faiths which are presently underrepresented in our directory. We are working to improve representation in these areas, and you can help us achieve this. How can you be involved?
We invited you above to reflect on the ideas of love, acceptance and compassion for those who struggle. If you’ve been inspired from reading about our work and the difference you could make for prison leavers like Richard, I invite you to reflect on the following...
Register with us
If you believe that your faith community has the loving heart and practical understanding to welcome prison leavers, you could apply to register with us today. For more information on what that would mean, visit our website HERE.
Join our Prisons Awareness Course
If you’re interested to learn more, we’d love to welcome you to our free Prisons Awareness Course. This comes with no obligation to register; it is simply a chance to learn more, ask questions and reflect on whether registration is right for you. For more information, click HERE.
Spread the word
The more communities and individuals we connect with, the more we can encourage people to open their hearts and consider welcoming people who leave prison. We warmly invite you to share our name and story with your friends and acquaintances, and encourage them to make contact.
Join us in Prayer
Finally, we are a prayerful organization and believe in the value of lifting our hearts, and asking our loving God to bless our work and guide those struggling on their journey towards peace. Therefore, in closing, we invite you to join us in prayer.
“Loving God, we thank you that you welcome all people who come to you.
We thank you that despite our own failings, you have set us on a path of transformation, helping us to become more like the people you would have us be. Lord, help us to reflect that openness of heart, showing care and compassion for all who are in need, wisely offering a hand up to those who may have stumbled, humbly drawing on your strength to do this. May we know your peace, and your power as we walk alongside those leaving prison so that together we may see the transformation that you have in mind for us all.”
Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you
Sara Iles, FCG Media Support Officer (in conversation with Serena Bailey from The Welcome Directory)