For the broken & the lost

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.

Luke 4: 18-19

Serving those unlike ourselves

In the introduction to the book “Enabling Church”, John Naude opens with, “The way we value people for who they are, as they are, is so important”.

Jesus reaches out to those on the margins – the broken, the lost, the weak - refugees, current and recovering addicts, low-income groups, prisoners and ex-offenders as well as those with physical and mental challenges (and often combinations of all these) to name but a few. As disciples of Christ, we are called to do the same. That includes the hardest-to-reach people - even those despised and rejected by society.

It is natural for us to serve those who are like us. We’re inclined to care for and share our lives with the people who live near us, look like us, talk like us, and live like us. It can be uncomfortable to reach out to people who aren’t like us. Yet Jesus calls us to press through our discomfort and to open our hearts to all who need the love and justice of God.

It may not always be easy

My work at Holy Trinity Church as Co-ordinator of Guernsey Caring for Ex-Offenders (GCFEO) and also as part of the Prison Chaplaincy team, has afforded me the privilege of being able to walk alongside ex-offenders and prisoners as they seek to rebuild their broken lives. It hasn’t always been easy and there have been many disappointments along the way, but being able to show and act with love, hope and mercy towards the people I have been called to serve, gives me such joy and purpose.

Reintegrating into the community after release from prison is often an incredibly difficult journey for ex-offenders.  Adjusting to life outside prison can be overwhelming. It is not just about avoiding reoffending—it's about healing, rebuilding identity, and restoring dignity.

Offering compassion, support, and opportunities to ex-offenders isn’t just the right thing to do; it's essential for building safer, more inclusive communities for everyone. Their crimes may be serious, and the pain they’ve caused is real. But as followers of Christ, we are called to believe in redemption. We believe in a Saviour who forgave the thief on the cross and ate with the outcast. His grace isn’t limited to the sins we find easier to forgive. It doesn’t mean we ignore the past or act without wisdom. But it does mean we lead with compassion, not condemnation.

10 years of GCFEO

Guernsey Caring for Ex-offenders celebrated it’s 10th anniversary on March 24th 2025. Over these 10 years I have seen many ex-offenders who, having accepted the support of GCFEO, have turned from a life of offending and with little self-worth, to become useful, trusted and worthy members of the community. This makes everything so very worthwhile. An even greater delight is when I see those who go on to lead their lives with Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

The church should be a place where even the most broken can find hope and healing.

If we believe no one is beyond God’s grace, then we must be willing to show that grace—even when it’s hard. Let’s be that kind of people. The kind that doesn’t just preach the Gospel—but lives it.