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The Bible on the Inside
Many of the young men behind the bars of the Kariong Juvenile Corrective Centre
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Rev Martin Parish at the Koriong
Juvenile Correctional Centre, ministering
to 'the lads'
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on the NSW Central Coast have never attended church on the outside. However numbers of them can now recite John 3:16 by heart.
Kariong houses 16 to 20 year olds who have been charged with serious offences. Martin Parish, working with Baptist Community Services, is their pastor. He’s conducted chapel services at Kariong with the help of personal testimonies from other prisoners. One was from an inmate in South Africa who smoked his Bible from Genesis right up to John 3:16 and then gave his life to Jesus.
Martin says – ‘The lads were so touched that they donated $200 to buy Bibles for the prisoners in South Africa. This is so amazing, as these inmates can only earn a maximum of $13 a week and most of them gave at least $10 – some gave four fold!
Martin says another inspirational part of his work is the pastoral prayer time at the end of each service where inmates pray for each other, their families and their victims. ‘There’s always a tear in my eye!’
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