Esther Faris got involved in the women’s jail ministry at the Lafayette, Ind., RPC in December 2003, soon after she turned 18. Her grandmother, Lois Long, and her mother, Jerri Faris, had been involved for years, and they encouraged her to think about joining. Esther says she prayerfully considered the advice and realized that the Lord was calling her to pursue it. She spoke with Bob Bibby, who approved it with the Tippecanoe County Jail.

Esther finds the inmates to be very responsive. “They are my captive audience. Most of these people are at their lowest point in life and want a purpose.”

The work can also be discouraging. “You really can’t tell if someone truly knows the Lord until they get out and live it for a few years. It’s important to remember that fruit isn’t always measured by numbers.” Esther says that her age also makes the ministry difficult; not everyone is ready to listen to someone 20 years their junior.

“I love going to the jail because it challenges me to get into the Word and know it. Week after week I present the gospel message in some fashion, which I believe benefits me more than it does them. God has increased my love for the lost by seeing the lives and needs of the women there…how God can change the heart of anyone He pleases.”

Nina Walker got involved with the jail ministry through the encouragement of her husband. She was apprehensive at first, but she prayed about it and believed it to be an area where she could witness. Nina had come to Christ at age 34, and she was looking for an opportunity to share her faith.

Nina has been in the ministry for two years. She goes to the jail weekly, either on Tuesday or Sunday nights. She has particularly enjoyed introducing the inmates to the Psalms—they are hungry for the words and Nina often leaves photocopies from the meetings for them to look at later.

She says that one of the challenges she faces is that the inmates come from very different denominations. They are often eager to discuss speaking in tongues, the Beast, or 666 while they still desperately need the basics of the gospel.

Another challenge is that the inmates are prone to dwell on their sin. “They are sometimes very personal,” Nina says. “They feel like they are not on a plateau to meet God.” This is where Nina is able to tell the story of her own conversion—how any holiness she has comes from the grace shown to her through Christ.