Prison Ministry
Prison Ministry
The Prison Ministry provides biblical instruction to prison inmates through a partnership with Crossroads Prison Ministries. Individuals correspond with inmates who complete Bible courses and send them in the mail for feedback. Learn more about Crossroads.
Become a Mentor
If you are interested in becoming a Crossroads mentor, fill out their physical or online mentor application. If approved as a Crossroads mentor, you will receive detailed Mentor Training Handbook to familiarize yourself with the Crossroads program, its goals, and procedures. As a mentor, you always remain anonymous.
The Process
Many mentors at Parkside Church have found this is a rewarding way to be involved in sharing the gospel with seekers and discipling young believers, in a non-threatening and effective way. Once your application has been approved, you'll be able to enter the rotation to review inmates' lessons:
1) Receive a lesson in the mail from Crossroads.
2) Review the lesson using the answer keys you will receive from Crossroads.
3) Write a one-page letter of encouragement to the student.
4) Mail the reviewed lesson and letter directly to the student.
5) Report the student's score to Crossroads online or by phone.
Recent Blog Posts More
-
Apr19
Crossroads Prison Ministries Table
Stop by the table outside the Venue on Sunday morning, April 19, to find out more about our partnership with Crossroads Prison Ministries, talk with ministry volunteers, and learn how you can get involved.
-
God Welcomed Me Back: Raynard's Story
by Paige Deur | March 9, 2026
For Raynard, one truth defines his life: “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”
Life once looked very different for him. “God saved me when I was living in a very dark place filled with pain, anger, confusion, hate, guilt, and resentment,” he shared. “There were so many times I called out to God for help. I wanted to be delivered from the world I was living in and could not escape.”
In time, Raynard came to see that his desperate prayers had not gone unheard. “Today, I believe all the crying and calling out to God was heard,” he said. “As a backslidden Christian, God heard my cry and welcomed me back into His family.”
Through Crossroads Prison Ministries, Raynard began taking Bible study lessons that helped him grow in understanding and faith. “Crossroads has been a vital and pivotal point in my Christian walk,” he explained. “The lessons I have taken over the years have taught me so much about God and His holy Word. Through what I have learned with Crossroads, I have been able to share it with other fellow Christians.”
-
Peace That Cannot Be Taken Away
by Paige Deur | February 23, 2026
Dana’s first memories of faith go back to childhood. “My journey begins with my grandfather, my mom’s dad, taking me to a Sunday service,” he recalled. “I was very young and remember watching him kneel next to the pew, interlocking his fingers, pressing them to his lips, and whispering. That was my first understanding of prayer. He told me he was talking to God, who lives in a place called Heaven and always listens.”
That lesson stayed with him. At six years old, after losing a toy outside a military commander’s house, Dana remembered his grandfather’s words. “I prayed, crying in fear, and something told me to look under a bush nearby,” he said. “There it was, after I had looked everywhere. That was when I knew there was a God.”
Later, while serving in the Navy, Dana faced a terrifying typhoon off the coast of Japan. Believing they might be lost at sea, he read the entire Bible for the first time. But after years of turmoil and betrayal, he found himself in prison. “I fasted for over 10 days, pleading with God to just take me home,” he said. “When I woke up, I was angry that I didn’t die. [But] God had other plans in store for me.”
